proper processing of wild game and fish

8/3/2019 Proper Processing of Wild Game and Fish

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COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION

Proper Processing of

W I L D GA M E A N D F I S H


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INTRODUCTION

Hu nting o f wild game and fishing ar e

sports that h ave a trem end ous impact

on Pen nsylvan ias economy. Accord -

ing to the Pennsylvania Game Com-

mission, 2.5 million hu nting licenses

and nearly 1 million fishing licenses

were issued in the state in 1998, the

most in the United States. Many hunt-

ers and anglers enjoy these activities

no t on ly for spor t, but also for food .

The meat f rom hunted animals ,

birds, or fish is con sumed , processed ,

or preserved for immediate or later

consumption.

Those who handle animals, fish,

and birds in the field are sometimes

unaware of the potential risks in-

volved in con taminating th e meat or

fish with foodb orn e path ogens whiledressing, handling, and transporting

it. As with an y perishable meat , pou l-

try, or fish, raw or un der cooked game

meat can contain harmful bacteria

such as Salmonellaan d Escheri chia coli

O157:H7. These bacteria live in the

intestinal tracts of game, livestock,

pou ltry, and other dom estic warm-

blooded animals, and cause illness in

hu mans when eaten. Contamination

of game or fish is usually related to

the manner in which the animal,

bird, or fish was wounded, dressed,handled, or processed. Improper

temperature control, preservation

practices (canning, dehydration),

cooking, and han dling also may lead

to bac te r ia l outgrowth and

foodborne outbreaks in these meats.

Therefore, proper hand ling of game

meat o r fish from th e field or stream

to the table is extremely important.

Th is publication con tains guidelines

and hints to help you m ake sure th e

food you are consuming is handled

and prepared safely.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 2

Importance of Temperature Control 3

Processing of Wild Game and Fish 4

Aging 4

Cutting/Processing 4

Curing 5

Smoking 7

Canning 8

Jerky 11

Sausage Making 12

Cooking with Meat Thermometers 13

Nutritive Value of Game Foods 14Recipes 14


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THE IMPORTANCE OF TEMPERATURE CONTROL

can cause foodborne illness. When

roasting meat and poultry, use an

oven temperature no lower than

325F. Cook ground meats to an in-

ternal temperature of 160F. Steaks

and r oasts cooked to an intern al tem-

perature of 145F are medium rare,160F are medium, and 170F are

well done . For don eness, cook game

bird breast meat to an intern al tem-

perature of 170F, and to 180F for

who le birds. Use a meat thermometer

to assure that game meats have

reached a safe intern al temperature.

If raw game meat, birds, and fish

have been processed and handled

safely, using th e abo ve temperatu re

guide lines will make them safe to eat.

If raw meat h as been m ishan dled ( for

example, left in the temperature dan -

ger zone too lon g), bacteria may grow

and produce toxins that can cause

foodbor ne illness. Cooking does not

destroy tho se toxins that are heat re-

sistant. Th erefore, even thou gh it has

been coo ked pro perly, meat and

poultry mishandled in the raw state

may not be safe to eat.

Safe food-hand ling practices are a

good defense against foodborne ill-

ne ss. Because we know how differen t

temperatures affect the growth ofbacteria in our food, we can protect

ourselves and our families from

foodbor ne illnesses by pro per ly han -

dling, cooking, and storing game

meat, birds, or fish at safe tempera-

tures.

170

160

150

140130

120

110

100

90

80

70

60

60

50

40

30

20

50

40

30

20

10

0

The TemperatureDanger Zone

(41140F (560C)

DegreesFahrenheit

DegreesCelsius

Bacteria exist everywhere in natu re

in the soil, air, water, and the foods

we eat. When they have nutrients

(food) , moisture, time, and favorable

temperatures, they grow, rapidly in-

creasing in numbers to the point

whe re some can cause illne ss. The re-fore, understanding the important

role temperature plays in keeping

food safe is cr i t ical to prevent

foodborne illne ss.

Bacteria grow most rapidly in the

range of temp eratures between 40F

and 140F, doubling in n umber in as

little as 20 minutes. This range of

temp eratu res is often called th e tem-

perature danger zone.

Temper atur es below 40F will slow

the growth of the bacter ia but will no t

kill them . Th is observation explainswhy perishable foods such as meat

and p oultry will gradually spoil in the

refrigerator. Spoilage bacteria will

make themselves known in a variety

of ways. The meats may develop

an uncharacteristic odor or color

and / or may become sticky or slimy.

Molds may also grow and become vis-

ible. Bacteria capable of causing

foodborne illness either dont grow

or grow very slowly at refrigerator

tem pe ratu res. Always use a refriger a-

tor/ freezer therm ometer to verifythat the temperature of the unit is

below 40F.

Properly handled game meat ,

birds, or fish stored in a freezer at 0F

will always be safe. Freezing slows the

movement of molecu les, causing bac-

teria to enter a do rmant stage. On ce

thawed, however, these bacteria can

again becom e active an d m ultiply to

levels that may lead to foodbor ne ill-

ness. Because bacteria on these foods

will grow at about the same rate as

they would on fresh food, thawed

foods shou ld be h andled in the same

way as any other perishable food.

Always cook raw game meat , bird s,

and fish to a safe internal tempera-

ture. Temperatures (160 to 212F)

reached in baking, roasting, frying,

and boiling will destroy bacteria that


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PROCESSING OF WILD GAME OR FISH

Aging

Aging of meat (also known as season-

ing, ripen ing, or conditioning) is the

practice of holding carcasses or cu ts

under low controlled temperature

and hu midity for several days to en -

han ce flavor, tender ize, and com plete

curing reactions. Game meat typically

is aged to enhan ce flavor an d the ten-

derization process, which occurs

when enzymes break down or de-

g r ade com pl ex p r o t e i n s i n t he

muscle over time. See gr aph below.

Meat from game animals is gene r-

ally less tende r th an that o f domestic

animals because of the exercise wild

animals exert in foraging for food

and the low-energy diet they con-

sume. The degree of tenderness is

related to the age of the animal. The

most tender meat comes from youn g,

healthy, alert an imals. The con dition

of the animal immediately before

harvest also affects the qu ality of the

meat. For example, if an animal has

run a long distance before being

killed, its meat m ay be darker in color

(brown to pu rp lish-black) , sticky, or

gummy in texture. The pH of the

meat is also higher in these animals

because the energy stores in the

muscle are depleted, wher eas the p Hof meat of rested animals is 5.6 to 5.8.

The increase in p H reduces the over-

all meat quality and increases the

potential for bacterial growth.

Meat that is to be groun d, cured,

or m ade into sausage or bologna does

not need to be aged, since further

processing tenderizes the meat. Ag-

ing is not r ecommen ded for a carcass

with little or no fat covering, as the

carcass may dr y out d urin g the aging

process. If you choose to cook your

game by braising, roasting, or stew-ing, then aging is not n ecessary, since

moist heat cooking also tenderizes

the meat.

If you will be aging a carcass at

home or a camp, leave the hide on

to p rotect against excessive d ehydra-

tion, discoloration, and contamina-

tion from dirt, insects, leaves, bacte-

ria, mold, e tc. State laws require that

the h ide be r emoved before process-

ing at commercial processors. If you

age at home, remember to do so in

clean , cool, well-ven tilated areas free

from gas, oil, or paint odors, as the

meat may absorb th em.

Aging for 57 days should improve

tenderness without undue spoilage.

It is extremely importan t, however, to

age game carcasses or meat un der re-

frigerated cond itions ( at a temp era-

ture below 40F). Although the ac-

tion of the tenderization enzymes is

much faster at warmer temperatures

(greater than 40F), spoilage occur s

more quickly and bacteria of publichealth concern ( Salmonella, E. coli

O157:H7) also grow much faster.

Aging at warmer temperatures can

pre sent both meat quality defects and

health hazards. Off odors associ-

ated with aged carcasses gene rally are

indicative of microbial growth. Un-

de r these circumstances, it is advised

that the meat be discarded. Even if

cooked, the meat will be objection-

able and m ay present h ealth hazards.

Aging birds is a matter of p ersonal

preference. If you decide to age,hang birds by the feet in a cool

(


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as a clean sharp kn ife and / or saw. Be

sure to separate en tire muscles, keep

the kn ife close to the bon e, and cut

across the grain when m aking roasts

and steaks. Boneless cuts will use up

less space in a freezer and ar e easier

to wrap an d carve.

Specific cuts and areas for cutting

large game animals are illustratedbelow:

The cut t ing method for large

game carcasses (Field, 1983) is as fol-

lows:

A to B. Remove the neck and shoul-

der. You may want to bone out the

muscle for groun d m eat.

C to D. Separate the shoulder from

the rib between the 5th and 6th rib

(counting from front of carcass).

E to D. The br isket and foreshan k are

rem oved just above the elbow joint.

Arm an d blade roasts may be cut an d

trimmed. Portions of the shoulder

no t suitable for roasts and foreshank

may be boned for groun d meat.

F to G. Cut th e leg from the loin, leav-

ing one vertebra on the leg. Sirloin

steaks and bone-in leg roasts are

made from these cuts . The hind

shan k and trimmings may be bon ed

and used for groun d meat.

H to I. Separate the rib and short-

plate from th e flank and loin by cut-

ting between the 12th an d 13th ribs.

J to K. The rib is separated from th e

breast by a 1/ 2" ventral cut to the

blade bone on a line parallel to the

back. The flank and breast may be

boned for ground meat.

K to L. The flank is removed from

the short loin by cutting next to the

tender loin. Th e rib and loin m ay be

cut in to steaks.

On ce the cuts are made, you can

furth er pr ocess the muscles to steaks,

roasts, sausage, bologna, etc.

Curing

Curing is defined as adding salt, salt

brine , nitrites, and sometimes sugar,

spices, and other ingredients to a

meat, po ultry, or fish p roduct. Game

meats, birds, or fish are cured for

three m ain r easons: preservation, fla-

vor, and color. On ly proper ly butch -

ered and thoroughly cooled meats

shou ld be cured.

To preserve meat and pou ltry, youmust inactivate and destroy the un-

desirable microorganisms on the

meat sur faces that cause spoilage and

foodborne i l lnesses . Many tech-

niques help in this process, includ-

ing smoking, cooking, dr ying, chill-

ing, and adding cure ingredients.

On e of th e m ost effective is intr odu c-

ing salt into the meat. The salt cur-

ing process requires careful tempera-

ture control. The temperature must

be warm enough to allow the salt to

pene trate the meat, but cold enough(less than 41F) to prevent decom-

position . The resistance o f different

types of bacteria to salt varies widely.

The growth of some bacteria (e.g.,

Salmonella) is inhibited by salt con-

centrations as low as 3%, whereas

other types (e.g., Staphylococcus) are

able to survive in much higher con-

centration s. Fortu nately, low salt con -

centrations inhibit the growth of

many of the undesirable organisms

normally found in cured meat and

poultry products.

Nitrite, another compound asso-ciated with curing, is a highly reac-

tive chemical that interacts with sev-

eral of the comp onen ts in m eat, in-

cluding pigments, protein, and fat.

Nitrite also provides an important

antimicrobial effect, preventing the

outgrowth ofClostridium botulinum

and the formation of its dead ly toxin.

To date, no other single chemical

additive can perform all the func-

tions of nitrite in cured meat.

The f l avor of cured meats i s

though t to be a composite of the fla-

vors of the curing agents and those

developed by bacterial and enzymatic

action. Sugar is added to man y cured

pro ducts; however, it is a mino r p art

of the composite flavor. It serves

mostly to red uce th e harshness of the

tremen dous amoun t of salt in cured

meat and poultry. Sugar a lso plays an

impor tant r ole as food for the flavor-

producing bacteria of meat during

long curing p rocesses. Anoth er p rob-

able cause of the character istic flavorof cured m eat, poultry, and fish p rod-

ucts is the effectiveness of nitrite in

retarding lipid oxidation and the

development of off flavors.

Smoking also gives the pro duct a

characteristic flavor, which can be

varied slightly with cu re an d types of

smoke. In addition to smoke gener-

a ted f rom hardwoods or l iquid

smoke, a smoke flavoring solution

can be sprayed on to meat food prod-

ucts during the cooking process.

Developing and maintaining astable r ed color is very importan t in

cured an d smoked meat operations.

Sodium or potassium nitrate or ni-

trite, the cure agent used to p rocess

cured meats, is responsible for the

developm ent of this color. Nitrate is

used sometimes as a source of nitrite.

The further reduction of nitrite to

nitric oxide, which reacts with myo-

globin (m uscle pigmen t) to pr oduce

Location of various cuts on a carcass.

A

B

C

DE

JK

I

G

F

L

H

Neck Chuck orShoulderRoast

Rib

Shortplate

Brisket

Foreshank

Loin

Flank

Rump

Leg or Round

Arm Roast

Shank


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the cur ed co lor, is affected by severa l

environmental conditions such as

temperature, moisture content, salt

content, and pH . The time required

for this color to develop m ay be shor t-

ened with the use of cure accelera-

tor s such as ascorb ic acid or a de riva-

tive, erythorbic acid or a derivative,

sodium ascorbate, and sodium ery-tho rbate. Cure accelerators speed up

the chemical conversion of nitrous

acid to nitric oxide. They also serve

as oxygen scavengers, which prevent

the fading of the cured meat color

in the presence of sunl ight and

oxygen.

Curing Methods for Game

There are several general methods of

curing, with a number of modifica-

tions for each me thod. Th ese meth -

ods include p ickle curing, dry curing,dr y salt curing, or ap plication of cur-

ing solutions by osmosis, stitch pum p,

spray pump, artery pump, and ma-

chine pump .

Pickle Curing

A typical pickle curing solution could

include water and sal t (cal led a

plain or salt pickle); water, salt,

nitrate, and/ or n itrite; or water, salt,

nitrate, and/ or n itrite to which sugar

has been added (a sweet pickle).

Oth er ingredients could be added to

enhan ce flavor. A basic brine solution

gen erally consists of 1 lb brown sugar,

2 lbs uniodized salt, and 3 gallons of

water. Use a noncor rosive con tainer

to hold the brine and meat during

the curing pro cess. Wood , crocker y,

stainless steel, or plastic containers

work well. Place the m eat in th e con -

tainer an d pou r the brine over it un-

til it is covered. If th e m eat floats, you

may have to place a weight on it to

keep it submerged. Turn the meat

in th e br ine p eriodically to cover allsurfaces.

Dry CuringDry curing involves the ru bbing an d

packing of meat in salt and other

compoun ds for considerable periods

of time. Dry curing materials might

include salt alone; salt, nitrate, an d/

or n itrite; or salt, nitrate, and/ or n i-

trite with sugar. On e examp le of a dry

cure is dr y sugar cure:

Dry Sugar Curi ngA full concen tration of the following

ingred ients ( the 8321 form ula)

is applied directly to the meat sur-

face:

8 pounds table or curing salt

3 pounds cane sugar

2 ounces nitrate (saltpeter)1 ounce sodium or potassium

nitrite

Use 1 ounce of 8-3-2-1 formula for

each pound of meat. Place rubbed

meats in boxes under refrigerated

(


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Mortons Quick Cure can be found

in many rural grocery stores or or-

dered throu gh your local superm ar-

ket. Most ou tdoo r catalogs also carry

seasoning and curing products, or

you can purchase these ingredients

throu gh your local butcher shop .

After the meat, poultry, or fish

product is cured, soak it in cold(


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immed iately after smoking to ensure

safety.

Smoking for CanningBecause smoke alone is not an effec-

tive preservative under most condi-

tion s, small factory-mad e electric or

charcoal smokers are suitable on ly for

smoking fish th at also will be can ned.

Lightly smoked fish for canning

doesnt have to reach the internal

temp eratur e requ ired for ready-to-eat

pro ducts, which is 160F for at least

30 minutes.

Smoke th e amou nt o f fish th at you

plan to can that same day. Smoke fish

for up to 2 hou rs, depen ding on the

level of smoke flavor desired. Since

lightly smoked fish isnt safe to eat,

don t taste it to see if its don e. Th e

best way to judge doneness is to m ea-

sure weight loss. Weight is lost asmoisture evaporates du ring smoking.

A 10% weight loss yields a moist,

good-quality product after canning.

The moisture loss in most ready-to-

eat smoked fish is generally 20 to 30

percen t. Lightly smoked oily fish such

as black cod will seem ver y mo ist be-

cause of their h igher fat con tent. You

can measure weight loss easily with a

kitchen scale. Calculate percentage

loss by comparing the difference in

the weight of one piece of raw fish

before an d after smoking. Do the fol-lowing:

1. Weigh a piece of fish before smok-

ing.

2. Weigh the same piece of fish after

smoking.

3. Subtract the ending weight (B)

from the beginning weight (A) to

calculate th e weight lost (C) .

4. Divide the weight lost (C) by the

beginning weight (A).

5. Multiply the r esult (D) by 100 to

calculate the percen t of weight loss

(E).

For example:

8 ounces beginning weight (A)

7 ounces ending weight (B) =

1 ounce weight lost (C)

1 ounce (C) 8 oun ces (A) = .125 (D)

.125 (D) x 100 = 12.5 percen t (E)

This 12.5 percent weight loss

would yield a fairly moist piece of

smoked fish after canning. A 20 to

30 per cent weight loss would be too

dry after canning.

Note: If your smoked fish cann ot

be processed immediately, refrigerate

it for p rocessing later tha t day. If can-

ning will be delayed for m ore th an 1day, freeze the fish. Frozen smoked

fish must be thawed to refrigerator

temperature before canning. Thaw

fish in the refrigerator, not on the

counter.

Smoking Game Birds

Smoking can add new flavor, conve-

nience, and increased shelf life to

your game meat. Game birds can be

processed in a salt brine, in which th e

salt has been smoked or to which liq-

uid smoke has been added, andcooked in a h ome oven without a spe-

cial smokehouse. Using another

method , the me at is cured in a sugar

and salt brine and then smoked us-

ing hard wood s. While more cumber-

some, the smoke flavor penetrates

the meat, re sulting in a better flavor.

Heat the carcass at 140F for 30

minutes, then turn on the smoke,

increase smokehouse humidity by

placing pans of water over the heat

source, and heat at 150F for one

hou r. Turn off the smoke and h eat at170F for 2 ho ur s followed by 185 to

200F smokehouse air temperature

un t i l t he i n t e r na l t em pe r a t u r e

reaches 165F, as measured by a meat

thermometer.

Smoking will give the game birds

a light br own color and smoky arom a.

After smoking, the meat must be re-

frigerated at temperatures less than

40F. Smoked b irds may keep for up

to 34 weeks in a refrigerator. If the

produ ct will not be con sumed imme-

diately, freeze for u p to 6 mo nth s.

Because of the rancidity and stale,

off flavors associated with poultry

fat, it is not advised to store game

birds much longer than 6 month s.

To serve your smoked product,

reheat in a conventional oven from

275325F for 1520 minutes per

pound of product. Cover the meat

with foil to retain the moisture and

eliminate th e n eed for basting.

Canning

Only good-quality, properly cleaned

and cooled game or fish should be

canned. To ensure safety of canned

meats or fish, all jars or can s must be

processed in the p ressure cann er ata sufficien tly high temp eratu re for a

long en ough time to kill all bacteria

that cause spoilage or food poison-

ing. Large game animals are cann ed

like beef, and small game animals

and birds like poultry. Either type of

meat can be raw packed or hot

packed.

Before s ta r t ing any canning

pr ojects, it is advisable to a) h ave you r

local extension office check an d cali-

brate your dial gauge; b) use only

quality canning equipm ent: standard

glass mason -type jars and a two-piece

flat lid and screw band; and c) follow

the man ufacturer s directions for safe

oper ation of the canne r. For detailed

canning instructions, consult the

1994 USDA publication CompleteGui de to Home Cann ing: Gui de 5, Pre-parin g and Canni ng Poul tr y, Red M eats,

and Seafoods, available at your localextension office.

Canning Small Game Animals and Birds

Choose freshly killed and dressedheal thy animals or birds . Soak

dressed meat for 1 hour in water con-

taining 1 tablespoon of salt per qu art,

then rinse. Remove excess fat. Cut

meat into suitable sizes for cann ing.

Can with or without bone.

For ho t pack, boil, steam, or bake

meat until about two-thirds done.

Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart, if de-

sired. Fill jars with pieces and hot

b r o t h , l e avi ng 1 1 / 4 inch o f

headspace.

For raw pack, add 1 teaspoon salt

per quart, if desired. Fill jars loosely

with raw meat p ieces, leaving 1 1/ 4

inch of headspace . Do not add

liquid.

Follow the recommendations in

the tables below for add itional infor-

mation abou t cann ing meat safely.


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Canning Large Game Animals (Strips,Cubes, or Chunks)

Choose high-quality chilled meat.

Remove excess fat . Soak strong-

flavored wild meats for 1 hour in

brine water contain ing 1 tablespoon

of salt per qu art. Rinse. Remove large

bones.

For hot p ack, precook meat un tilrare by roasting, stewing, or brown-

ing in a small amount of fat. Add 1

teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired.

Fill jars with pieces and add boiling

broth, meat drippings, water, or to-

mato juice, leaving 1 inch of

headspace.

For raw pack, add 1 teaspoon of

salt per quart, if de sired . Fill jars with

raw meat pieces, leaving 1 inch of

headspace. Do not add liquid.

Adjust lids and process following

the recommendations in the tables

below, accord ing to the can nin g

method used.

Canning Ground or Chopped MeatPressure an d adeq uate time are n ec-

essary to produ ce a safe, cann ed meat

produ ct. Choose fresh, chilled meat.

With venison, add one part high-

quality por k fat to thr ee or four p arts

ven ison before grinding. Use freshly

mad e sausage, seasoned with salt and

cayenne pepper (sage may cause a

bitter off flavor). Shape chopped

meat in to patties or balls or cut case

sausage into 3- to 4-inch links. Cook

until lightly browned. Ground meat

may be sauted without shap ing. Re-

move excess fat. Fill jars with pieces.

Add boiling m eat broth , tomato juice

or water, leaving 1 inch of head space.Add one teaspoon of salt per quart

to th e jars, if desired .




method used.

Table 1. Recommended Process Time for Canning Strips, Cubes, or Chunks of Meat in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner

Canner Pressure (PSI) at altitudes of:Style of Pack Jar Size Time (min) 02,000 ft 2,0014,000 ft 4,0016,000 ft 6,0018,000 ft

Hot or Raw Pints 75 11 lbs 12 lbs 13 lbs 14 lbsQuarts 90 11 12 13 14

Information obtained from USDA Extension Service

Table 2. Recommended Process Time for Canning Strips, Cubes, or Chunks of Meat in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner

Canner Pressure (PSI) at altitudes of:Style of Pack Jar Size Time (min) 01,000 ft Above 1,000 ft

Hot or Raw Pints 75 10 lbs 15 lbsQuarts 90 10 15


Table 3. Recommended Process Time for Canning Ground or Chopped Meat in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner


Hot Pints 75 11 lbs 12 lbs 13 lbs 14 lbsQuarts 90 11 12 13 14


Table 4. Recommended Process Time for Canning Ground or Chopped Meat in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner

Canner Pressure (PSI) at altitudes of:

Style of Pack Jar Size Time (min) 01,000 ft Above 1,000 ft

Hot Pints 75 10 lbs 15 lbsQuarts 90 10 15



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Canning Fresh FishAlthough freezing is the easiest way

to preserve fish, canning does offer

some advantages. Cann ing heat inac-

tivates enzymes th at d egrade muscle

or flesh; precooked canned foods are

ready to eat; and cann ing avoids the

problem of freezer burn. The only

safe way to process fish is in a pres-sure canner. Follow recommended

canning pr oced ur es carefully, always

using pint jars, rather than quarts.

Fish may be canned with its bones,

which ad d to the flavor an d n utritive

value of the product. To safely can

fish that h as been frozen, thaw it first

in a refrigerator and can pr omp tly.

Eviscerate fish within 2 hours af-

ter th ey are caugh t. Keep cleaned fish

on ice until ready to can. Remove

head , tail, fins, and scales. Wash an d

remove all blood. Split fish length-

wise, if desired. Cut cleane d fish in to

3 1/ 2-inch lengths. Fill pint jars with

the skin side of the fish next to the

glass, leaving 1 inch of headspace.

Add o ne te aspoon o f salt per pin t, if

desired. Do n ot add liquid. Adjust lids

and process according to th e canning

timetables for fish, be low.Note : Glasslike crystals of magne-

sium ammonium phosphate some-

times form in canned salmon. There

is no way for the h ome can ner to pr e-

ven t th ese crystals from forming, bu t

they usually dissolve when h eated an d

are safe to eat.

Canning Smoked Fish

Note: The USDA recommends that

on ly light ly smoked salmon , rockfish,

and flatfish such as sole, cod, and

flounder be canned. Safe canning

recipes for other smoked fish have

not been determined; therefore,

the se fish should be frozen.

Use a 16- to 22-quart p ressure can -

ne r. Do no t use quart jars or tin cans.

Thaw frozen smoked fish in the re-

frigerator until no ice crystals are

pre sent. Cut fish in to pr ope r sizes tofit into pint canning jars, leaving 1

inch of headspace. Do not add liq-

uid. Process according to to th e can-

ning timetables for smoked fish, be-

low. Follow the manufacturers in-

structions for use of a home canner;

contact your local extension office for

assistance; or re fer to th e 1994 USDA

publication Complete Gu ide to H ome

Canni ng: Gui de 5, Preparing and Can-n ing Poul tr y, Red M eats, and Seafood.

Table 5. Recommended Process Time for Canning Fish in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner


Raw Pints 100 11 lbs 12 lbs 13 lbs 14 lbs


Table 6. Recommended Process Time for Canning Fish in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner

Canner Pressure (PSI) at altitudes of:Style of Pack Jar Size Time (min) 01,000 ft Above 1,000 ft

Raw Pints 100 10 lbs 15 lbs


Table 7. Recommended Process Time for Canning Smoked Fish in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner

Canner Pressure (PSI) at altitudes of:Jar Size Time (min) 02,000 ft 2,0014,000 ft 4,0016,000 ft 6,0018,000 ft

Pints 110 11 lbs 12 lbs 13 lbs 14 lbs


Table 8. Recommended Process Time for Canning Smoked Fish in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner


Jar Size Time (min) 01,000 ft Above 1,000 ft

Pints 110 11 lbs 15 lbs



11/20

11

Canning RabbitChoose freshly killed and dressed,

healthy animals. Dressed rabbits

should be chilled for 6 to 12 hours

before canning, soaked for 1 hou r in

water con taining 1 tablespoon of salt

per q uart, and then rinsed. Remove

excess fat. Cut the rabbit into suitable

sizes for canning. Can with or with-out bon es.

For ho t pack, boil, steam, or bake

meat until about two-thirds done.

Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart to the

jar, if desired . Fill jars with p ieces and

hot bro th, leaving 1 1/ 4 inch of

headspace. For raw pack, add 1 tea-

spoon salt per quart, if desired. Fill

jars loosely with raw meat p ieces, leav-

ing 1 1/ 4 inch of headspace. Do not

add liquid.




method u sed.

Jerky

Drying is the wor lds oldest and most

common method of food preserva-

tion. Canning techn ology is less than

200 years old, and freezing became

practical only during this century

when electr icity becam e widely avail-

able. Drying technology is both

simple and readily available to most

of the worlds cultu res. Jerky is a food

known at least since ancient Egypt.

Humans made jerky from the meat

of animals that were too b ig to eat all

at once such as bear, buffalo, or

whales. North American Indians

mixed ground dried meat with d ried

fruit or suet to make pemmican.

Biltong is dried meat or gam e eaten

in m any African cou ntr ies. Ou r word

jerky came from the Spanish word

charque.Removing moisture from food

prevents enzymes from contacting or

reacting with it. Whether these en-

zymes are bacterial, fun gal, or n atu-

rally occurring, preventing their ac-

tion preserves the food. Recent ill-

ne sses caused by Salmonellaand E. coli

O157:H7 in homemade jerky have

raised questions about the safety of

traditional drying methods for mak-

ing bee f and venison jerky. If impr op-

erly cooked, homemade jerky may

contain bacteria that can result in

severe, life-threatening illness andpossibly death.

In 1995, a Salmonella outbreak

caused b y jerky affected 93 peop le in

New Mexico. Although the product

had been dried at 140F for 3 h ours

and held at 115F for 19 hours, the

jerky (beef) h ad n ot been h eated to

160F, allowing the bacter ium to sur-

vive. Another jerky outbreak oc-

curred in Oregon in 1995, affecting

11 people with E. coli O157:H7. The

jerky from this outbreak had been

dried to 124 to 135F for 1218 hours,

but not to 160F. These outbreaks

have raised concern about drying

meth ods used to make jerky at hom e.

Table 9. Recommended Process Time for Rabbit in a Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner


Style of Pack Jar Size Time (min) 02,000 ft 2,0014,000 ft 4,0016,000 ft 6,0018,000 ft

Without Bones:

Hot or Raw Pints 75 11 lbs 12 lbs 13 lbs 14 lbsQuarts 90 11 12 13 14

With Bones:Hot or Raw Pints 65 11 lbs 12 lbs 13 lbs 14 lbs

Quarts 75 11 12 13 14


Table 10. Recommended Process Time for Rabbit in a Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner

Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of:

Style of Pack Jar Size Time (min) 01,000 ft Above 1,000 ft

Without Bones:


With Bones:




12/20

12

The USDAs current recommen-

dation for making jerky safely is to

heat meat to 160F before the dehy-

drating pr ocess. This step assure s that

any bacteria pr esent will be destroyed

by wet h eat. But most deh ydrato r in-

structions do not include this step,

and a dehydrator may not reach tem-

peratures high enough to h eat meatto 160F. Thus, the meat must be

cooked f irst by baking or simmering

before being placed in the dehydra-

tor. Using the dehydrator alone will

inactivate microorganisms but not kill

them. The right conditions of heat

and moisture may cause the micro-

organisms to become active without

the consumer being aware of a po-

tentially dangerous situation. After

heating the m eat to 160F, maintain

a constant dehydrator temp erature of

130 to 140F during the dr ying pro-

cess. This is important because the

process must be fast enough to dry

food before it spoils, and it must re-

move en ough water to p revent m icro-

organ isms from growing.

The following are additional rec-

ommendations for making jerky at

home:

Always wash h ands thoroughly

with soap and water before and

after working with meat pro ducts.

Use clean equipment and utensils.

Keep meat refrigerated at 40F or

slightly below; use or freeze

ground beef and p oultry within 2

days; who le red meats, within 3 to

5 days.

Defrost frozen meat in the refrig-

erator, not on the kitchen coun ter.

Marinate meat in the refrigerator.

Dont save marinade for re-use .Marinades are used to tenderize

and flavor the jerky before dehy-

drating it.

Steam, boil, or roast meat to 160F,

as measured with a meat th ermom-

eter, before deh ydrating it.

Dry meats in a food dehydrator

that has an adjustable temperature

dial and will maintain a tempera-

ture of at least 130 to 140 F

throu ghout th e dr ying process.

Baking Jerky in an OvenPlace the jerky on cake racks placed

on baking sheets, and bake in a 325F

oven. Check the internal tempera-

ture using a meat thermometer to

make sure it has reached 160F. Pro-

ceed with the directions for drying

jerky in a dehydrator ( adjustmen ts in

the listed length of time to dry willbe requ ired), or d ry in the oven us-

ing th e following gu idelines.

The t empera tu re o f t he oven

should be 170F or higher and the

door should be propped open 2 to 6

inches. Circulation can be improved

by placing a fan ou tside th e oven n ear

the doo r. Dry un til a test piece cracks

but d oes not break when it is bent (5

to 6 hours). Pat off any beads of oil

with absorbent toweling and cool.

Remove strips from the racks. Cool.

Package an d store in a cool, dry place.

Simmering Jerky in a Marinade(See recipe section for additional version of

this recipe.)

Pre-freeze meat to be made into jerky

so it will be easier to slice. Cut par-

tially thawed meat into lon g slices of

1/ 4" thick. For ten der jerky, cut at

right an gles to lon g muscles (across

the gr ain) . Remove as much fat from

the slices as possible to pr even t off

flavors.

Prepare 23 cups of your favorite

marinade an d br ing it to a rolling boil

over medium heat. Add a few meat

strips, making sure the marinade cov-

ers them. Reh eat to a full boil. (No te:

It is no t advised to p resoak the strips

in marinade. Putting unmarinated

strips into boiling marinade mini-

mizes any cooked flavors and main-

tains the safety of the marinade.)

Rem ove t he pan f r om t he hea t

source. Remove the strips from the

hot marinade and place them in asingle, no noverlapp ing layer on d ry-

ing racks.

Dry the strips at 140 to 150F in a

dehydr ator, oven , or smoker. Test for

doneness by letting a piece cool.

Strips should crack but not break

when bent and should not contain

any moist or un derdon e spots. Refrig-

erate the strips overnight. Check

again for d oneness. If necessary, dr y

strips furth er.

Poultry JerkyCut the breast meat into thin strips

(1/ 4" thin and 1" wide). Cure the

strips for 24 hours in brine solution

and ho ld at


13/20

13

and allow for even distribution

throughout the product during

regrind.

If you have the grinding equip-

ment, coarse-grind the meat, add

the re st of the oth er ingredients,

and regrind.

If stuffing sausage, choose on lyhigh -quality ho g casings that have

been salted.

Soak casings in clean water 30 min-

utes before u se, and rinse th em in

cold water to remove excess salt.

Clean grinding and stuffing equip-

men t thor ough ly and sanitize sur-

faces with solution of 1 tablespoon

chlorine bleach per gallon of wa-

ter when done.

Use meat thermometers to ensure

cooked sausage products havereached prop er intern al tempera-

ture of 160F.

Cooking with Meat Thermometers

Using a meat the rmometer is the on ly

reliable method to ensure th at your

game meat , bi rds , or f ish have

reached a proper internal tempera-

ture during cooking. For th ese foods

to be safe, internal temperatures

must be high enough to ki l l any

harmful microorganisms.

Cook groun d meats and oth er cutsof game m eat such as chops, steaks,

and roasts to 160F to ensure de struc-

tion of foodbor ne b acteria and para-

sites. For tenderness and doneness,

cook who le game bird s to 180F and

breast meat to 170F. Cooked mu scle

meats can be pink even when the

meat has reached a safe intern al tem-

perature. The pink color can be

caused by the cooking method, smok-

ing, or added ingredients such as

marinades. If fresh game has reached

160F throughout, even though it

may still be pink in the center, itshould be safe.

I t should be noted that color

change in a meat product is not al-

ways indicative of a proper internal

temperatur e. In some instances, meat

may change color (pink to gray or

brown) before it reaches a tempera-

ture at which pathogens are de-

stroyed. To take th e guesswork o ut of

cooking your game , birds, or fish, u se

a digital, fork, bimetallic-coil, or d ial

oven -safe th ermo meter.

Digital Instant-Read (Thermistor)

Reads in 10 second s

Place at least 1/ 2" deep

Gives fast

reading

Can m easu re

temperature in

thin and th ick

foods

Not designed to remain in food

while its cookin g

Check in te rna l t empera ture of

food near th e end of cooking time

Some models can be calibrated;

check m anufacturer s instructions

Available in kitchen stores

ForkReads in 210 seconds

Place at least 1/ 4" deep in thick-

est part of

food

Can be u sed in

most foods

N ot de sign e dto remain in

food while it is cooking

Sensor in tine of fork must be fully

inserted

Check internal temperature of food

near en d of cooking time

Cannot be calibrated

Convenient for grilling

Dial Instant-Read (Bimetallic-coil)

Reads in 1520 seconds

Place 2 to 2 1/ 2" deep in thickestpart o f food

Can be u sed in

roasts, casse-

roles, and

soups

Tem pera tu r e is

averaged along probe, from tip to

23" up th e stem

Cannot measure thin foods unless

inserted sideways

Not designed to remain in food

while it is cooking

Use to check the internal tempera-

ture of a food at the end of cook-

ing time


check man ufacturers instructions

Readily available in stores

Dial Oven-Safe (Bimetallic-coil)

Reads in 12 minu tes

Place 2 to 2 1/ 2" deep in thickest

part o f food

Can be u sed in

roasts, casse-

roles, and soups

Not appropr ia te

for thin foods

C an r e m a i n in f o o d wh i le i ts

cooking

Heat conduction of metal stem can

cause false h igh read ing


check man ufacturers instructions

Table 11. Recommended Minimum Internal Cooking Temperatures for Game Meats

Types of Game Meat or Bird Degrees Fahrenheit

Ground Meat and Meat Mixtures

Ground Venison, Sausage, Deer Bologna 160

Fresh Venison (Chops, Steaks, Roasts)Medium 160Well Done 170

Game Birds/WaterfowlGame Bird/Waterfowl, Whole 180Wild Turkey, Whole 180Breasts, Roasts 170Thighs, Wings 180Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird) 165Duck/Goose 180


14/20

14

RECIPES

mals because the wild animals get

more exercise and have less fat. Fat

may contain off flavors and sho uld

be removed. For maximum tender-

ness, most game meat should be

cooked slowly and not overdone. It

can be cooked with moist heat bybraising or with dr y heat by roasting.

Fried Rabbit

Rabbit, cut u p into serving pieces

Flour

Salt and p epper

Oil

Roll rabbit pieces in mixtur e of flour,

salt, pepper. Heat oil about 1/ 2" deep

in heavy frying pan. Use moderate

temperature. Cook all pieces until

well browned and tender.

Oven-Grilled Rabbit

Young rabbits

1 clove garlic or 1/ 2 lemon or

1/ 2 lime

Salt and p epper

1/ 2 cup flour or crushed cereal

1/ 2 cup fat, melted

Cut rabbits in quarters. Rub pieces

with garlic or lemon/ lime juice and

let stand for 30 minutes. Sprinkle

with salt and pepper. Roll pieces in

flour or crushed cereal. Place pieces

in melted fat in bottom of deep bak-

ing dish. Bake at 375F for 30 min-

utes or until brown. Turn and bake

30 minutes longer. Remove pieces

and drain on pape r towels. Serve hot.

Table 12. Nutritive Value of Game Foods

Game Preparation Portion Calories Protein Total Fat Saturated Fat Cholesterol Iron Sodium Zinc (g) (g) (g) (mg) (mg) (mg) (mg)

Antelope Roasted 3 oz 127 25 2.2 .9 107 3.6 46 1.4Beefalo Roasted 3 oz 160 26 5.4 2.3 49 2.6 70 5.4

Buffalo (bison) Roasted 3 oz 122 24 2.1 .8 70 2.9 48 3.1Deer Roasted 3 oz 134 25.7 2.7 1.1 95 3.8 46 2.3

Fowl flesh only

DuckDomestic Roasted 1 lb r-t-c* 201 23.5 11.2 4.2 89 2.7 65 2.6Wild Raw+ 1/2 breast 102 16.5 3.5 1.1 3.7 47 .6

Goose Roasted 1 lb r-t-c* 340 41.4 18.1 6.5 138 4.1 108 Pheasant Raw+ 1/2 breast 243 44.4 5.9 1.9 1.4 60 1.1

Raw+ leg, 1 lb, 132 21.9 4.2 1.5 1.8 44 1.5r-t-c*

Quail Raw+ 1quail 123 20 4.2 1.2 4.2 47

Rabbit

Domestic Roasted 3 oz 131 19.4 5.4 1.6 55 1.5 31 1.5Wild Stewed 3 oz 147 28.1 2.9 .9 104 4.1 38 NA

Squirrel Roasted 3 oz 116 20.5 3.1 .4 80 4.5 80 NA

NA = No information available

= Lack of reliable data for a constituent believed to be present in measurable amount.

* r-t-c = ready to cook

+ = Values for cooked not available.

Sources: USDA Handbook no. 8-5, 1979, Composition of Foods, Poultry Products, Raw, Processed, Prepared, and USDA Handbook no. 8-17, 1989, Composition of

Foods, Lamb, Veal, and Game Products, Raw, Processed, Prepared.

Because gam e an imals diets and ac-

tivity levels are n ot th e same as those

of dom estic animals and p oultry, the

meat o f game an imals has a differen t

flavorstronger th an th at of domes-

ticated species. Factors that deter-

mine the meats quality include theage of the animal (younger animals

are mor e tend er), th e animals diet,

and the time of year the animal was

har vested. ( The best is in th e fall, af-

ter a plentiful spring and summer

feeding.)

Also importan t is how the an imal,

bird, or fish was hand led in th e field.

As mentioned in the previous sec-

tions, it should be eviscerated within

an h our of harvest, and the m eat re-

frigerated within a few hours. Meat

will become damaged (and some-times ruined) if it is not dressed,

tran spor ted, and ch illed prop erly.

In general, wild game meat is less

tender than m eat from d omestic ani-


15/20

15

Hasen Pfeffer

1 rabb it, cut into serving p ieces

2 to 3 cups vinegar

2 to 3 cups water

1/ 2 cup sugar

1 on ion, sliced

2 tsp. salt1/ 4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. pickling spices

Flour

Cooking oil

1/ 2 tsp. kitchen bouquet

Cover rabbit with equal par ts vinegar

and water. Add sugar, onion, salt,

pepper, and pickling spices. Cover

and store rabbit in p ickling solution

for 2 days in refrigerator. Remove

rabbit from solution and pat d ry withpaper towels. Roll rabbit pieces in

flour and brown them in hot fat .

Gradually add 1 cup of remaining

pickling solution to browned pieces.

Cover and simmer about 1 hour or

un til tender. Add kitchen b ouquet to

remaining liquid and thicken with

flour for gravy.

Birds Baked in Sour Cream

1 pheasant, duck, wild turkey, or

grouse (app roximately 2 to

2 1/ 2 lb) cut into serving pieces

Flour, seasoned with salt and

pepp er to taste

1/ 4 cup butter

1/ 2 cup sliced mushroom s

(optional)

1 cup sour cream (acts as a tender-

izing agen t)

1/ 2 cup water

1/ 4 tsp. thyme

Preheat over to 325F. Roll bird

pieces in seasoned flour, then brown

in butter in large skillet. Transfer

pieces to a casserole dish. Cover

pieces with sour cream and mush-

rooms. Add water to skillet and pou r

into casserole. Sprinkle with thyme

and cover tightly. Bake until meat is

tender (about 1 hour). Serve with

rice or boiled potatoes.

Pheasant

1 pheasant

Mar inade of sauterne wine and

water

Season ed flour

1/ 2 pint whipping cream

1 small can mushroomsMix equal parts wine with water to

cover the pheasant. Marinade for 6

hours or less. Remove bird from mari-

nade, debone, and cut into smaller

bite-sized pieces. Toss pieces in sea-

soned flour and brown in butter in

large skillet. Place browned p ieces in

a buttered casserole. Add whipping

cream. Bake 35 min at 350F. Add

mushrooms and bake an additional

10 minutes. Serve on a bed of wild

rice.

Roast Wild Duck

35 lb duck

Salt and p epper

1 med ium apple, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

Wine or o ran ge juice

Season duck inside an d ou t with salt

and pep per. Put apple and on ion into

cavity of duck. Place on rack of roast-

ing pan . Do not cover. (If it is an o ld

bird, cover the last half of the cook-ing time.) Do n ot add water. Cook at

325F for 2 to 3 hours or until ten-

der. Baste occasionally with wine or

orange juice. Remove app le and on-

ion before serving.

Sweet Pickle Cure of Game

Put meat in a container such as a

crock, barrel, sealed wooden box,

stainless steel container, or a plastic

container that is approved for food

products. Do not use other metal

containers. Add water to cover the

meat. Remove the meat and add

enough salt to the water so an egg

will float, measuring as you add. If

you d o not h ave a specific pickle cure

recipe, add sugar to equal 1/ 2 the

amoun t of salt used. Add comm ercial

cure to pickle according to package

directions.

Put meat into p ickle. Let stand at

38F for 3 days per pound of meat

(45 days for 15 poun ds meat) . If tem-

perature becomes warm and brine

becom es rop y, rem ove m eat. Wash

the meat. Boil and skim pickle or

make a new one. The new pickle

should b e as stron g as the original. If

space is a limiting factor, it migh t beadvantageous to bone out the wild

game. Keep the pieces of meat as

large as possible, then smoke after

curing is comp lete.

Corning Game

You can cor n venison, ante lope,

moose, bear, or beef with the same

corning method. It makes all of these

meats plain good eating. A good

piece of round is wond erful corned,

but less desirable cuts of meat like the

brisket can be corned. People who

will no t eat wild m eats may like th em

corned, as corning takes out the

musky wild flavor and tenderizes the

toughest meats.

To make 6 gallons of corn ing liquid,

use:

3 poun ds (6 3/ 4 cups) salt

10 ounces (1 3/ 8 cups) sugar

2 ounces sodium nitrate

1/ 2 ounce sodium nitrite

3 level teaspoons black pep per

3 level teaspoon s groun d cloves

6 bay leaves

12 level teaspoon s mixed p ickling

spice

For onion flavor, add one medium-

sized onion, minced. For garlic fla-

vor, add four garlic cloves, minced.

Put the ingredients into a pickle

crock or glass jar and add enough

water to make a to tal of 6 gallons, in-

cluding the ingredients. Place meatinto the liquid. Put a heavy plate on

the meat and weight it, if ne cessary,

to keep meat below pickle brine.

Cover the container.

The ideal temperatur e for coming

meat is about 38 F. During the fall

or spring m on ths, this is no t too d if-

ficult to obtain. In the winter, an un -

heated part of the basement can be

used for corning meat. During the


16/20

16

summ er mo nth s, it is hard to find a

place aroun d 38F. Higher tempera-

tures need not affect the en d result

of the corning process at all, if you

add one-third mor e salt for every 15

degrees of temperature above 38 F.

At 83F, add 3 pounds more salt,

making a total of 6 pou nd s of salt.

Leave the m eat in the corn ing liq-uid for 15 days. On the fifth an d ten th

days, stir the liquid well, remove the

meat, and p ut it back so the bottom

piece is on top. After the fifteenth

day, remove the meat. Use what you

want immediately and store the bal-

ance in a cool place refrigerated at

38F. After meat is rem oved fro m th e

corning liquid, it should be cooked

and consumed within one week or

frozen for up to one mon th.

The meat at this stage has a gray-

ish p ink color. When cooked, corn ed

meat changes to the characteristic

pink color associated with a cured

product.

Cooking Corned MeatPlace the corned meat in a pan with

a cover. Add cold water to cover the

meat. Bring to a boil and rem ove the

scum from the water. Reduce the heat

and simmer for about 5 hou rs or un -

til tender.

Venison Summer Sausage

15 pou nd s ven ison

10 pound s pork trimmings (5

poun ds lean trimmings, 5

pounds fat trimmings)

7 ounces (2/ 3 cup) salt

1 ounce ( 2 tablespoon s) comm er-

cial cure

1 oun ce (2 tablespoon s) mustard

seed

3 ounces (1/ 2 cup) p epper

3 ounces (1/ 2 cup) sugar

1/ 2 ounce (3 tablespoon s)

marjoram

Mix sal t and cure with coarsely

groun d venison and pork trimmings.

(Cure is optional. It is used to d evelop

a pink color and as a preservative.)

Pack in shallow pan and place incooler for 3 to 5 days. Then ad d re st

of ingredients and mix well. Smoke

sausage until internal temperature

reaches 160F. Sausage is quite spicy.

If you like less spice, cut down pro-

por tions of spices.

Smoked Sausage

Stuff prepared sausage into 3-inch-

diameter fibrous casings and smoke

at 140F for 1 hour; at 160F for 1

hou r, and at l80F un til intern al tem-

perature reaches 160F (insert a meat

thermo meter in th e thickest part of

the sausage) . Remove f rom

smokehouse and spray with hot wa-

ter for 15 to 30 second s. Follow with

cold spray or place in ice water to cool

down rap idly. Store in coo ler at 40F

or colder.

Venison Bologna

10 poun ds ground venison

1 pound h amburger

1/ 2 cup Mortons Tend er Qu ick Salt

2 1/ 2 cups vegetable oil

5 teaspoon s garlic powder

2 teaspoons hickory smoke salt

2 teaspoon s onion powder

4 teaspoons black pepper

5 teaspoons Liquid Smoke

1 tablespoon s hot pep per sauce

2 envelopes Lipton beefy on ion

soup mix

Use casings or shape into logs ap-

proximately 1 1/ 2 inches in d iameter.

Wrap in foil. Bake in 350F oven for

approximately 1 hour or until inter-

nal temperatur e reaches 160F.

Source: http :/ / www.geocities.com/Yosemite/ Gorge/ 5037/ page6a.html

Venison Chili

1 to 1 1/ 2 poun ds venison bu rger,

browned and drained

1/ 2 pound fresh m ushrooms,

coarsely chop ped

1 green pepper, coarsely chopped

1 (14 1/ 2 oun ce) can sliced stewed

tomatoes, und rained

1 (6 oun ce) can tomato paste

3 (14 1/ 2 ounce) cans dark red

kidn ey beans, und rained

2 tablespoon s chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin peppe r

1/ 4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/ 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

34 dashes crushed red p epper

12 dashes celery salt

dash of black pepp er

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Combine all ingredien ts in a 4-quar t

slow cooker (crock pot) and prefer-

ably refrigerate overnight. Cook on

low heat setting for 8 to 10 h ours. Top

each serving with freshly chopped

onion and shredded cheddar cheese.

Note : This is a very good , mildly hot

chili that is complimen ted by freshly

baked bread . Yields six ser vings.

Source: http :/ / www.geocities.com/

Yosemite/ Gorge/ 5037/ page6a.html


17/20

17

Wild Game Polish Sausage

25 poun ds 50/ 50 pork trimmings

(50% lean and 50% fat)

20 poun ds wild game (lean meat)

1 quar t water

14 ounces (1 1/ 3 cups) salt

2 oun ces (4 tablespoon s) cure1/ 2 ounce (6 teaspoon s) marjoram

1 1/ 2 ounces (3 tablespoon s)

mustard seed

3 cloves garlic

2 ounces (1/ 4 cup) p epper

Mix all ingredients together and

grind the product through a coarse

plate, followed by a fine grind. Stuff

in hog casing and follow smoking

procedure for Smoked Sausage, p.

16.

Quick Sausage

2 pounds hamburger or deer

burger mix

1/ 2 teaspoon pepper

1/ 8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/ 4 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoon s curing salt

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 cup water

1 tablespoon mustard seed ( op-

tional)

Pack mixture in a water glass to

within 1/ 2 inch of the top. Use large

glass con tainer o r en ough glass tum-

blers. Cover and freeze overnight.

Run warm water on glass to release.

Plastic containers will not crack and

are safer, but may pick up flavors from

the sausage. Wrap in cellophane

wrap. Tie ends. Simmer 1 hour in

water. Slice th in.

Note: Hamburger or pork sausage

can be mixed with ground venison.

Mock Salmon

Allow 2 1/ 4 to 3 poun ds of who le fish

for each pint of canned fish. Clean

and prepar e fish. Remove heads, fins,

and tail. Remove skin, if desired. If

the fish is slimy, a solution of 1 tab le-

spoon vinegar to 2 quarts water h elps

rem ove the slime. The color of some

fish can b e improved by soaking it for

30 minute s in cold water containing

1/ 2 cup salt to 1 gallon water. Do no t

reuse salt water. Rinse fish in clean

water, and cut into jar-sized lengths.

Combine and heat the above in-

gredien ts. This makes enou gh sauce

for abou t 8 pin ts. Pack fish into jars

to within 1 inch of the top . Cover with

sauce, leaving 1 inch h eadspace. Re-

move air bubbles, wipe jar r ims, place

prep ared lids on jars, and tighten th e

screw bands. Proceed according tocann ing timetable for fish.

Quick Pink Salmon

To each pint o f fish, add:

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/ 4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoo ns tomato juice

Leave 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids.

Process according to the table for

fish.

Hot Pickle Cure Jerky

Use fresh lean deer meat free of fat

and con nective tissue. Five poun ds of

fresh meat should weigh approxi-

mately two pounds after drying or

smoking.

1. Slice 5 poun ds of meat (1/ 4-inch

strips) with the grain, not cross-wise. Spread out meat and sprinkle

on 3 tablespoo ns salt, 2 teaspoo ns

ground black pepp er, and 2 table-

spoons sugar. Put the meat in a

pan or d ish and let it stand for 24

hours in the refrigerator.

2. Pound the meat on both sides to

work in the spice. Optional: Dipstrips of meat in a liquid smoke

solution (5 parts water to 1 part

liquid smoke) for 1 to 2 seconds

for added flavor.

3. Make a brine by dissolving 3/ 4 cup

salt, 1/ 2 cup sugar, and 2 table-

spoon s ground black pepper in a

gallon of water. Stir to dissolve th e

salt and sugar.

4. Bring the brine to a low to me-

dium bo il. Immerse the fresh meat

strips (a few at a time) into the

boiling brine until they turn gray

(approximately 1 to 2 minutes).

Remove meat from brine, using

clean tongs or other utensils that

have not contacted raw meat.5. Spread out meat on a clean dehy-

drator rack or on a clean rack in

the top half of a kitchen oven. If

you u se a kitchen oven, op en the

oven door to the first or second

stop. Heat at 120 to 150F (lowest

oven temperature) for 9 to 24

hou rs or un til the d esired dr yness

is reached. Remove jerky from

oven before it gets too hard or

brittle. Properly dr ied jerky should

crack when ben t in h alf but shou ld

no t break in to two pieces.

6. Store in clean jars or plastic bags,

or wrap in f reezer paper and

freeze. If kept d ry, pro per ly pre -

par ed jerky will last almost ind efi-

nitely at any temperature, but its

qual i ty deter iorates in a few

months.


18/20

18

REFERENCES

Beck, P. and M. Marchello. 1987. Wild

Side of the M enu: Preservati on of GameM eats. North Dakota State Un iversity

Extension Service, Fargo, ND.

Cutter, C. N. 2000. Proper Care and

H andl ing of Veni son from Field to Table.Penn State Cooperative Extension,

University Park, PA.

Cutter, C. N. 2000. Proper Care andH and li ng of Game Bi rds from Field to

Table. Penn State Cooperative Exten-sion, University Park, PA.

Cutter, C. N. 2000. Proper Care andH andl ing of Fish from Stream to Table.

Penn State Cooperative Extension,

University Park, PA.

Dray, J. F. Nu tr i ti ve Value of Game Foods.

Kansas State Un iversity, Manh attan ,KS. http:/ / www.abs.sdstate.edu /f lc s/ f o o d sa fe t y/ m e n u l ist / d o c /

nutval.htm

Field, R. A. and C. A. Raab. 1983. Youand Your Wild Game. University ofWyomin g Agricultur al Extension Ser-

vice, Lar am ie, WY.

Marchello, M. 1993. Wild Side of theM enu: Field to Freezer. North Dakota

State University Extension Service,

Fargo, ND.

Marchello, M. 1996. Wild Side of theM enu: Care and Cookery. North Dakota

State University Extension Service,

Fargo, ND.

Marchello, M., J. Garden -Robinson.

1998. The Art and Practice of Sausage

Making. North Dakota State Univer-sity Exten sion Service, Fargo, ND.

Miller, B. F. and H. L. Enos. 1998.

Smoking Poult ry M eat. Number 9.325.Colorado State University Coopera-

tive Extension, Fort Collins, CO.

National Food Safety Database. 1999.http :/ / www.foodsafety.ufl.edu/ con-

sumer/ sd/ sd019.htm#CURING

Raab, C. A. and K. S. Hildebrand.

1998. Oregon State Un iversity Exten-

sion Service Web si te: ht tp: / /

www.foodsafety.ufl.edu / con sumer /

fs/ fs070.htm.

Romans, J. R., W. J. Costello, C. W.

Carlson, M. L. Greaser, and K. W.

Jones. 1994. T he M eat We Eat, thir-

teen th ed ition . Interstate Publishe rs,

Inc., Danville, IL.

Smith, Ned . To Field-Dress a Deer,

Pennsylvania Game News, PennsylvaniaGame Comm ission , H arrisburg, PA.

USDAFood Safety Inspection Ser-

vice. 1999. http :/ / www.fsis.usda.gov/

ofo/ hrds/ state/ retail / cur ing.htm.

Curing meat.

USDAFood Safety Inspection Ser-

vice. 1999. http :/ / www.fsis.usda.gov/

OA/ pubs/ tempfood.htm. Tempera-

ture control.

USDA Web si te: h t tp: / /

www.nal.usda.gov/ fnic/ foodcomp /index.html. Nutrition information.


19/20

Compiled by Catherine N. Cutter,

assistant professor, Department of

Food Science, Penn State.

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciencesresearch, extension, and resident educationprogram s are fund ed in part by Penn sylvaniacoun ties, the Comm onwealth of Penn sylvania,and the U.S. Department o f Agriculture.

This publication is available from the Publi-cations Distribution Cente r, The Pen nsylvaniaState U niversity, 112 Agricultur al Admin istra-tion Building, University Park, PA 16802. Forinformation teleph one (814) 865-6713.

Issued in further ance of Cooper ative Exten-sion Work, Acts of Congr ess May 8 an d Jun e30, 1914, in coop eration with the U .S. Depart-men t of Agriculture an d th e Pen nsylvania Leg-islature. T. R. Alter, Director of CooperativeExtension, The Penn sylvania State Un iversity.

This publication is available in alter-

native media on request.

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The Pennsylvania State University 200010M9/ 00PS


20/20

proper processing of wild game and fish

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