Eating meat responsibility can seem like an ethical battle.
Whether it’s trying to source locally and understand the conditions in which
your meat was reared, or making the most of an animal to ensure that waste is a
minimal, things are not nearly as simple as going to the supermarket and
picking something straight off the shelves. However at this time of year, with seasonal
festivities on the way and increased meat intake highly likely for most people,
it makes sense to start considering the best ways to eat reduced impact meat.
No carnivorous diet is ever going to have the same
reduced environmental impact as a vegetarian or vegan diet, but there are ways
of improving your current habits and recently I've been looking at game and wildfowl as an alternative.
There are two types of game/wildfowl; farmed and wild. Much
of what is readily available in the UK and Ireland today will be farmed, normally
still in wide open spaces (essentially free range), but with more population
control, health monitoring and depending on where you are talking about, more regular and structured means of slaughter than that of wild hunted game.
So what are the pros and cons? Nutritionally there is evidence to support that game is a healthier alternative to farmed meat; the animals are more active that domestic animals, so the meat
tends to be leaner and lower in saturated fats, as well as free from growth
hormones and additives associated with intensive farming. It’s not without its
risks though, wild animals are still susceptible to disease and infection, and
it’s always worth checking with your local wildlife authority to ensure that
the local population is healthy and fit for consumption. There have also been
some concerns raised as to lead exposure from the shot used to kill the animal.
Hunters are advised to either switch to non lead ammunition, or to discard the
portion of meat where the shot is found.
If not hunting yourself, game can be a little bit more pricy
and difficult to source compared to other meats, which is perhaps a good thing for those who want to reduce intake but don't want to give up altogether. But you’d be surprised what
you can get for your money, especially if you’re willing to buy in bulk and it’s
also important to be efficient with the cuts you get. An independent butcher
may be able to get game for you, but you can also ask any local restaurants
that you know that serves game for their supplier details; chances are, if they
are in the area delivering to that establishment, they may stop off at your
place too, providing you are willing to meet their minimum orders (and if you
really fancy pushing your luck, you could ask the restaurant to order something
for you within their own).
Vennison and Mushroom Goulash
I’ve cooked this a couple of times for the Shugmeister and children seem to really enjoy it, perhaps because of its sweet tomatoey base. It is ideal for tougher cuts that require extra
tenderising such as loin chops and neck, but it could also be used for left
overs. Obviously, if the meat is pre-cooked it needn’t be stewed for as long,
simply add towards the end of the process and ensure that everything is heated
through. For a vegetarian alternative, simply increase the yield of mushrooms
and throw in a few extra vegetables such as peppers or courgette. If you don’t have/like
venison, this sauce can easily be applied to other meats.
In this recipe I make use of the different kinds of paprika
that a relative brought back from Bulgaria, and some markets will sell
different varieties over here - but don’t worry about it too much if you can
only get hold of the basic, it'll still make a good base.
Serves 4-6
500g of Vennison
1 large onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
1 ½ pints of game or beef stock
1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
300g of chestnut mushrooms (chopped)
4 teaspoons of hot paprika (when cooking for children I use
sweet paprika or a combination of both).
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 table spoon of black treacle
3 table spoons of plain flour
Oil for frying
In a large pan fry the onions on a medium heat until turning translucent. While this is ongoing, in a separate bowl, add chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, paprika, treacle and flour and hand whisk until smooth. Set aside.
To the onions, add the venison and garlic, turning until sealed. Once the meat is browning, add the mushrooms, then after about 5 minutes the stock. Bring to the boil, before adding the tomato mix, stirring until combined and returning to a low simmer. Cover and cook for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with ribbon pasta.
Image: Adam Hickmott / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Just a very quick post today, mostly to share this recipe with you and tell you about an upcoming event. This really isn't recommended for children on account the booze, instead, arrange into Martini Glasses for an elegant end to a romantic meal for two (recipe serves 4, but you can always keep some). It makes use of store ingredients, which are so handy at this stage in the winter, and as it's made in advance it means you're not slaving over anything too intricate and can enjoy your meal. The best thing about this, is the pumpkin isn't the main flavour component, it's just a base, so if amaretto isn't your thing you can try different flavour liqueurs such as cherry, coconut etc, garnishing with matching bits and pieces.
