free game

[Toddy]

My Dad shot for the pot. We had rabbit, it was treated a bit like chicken to be honest. Folks happily chew off a drumstick or wing.....

He had no qualms about fresh roadkill too. I have eaten hedgehog, it tastes like pork, not ham, just pork.

HWMBLT gets venison, etc., fairly regularly. We havea friend who shoots. His favourite is venison and pigeon breast burgers ....the friend used to be a butcher, he adds popeseye steak fat to the burgers, just enough to make them juicy.

I think though that unless the supermarkets take it on (Lidl's do venison frequently here) then most folks wouldn't even try anything but cow, pig or sheep.

 

[TeeDee]

I'd rather have squirrel over rabbit if I'm honest - I find it surprisingly good.

 

[Ozmundo]

I used to be able to swap a brace of birds for beer in my local.

 

[Broch]

I'd rather have squirrel over rabbit if I'm honest - I find it surprisingly good.

Agreed and there was a butcher/game shop in Ludlow that sold Grey Squirrel. It makes excellent satay and a very good tagine (with apricots or dates). I've even used it in mixed game pie without telling anyone

 

[Broch]

My Dad shot for the pot. We had rabbit, it was treated a bit like chicken to be honest. Folks happily chew off a drumstick or wing.....

He had no qualms about fresh roadkill too. I have eaten hedgehog, it tastes like pork, not ham, just pork.

HWMBLT gets venison, etc., fairly regularly. We havea friend who shoots. His favourite is venison and pigeon breast burgers ....the friend used to be a butcher, he adds popeseye steak fat to the burgers, just enough to make them juicy.

I think though that unless the supermarkets take it on (Lidl's do venison frequently here) then most folks wouldn't even try anything but cow, pig or sheep.

I only shoot for the pot! I don't believe killing anything should be treated as sport (oops, there we go again). Actually, that's a bit of a lie; I couldn't possibly eat all the Grey Squirrel I have to shoot, but I certainly take no pleasure in it.

 

[Ozmundo]

I like the sound is Satay!

 

[Stew]

I think the whole Myxomatosis thing has put the public off so much that restaurants just cannot be bothered.

Do you think so?

I suspect not - I bet a lot of younger folk don't even know what myxi is.

 

[Broch]

Do you think so?

I suspect not - I bet a lot of younger folk don't even know what myxi is.

I'm not convinced; I think for most people it's all they know about rabbits. It's surprising the number of people immediately say something about Mixy/Myxi whenever the subject of rabbit comes up. They don't know what it is, they just know that 'all' rabbits have this deadly disease (not).

 

[Stew]

I'm not convinced; I think for most people it's all they know about rabbits. It's surprising the number of people immediately say something about Mixy/Myxi whenever the subject of rabbit comes up. They don't know what it is, they just know that 'all' rabbits have this deadly disease (not).

You could well be right. I'm might do some asking about and see what the response is.

 

[Falstaff]

So is Mixy harmful to us? Cooked or raw? As a kid when we went ferretting the butcher wouldn't take rabbits with Mixy, but I've never known the answer.

 

[Broch]

So is Mixy harmful to us? Cooked or raw? As a kid when we went ferretting the butcher wouldn't take rabbits with Mixy, but I've never known the answer.

The virus itself does not infect humans and, theoretically, properly cooked it is considered safe.

However, the general advice is do not eat rabbit with Myxomatosis, not because the virus is a human risk — but because the animal’s overall health is compromised, and the risk vs reward just isn’t great (they may have other bacterial/viral infections).

 

[Chris]

I have to say I only found out about it because I once took a wild rabbit into the vet as it was just stuck at the side of the road, obviously blind. Never heard about it up until that point in my early 20s. Though I suspect if I had been raised more rurally I might’ve.

 

[Broch]

I have to say I only found out about it because I once took a wild rabbit into the vet as it was just stuck at the side of the road, obviously blind. Never heard about it up until that point in my early 20s. Though I suspect if I had been raised more rurally I might’ve.

Maybe @Stew is right then and, being a country bumpkin, I have a distorted view of what the populace know.

Edited after TeeDee wielded his red pen

 

[TeeDee]

Maybe @Stew is right then and, being a country bumkin, I have a distorted view of what the populace know.

BumPkin.

Not sure what the other thing you type up is but I wouldn't want people to get confused about all Country people.

 

[Pupers]

I only shoot for the pot! I don't believe killing anything should be treated as sport (oops, there we go again). Actually, that's a bit of a lie; I couldn't possibly eat all the Grey Squirrel I have to shoot, but I certainly take no pleasure in it.

Born and brought up a countryman, shoot, fish, ferret, shot more Deer than comes to mind, beat and pick up at shoots, 34 years a Water Baillif. I have eaten Greys and did not like it, but it was only cooked over an open fire. But I will shoot or trap every Grey I see, and take pleasure in it. A huge fan, indeed lover, of Reds since I was a lad…….Hate Greys with an unhealthy passion!…….Sorry!

 

[Broch]

Hate the ones that brought it here, not the poor creature we have to kill.

In the style of Burns:

The Grey Intruder

O grey intruder, bushy-tail’d,
Frae foreign woods ye first set sail’d,
An’ noo our native glens are ail’d
 By yer advance;
Ye strip the bark, leave trees half-scal’d,
 An’ fate tae chance.

The hazel sighs, the oak bears scars,
Young saplings gnawed like battle wars;
The red retreats, the balance jars
 Wi’ each bold leap,
While ye, well-fed on stolen stores,
 Sleep sound an’ deep.

Yet curse ye as I might at e’en,
Wi’ clenched-up fist an’ temper keen,
I ken ye act by nature’s mien,
 Nae malice bred;
The fault lies wi’ the hand unseen
 That loosed ye spread.

Sae here’s tae mending what’s been torn,
Protect the red, the wood reborn;
Let sense, nae spite, our acts adorn,
 In care we trust—
For pain once sown by heedless scorn
 Is paid in dust.

 

[johnnytheboy]

Dunno about if its just that- Game certainly does carry some unique flavours ( hence tasting 'gamey' ) over over meats - I could see why a mum trying to convince her Children to try and like it ( unless introduced at an early age ) may have a bit of a up hill struggle.

BASC advise to butcher game quickly as the developed game flavour is not to the modern palete.

Hanging game and developing flavour goes back to time of limited ingredients to introduce flavour.

 

[TeeDee]

BASC advise to butcher game quickly as the developed game flavour is not to the modern palete.

Hanging game and developing flavour goes back to time of limited ingredients to introduce flavour.

You know the way that supermarkets claim free range chickens taste different to factory run chickens ( its an analogy , I appreciate Chickens are not classed as Game. ) - they are basically saying they taste 'more' Chicken than Chicken you are used too. I would say when Rabbit is rabbit - wild rabbit tastes more gamey than domestic raised rabbit - but the element of gamey-ness is still present in some animals.

 

[johnnytheboy]

Agree but it can be mitigated in most cases!

Something like Hare you have no chance but it really nice if presented within its flavour range!

 

[HillBill]

Tongue is nice.

Made some nice Tacos the other day.

As Hillbill would say ' banging '

Buy a fair bit of Tongue from the deli counter in morrisons (both pork lunch Tongue and ox Tongue). Myself, the dog and the cats love it. Rach, not so much. She wont even try it.