by Laura Snyder, Jayplay writer
Hunter Anderson, Overland Park senior, has been hunting since he was 8 years old. Now 22, Anderson is no stranger to such dishes as quail, pheasant, goose and duck. He says he likes wild game meat because it's different. And he's not alone. People are tired of beef and chicken, says Brenda Mutchler, owner of Game Sales International, based in Loveland, Colo. Mutchler's company sells pheasant, quail, deer, elk, rabbit, ostrich and kangaroo meat, among others.
"Even after the novelty of trying something new has worn off, people go back to it," she says.
Leaner and cleaner
For the health-conscious, game meat offers several advantages. Because game animals do not live in cramped pens or eat grain, they are free of antibiotics and hormones and are much leaner than grain-fed animals, says John Hackathorn, owner of Hacks Outfitters, 941 E. $ 23^{\mathrm{rd}} $ St.
But let the nutrition information speak for itself. According to David Pederson, operations manager and Web master for Seattle's Finest Exotic Meats, a serving of deer meat has 120 calories and 2 grams of fat, compared to a serving of lean hamburger, which has 272 calories and 18 grams of fat. In fact, game animals are so much learner that pork or beef fat has to be added to ground game meat so it doesn't burn when cooking, Hackathorn says.
Tastes like chicken
If you're wrinkling your nose at the thought of eating squirrel with biscuits and gravy, there's no need to be so hesitant. Game meat, if prepared correctly, should be difficult to distinguish from regular meat, says Hackathorn.
"You can go buy a T-bone steak and if you don't cook it right, it won't taste right," he says. "If it's prepared right, I can turn a vegetarian into a meat-eater."
Hackathorn says the biggest mistake people make when cooking game meat is overcooking it. He's seen people salt and pepper a game steak and grill it until it dries out and gets tough. Instead, Hackathorn recommends putting a steak in hot water for a couple minutes, then flouring it and searing it in a skillet with three-fourths of an inch of oil. The steak should be cooked on each side until blood stops coming out. He advises leaving it a little pink in the center for tenderness.
Even when game meat is prepared correctly, it may have a light "game" taste — but only light, says Mutchler. Hunters seem unable to describe this "game" taste, other than that it exists.
"People who are really finicky about stuff might think it tastes different, but I think it tastes the same as regular meat," says Zachary Baker, an Olathe senior who has been hunting since he was 6.
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The taste also depends on what the animal eats. Hackathorn has eaten deer meat with a distinct sage flavor to it, but says he will never eat snake.
"I know what snakes eat," he says, referring to their diet of mice and rabbits. For those new to game meat, Anderson recommends starting with pheasant, which he says tastes much like dark chicken meat, in a cream sauce.
"The cream sauce knocks the taste of the game off a little bit," he says.
Next best thing
Imported and farm-raised meats can be bought online from companies like Mutchler's and Pederson's.
Or you can head over to Dillon's, Hy-Vee or the Community Mercantile. All of these grocery stores sell buffalo meat, which is leaner than beef and can be substituted for it in most recipes.
If you aren't ready to grab your rifle and head out to shoot a deer, don't worry. There are other ways to enjoy healthy meat. While you can't purchase game meat — the sale of it is illegal —
You might one day encounter game-meat on a friend's or relative's dinner table. Here's what to expect from a few popular game meats:
What am I eating?
Elk — Leanest game meat, difficult to distinguish from beef and buffalo
Deer — Game-ier than elk, with a stronger taste
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you can still get some of its health benefits of game meat close to home. Local Burger, 714 Vermont St., serves buffalo and elk burgers. It uses meat from farms where the animals are free of antibiotics and hormones and are grass-fed instead of grain-fed. Owner Hilary Brown says that just like game meat, grass-fed meat is leaner and healthier than grain-fed meat.
Rabbit — Chicken-like texture
Squirrel -- Plain, not much game taste
Quail - White meat, similar to chicken
Beaver -- Dark meat, can easily be mistaken for beef
Frog legs — You'll be able to tell they're frog legs by the way they look.
Duck - Rich, dark meat
Pheasant - A little stronger flavor and tougher than chicken, dark meat
Buffalo — (farm-raised) A little stronger but difficult to distinguish from beef, much leaner than beef
Sources: John Hackathorn, Brenda Mutchler and Hunter Anderson