Success… now what?
In recent years, there has been a huge shift towards “organic” and “grass fed” products. Many of these shifts have happened in result to consumer education on ethical treatment of farm animals in different kinds of operations. Is this a good or bad shift? The answer to that question is up to you. But one thing that most people will agree upon is that the closer to the initial source you can get for your food, the better it will be. For many “getting close to the source” is seeking out local vegetables on a Saturday farmers market stroll or contacting a local cattle farmer to purchase a quarter cow straight from the source. This is a great way to support local businesses and in the process get the highest quality ingredients to craft amazing dishes for your table.
Fortunately for those that have chosen to make hunting a part of their life, straight from the source meat is readily accessible. Venison is an unbelievably nutritious and flavorful cut of meat. For the conservation minded individual, venison also is a safe source of protein that is readily available and abundant. It is currently believed that there are approximately 30 million whitetail deer alive in the wild in North America. This is an amazing statistic considering that the whitetail population was nearly wiped out in the early 1990’s (if interested in learning more about this, see summer food plots post). Today’s numbers are believed to be on par with the number of whitetail deer that were present before colonization of the US. From a conservationist perspective, the whitetail deer is a bountiful wild animal that is thriving. I say this cautiously because every life should be respected; but whitetail deer in the US are a great renewable nutrition resource.
Choice cuts from a whitetail such as the loin and backstrap are hard to beat from a taste perspective. Venison has long been considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. Many very renowned Michelin Star restaurants are serving venison loin on some of their rotating menus (mainly Fall/Winter). Customers enjoy the rich and tender flavor. Venison loin is often shipped in from farms in New Zealand and is typically from a variety of deer called a “Red Deer”. Red Deer is very different in a body characteristic than a whitetail. It is much larger, however, the taste is very similar. In either of the species of deer, tenderloin is the most sought after cut. It often goes for upwards of $40/lb. But what about the rest of the animal? Many choose to get the remainder ground or turned into various summer sausage varieties. In Tulsa, there is an amazing small German restaurant that will even make Cajun, jalapeno cheddar, and chipotle jack bratwursts. These are an absolute delicacy in our house. I included a few pics of the woods to table to bratwurst above.
The Kitchen Rx stream is an experiment in expanding the understanding of dishes that whitetail deer and other local wild animals can be a part of. We will attempt to stretch the notion that venison and wild game is only meant for simple meals. We believe that these recipes can be just as awe inspiring as the animals themselves.
Cheers!