Area cooks learn how to prepare wild game

Twenty adults attended a free program on cooking wild game at the Cape County Nature Center on Saturday. The 90-minute presentation, with a question-and-answer period and time for sampling a variety of recipes, was led by Mark Goodwin, a Jackson High School biology teacher who is also a longtime contributor to the magazine Missouri Conservationist.

Goodwin hunts, prepares and cooks wild game for family and friends who expect it to have a good flavor and be tender. His toughest critics are his own family, and tackling the challenge to please their palates is fun for him.

Marble Hill residents Jason and Michelle Randucker came to class for ideas on preparing rabbits, squirrels and fish. For the couple in their 30s, settling into their three-and-a-half-acre home has meant hunting and cooking the wild game they've killed as well as the meat their neighbors have shared with them.

"I like the idea of being able to go out and get it yourself and be respectful of the animal by using it," Michelle Randucker said.

Fredericktown residents Bill Wright and his son, John, haven't had the success at hunting they would've liked, but they did come away from the class with useful knowledge. Bill Wright said he learned about better sanitation and the significance of drawing the blood out.

"If I ever get a deer, I plan on skinning it myself," he said.

The social aspect of sharing good food goes a little deeper when you've killed it yourself and taken on the challenge of making it taste good. Goodwin explained that you've got to expect some failures and that there are some guidelines you can follow to keep meat moist, avoid toughness and mask the gamey flavor.

First, what the animal you're preparing has eaten is important to flavor. An animal that ate from a pecan or mulberry tree tastes better than one that ate worms.

Placing bacon over the meat while cooking or adding a pan of water to your smoker will help with moisture but when it comes to conquering the challenge of producing tasty recipes, cutting out tough tissue, fat and gristle is essential. Goodwin thinks blood imparts bad flavor so he soaks meat in the refrigerator for two to three days, changing the water twice a day to cleanse it. He marinates the meat for a day in a covered glass, plastic or ceramic bowl, stirring to distribute the marinade.

"This is not easy stuff to cook. You've got to work at it," he said.

Avoiding overcooking is essential to moistness and tenderness. Goodwin's secret is to take meat off the grill when it's medium rare, wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a cooler with a dish towel over it, insulating the meat while he visits with friends or plays horseshoes.

Nature center manager April Dozier said the goal of the center is to connect people to the land and this program gave them the opportunity to do it.

The center will hold another adult cooking class, "Dutch Oven Cooking," which will also feature wild game on March 26. Call 290-5858 for more information.

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133