Wild game question

[Whereneverever]

For meat eaters.

 

When I have supper guests, should I mention that the meat at my table is in fact NOT beef? Should I be telling people it's venison or elk or whatever?

[bbkaren]

I would like to know as a guest - not because I won't eat it.

 

But as the host, I'd suggest letting people know ahead of time, and having adequate sides or a substitute for any guests that are unwilling to try the game, or who maybe just don't like it.

 

Why set yourself up for an awkward moment? I'd let them know beforehand.

[KidsHappen]

I don't need to know but I would tell my guests because I know some people would want to know what it is that they are eating.

[MamaCoop04]

I have a thing about eating deer, and so I don't. I know weird. So yes, I would like to know if what I was about to eat wasn't beef, especially if I assumed so.

[Tangerine]

I would like to know, just because I'd be interested, not because I hold wild game in higher esteem than cattle. :)

[Jennifer3141]

Hmmm...

 

Well, DH did have a patient that died from that deer/brain thing a few years ago but as I understood it, that means the hunter didn't properly process the meat.

 

I never serve beef - it's always buffalo here so by now, everyone knows that.

 

I voted, "Yes" but it's less of a NEED to know and more of a, "I'll tell my guests because the dish might taste gamier than they are used to and I don't want them to think there's something wrong with their tastebuds or my cooking" kind of thing.

[momma aimee]

For meat eaters.

 

When I have supper guests, should I mention that the meat at my table is in fact NOT beef? Should I be telling people it's venison or elk or whatever?

 

i like to wait till 1/2 though the meal. LOL

 

MIL gets all baby-ish and insists "wild stuff tastes funny" so I wait till she tells me, or dh, how good dinner is THEN tell her it is deer, or pheasant or ....

 

if i had someone with an allergy or a medical need to know what they were eating, I'd tell them -- but if that case i ask before planning the meal.

 

Otherwise, no I do not make a big deal out of it -- meat is meat; if you eat meat you eat meat.

 

but anyone that would be at dinner here know DH is the hunter and that a lot of vhat we eat is his hunting

[simka2]

When I was in highschool my stepdad made some wonderful chicken dish. I noticed my parents looking at me funny as I ate it. Finally, I took a bite and "CRUNCH!" I bit right into a gun pellet. :glare:

 

That was when they told me it was pheasant. It was good, I was just angry at being lied to.

[Whereneverever]

I would like to know as a guest - not because I won't eat it.

 

But as the host, I'd suggest letting people know ahead of time, and having adequate sides or a substitute for any guests that are unwilling to try the game, or who maybe just don't like it.

 

Why set yourself up for an awkward moment? I'd let them know beforehand.

 

 

I don't think it's setting up for an awkward moment so much as I just don't think about it- we only have beef if someone gifts it to us since I never buy it. I've only recently been reminded that some people mind game. ;)

[Jen in PA]

I always ask guests if there is anything they can't or won't eat. Unless game is on that list, I wouldn't be likely to mention it.

[Whereneverever]

I always ask guests if there is anything they can't or won't eat. Unless game is on that list, I wouldn't be likely to mention it.

 

Good call- I do that as well to watch out for allergens. No one has ever mentioned game when I've asked, I'm surprised the poll is leaning so strongly to needing to know!

[The Girls' Mom]

I'll eat wild game, but I would still want to know. Otherwise I'll wonder what is wrong with your meat :001_huh:.

 

(Unless you are my children, who unknowingly ate goose many times because they were told it was roast "beast". If I had told them it was goose they wouldn't have touched it.)

[akmommy]

Well, if it's moose I probably already know and would take a very small portion so as not to offend. Moose has it's own distinctive aroma when it's cooking that tends to make me feel a bit nauseated.

 

Other then that unless it is something really unusual I don't really need to know. If I notice a different taste I might ask, but I don't think you need to make a big announcement of it.

[Cinder]

I voted, "Yes" but it's less of a NEED to know and more of a, "I'll tell my guests because the dish might taste gamier than they are used to and I don't want them to think there's something wrong with their tastebuds or my cooking" kind of thing.

 

:iagree: We were at a party once where the host served chili. I was the only one who couldn't eat the chili--it had a funny taste to me. Everyone else seemed to be loving it. I even asked dh about the taste; he thought it was fine. Found out later the chili was made with venison. I hadn't thought of that--thought it was just me.

[RoughCollie]

I'd like to know.

 

If "wild game" is squirrel or possum or road kill or something like that, I'd especially want to know. I want to know about moose, too. And bear. Those are things I won't eat, even to be polite.

[silliness7]

I always ask guests if there is anything they can't or won't eat. Unless game is on that list, I wouldn't be likely to mention it.

 

:iagree: This makes sense to my brain. Deer tastes better to me if I don't know it's deer. :001_smile:

[Whereneverever]

I'd like to know.

 

If "wild game" is squirrel or possum or road kill or something like that, I'd especially want to know. I want to know about moose, too. And bear. Those are things I won't eat, even to be polite.

Scouts honor, I have never served road kill. :lol: Nor moose. I have served bear, but I warned about it.

[Ginevra]

I don't personally care, but I think it's good manners to tell people. Not telling them smacks of "tricking" people into eating something they might have objected to on principle.

 

I chose "other".

[DesertDweller]

I would want to know although I may be able to figure it out after the first bite. I don't care for wild game. While there's nothing wrong with wanting to serve it, I don't consider it a common thing to do in most parts of the country.

 

I tend to always check with my guests ahead of time if I'm wanting to serve something unusual, spicey, or that they could be allergic to.

[Laura Corin]

I'd like to know, just because I enjoy all kinds of meats and like to appreciate them for what they are.

 

Laura

[Brigitte]

I always ask guests if there is anything they can't or won't eat. Unless game is on that list, I wouldn't be likely to mention it.

 

Given that game is not a commonly served meat, I would never think to say I won't eat venison (or whatever).

[TKDmom]

I always tell guests what I'm serving. I've never served wild game, but it seems strange to me to withhold that information.

 

Now, I don't always tell my kids what they're eating, because I'm still trying to expand their tastes to include things that are new to them. But it's not my job to prove to guests that they might like it if they try it.

[Whereneverever]

I always tell guests what I'm serving. I've never served wild game, but it seems strange to me to withhold that information.

 

Now, I don't always tell my kids what they're eating, because I'm still trying to expand their tastes to include things that are new to them. But it's not my job to prove to guests that they might like it if they try it.

 

I didn't think of it as withholding so much as not announcing, you know? I'll have to start specifically telling people, I guess. I just don't want to be weird and make a big thing about it. :confused:

[JudoMom]

I would want to know. I can't eat wild game. I can't eat seafood, either. It's not that I'm allergic, it's just that I can't do it. The smell (of seafood) and the thought (of both) makes me especially queasy. I know it's an issue with me, and it's perfectly fine to serve it, but I would like the option to not eat it.

[Ginevra]

I always tell guests what I'm serving. I've never served wild game, but it seems strange to me to withhold that information.

 

Now, I don't always tell my kids what they're eating, because I'm still trying to expand their tastes to include things that are new to them. But it's not my job to prove to guests that they might like it if they try it.

 

:iagree: Exactly. I think it's generally nice to make ingredients clear no matter what the meal is. If I bring a casserole to a potluck, I put a little index card on it that explains it somewhat. I've even put index cards on brownies that say, "Homemade - no nuts or peanuts," so people who need that requirement can find it easily.

[bbkaren]

I didn't think of it as withholding so much as not announcing, you know? I'll have to start specifically telling people, I guess. I just don't want to be weird and make a big thing about it. :confused:

 

It doesn't have to be a big deal, but mentioning it in the initial invitation would make sense to me. Putting a positive spin on it is even better!

 

"I'm making a fabulous rabbit stew this Sunday and we'd love to have you and Joe join us for dinner!"

 

That gives the potential guest the option of either saying, "No, thanks - I don't care for rabbit," or "Gosh, we have other plans; thanks for the invite!"

 

The other option, of course, if you don't want to tell folks in advance, is to have a supplemental mainstream main dish for folks who don't care for game dishes.

[Ginevra]

I didn't think of it as withholding so much as not announcing, you know? I'll have to start specifically telling people, I guess. I just don't want to be weird and make a big thing about it.

 

I don't think you have to make a big thing about it. You could put a notecard next to the food if it's buffet-style. If it's a seated dinner, when you begin gathering to eat, you could just say, "Thanks for coming, everybody. I have a pear and walnut salad there, with a couple different dressings, some venison chili in the crock-pot, boiled new potatoes there in the chaffing dish and the little appetizer dish there is duck wrapped in bacon. Stick around for the llama-milk ice cream for dessert. ;):D"

 

At my BIL's house, there were meatballs in sauce in the crock-pot. As I went to put some on my dish, he quietly said, "You know, those are venison meatballs." This was and is fine with me, so I just said, "Thanks. I have no problem with that." But I think it was best he mentioned it.

[Jennifer3141]

:iagree: We were at a party once where the host served chili. I was the only one who couldn't eat the chili--it had a funny taste to me. Everyone else seemed to be loving it. I even asked dh about the taste; he thought it was fine. Found out later the chili was made with venison. I hadn't thought of that--thought it was just me.

 

My ex-FIL thought it would be funny to make me a venison burger one day and not tell me it was venison. So I smiled and ended up hiding it in a napkin because I thought the different taste meant he screwed it up and I didn't want to hurt his feelings!

 

I was kinda mad and kinda hungry at the end of the meal when he thought he pulled one over on me. I had this ball of meat mashed up in a napkin instead... :D

[TravelingChris]

I don't like venison and wouldn't want to waste your meat. Also, depending on the area and the game, there may be some concerns about a wild version of mad cow disease that I believe affects elks??. Geese I wouldn't have an issue with nor rabbits.

[lorrainejmc]

Eeek, I need to know. I have "ick" issues with a lot of meat and so does my dh. We only eat chicken, turkey, lean beef and ham (no white pork, it smells icky to me), as well as fish but no shellfish. It wouldn't matter how good it tasted, I still feel the "ick".

 

I don't know anyone who eats game. It isn't common here although it is available at specialist butchers. Do some people shoot their own in the US?

Edited October 20, 2011 by lorrainejmc

[Parrothead]

No, I don't need to know. I'd be able to tell you if I were eating venison, which I don't like much. I could probably pick out moose also. Elk tastes the same as beef to me.

[Jen in PA]

Given that game is not a commonly served meat, I would never think to say I won't eat venison (or whatever).

 

I think that varies greatly depending on where one lives. I grew up in an area where few people hunted, and it was mentioned if game was being served (I still remember finding out I was eating pheasant halfway through a meal). Since then I have lived a couple of places where it is so common that no one really mentions it. If someone around here serves any type of stew or a dish made with ground meat there is a decent chance that it contains venison. If I go an hour north of here, serving venison would be uncommon and worth mentioning.

[justasque]

Yes. I need to know what I am eating. Most especially, to allow me to assume it's something else is Not On. Many people have medical issues, others have ethical issues. If they are at your table they should be polite, but they should not be expected to eat foods they prefer not to eat, for whatever reason. (You are not obligated to cook them something separate, of course.)

 

I was once served deer with some murmuring about "beef stew"; the truth only came out after I'd had it. I was LIVID.

 

Many of us have had people lie to us about the contents of food because they do not respect our food needs or do not understand them or do not take them seriously or do not think we "really" need to avoid whatever it is. If it's something out of the ordinary, folks should be warned in case it's an issue for them.

 

I have served moose hors d'oeuvres before (hunted by my cousin). We let people know. Though it meant fewer people ate it, the ones who did got more from the experience.

 

ON the up side, many people would be interested in eating game, especially if it's game you have hunted yourselves. Give them the opportunity to relish the experience.

[Whereneverever]

Eeek, I need to know. I have "ick" issues with a lot of meat and so does my dh. We only eat chicken, turkey, lean beef and ham (no white pork, it smells icky to me), as well as fish but no shellfish. It wouldn't matter how good it tasted, I still feel the "ick".

 

I don't know anyone who eats game. It isn't common here although it is available at specialist butchers. Do some people shoot their own in the US?

 

Some of us do. :001_smile: We process it, too.:tongue_smilie:

[beaners]

Some of us do. :001_smile: We process it, too.:tongue_smilie:

 

 

I'm too lazy to make a spin-off, but I wonder how many people would also want to be notified if they were eating homegrown domesticated meat. My own mother and my in-laws have both requested to never be served anything we raise ourselves.

[jennsmile]

I knew somebody that couldn't have beef and my mom always made sure to let here know that she used ground venision instead.

[Whereneverever]

I'm too lazy to make a spin-off, but I wonder how many people would also want to be notified if they were eating homegrown domesticated meat. My own mother and my in-laws have both requested to never be served anything we raise ourselves.

:iagree: Someone should do that. I'd be interested to see!

[NanceXToo]

If I wasn't SURE my guests liked that kind of meat, I wouldn't serve it at all to guests.

 

People who didn't grow up with hunters in the family may not like the gamy taste of wild animals like deer. I know, because I didn't grow up with it and I can't stand the taste lol.

 

We have friends who love it and we've tried it (more than once) at their house. I can always tell it's not "regular" beef/pork etc, and I just don't like it.

 

So yes I'd tell them- in advance of them coming over!

[Tangerine]

I'm too lazy to make a spin-off, but I wonder how many people would also want to be notified if they were eating homegrown domesticated meat. My own mother and my in-laws have both requested to never be served anything we raise ourselves.

 

What is their logic? Isn't it more likely that something hand-raised and processed would be safer than mass produced meat? :confused:

[Karen in CO]

No, I don't need to know. I'd be able to tell you if I were eating venison, which I don't like much. I could probably pick out moose also. Elk tastes the same as beef to me.

I think elk is better than beef (at least in CO). Antelope is another matter. I've never had a tougher or gamier meat.

[LidiyaDawn]

Wow…I'm surprised at how many people wouldn't tell their guests! (or just "didn't bother mentioning it" …same thing...)

 

When we have someone over to eat (which is pretty darn rare) I ALWAYS tell them what the food is. I can't imagine not! Nor can I imagine eating anything without knowing what it was!

 

That's just so bizarre to me. :001_huh:

 

I don't eat meat, but the rest of my family does…and I can just imagine poor dd14 if she found out *after the fact* that she'd just eaten deer. or moose. or wolf. or bear. or whatever other wild forest things get eaten. She'd be hanging her head out the window all the way home.:tongue_smilie:

[Laura Corin]

Eeek, I need to know. I have "ick" issues with a lot of meat and so does my dh. We only eat chicken, turkey, lean beef and ham (no white pork, it smells icky to me), as well as fish but no shellfish. It wouldn't matter how good it tasted, I still feel the "ick".

 

I don't know anyone who eats game. It isn't common here although it is available at specialist butchers. Do some people shoot their own in the US?

 

I just bought venison for stewing today.

 

Laura

[higginszoo]

I don't NEED to know, but I would find it interesting to know. I wouldn't consider it deception if you said nothing, but wouldn't be grossed out if you told me.

[Mommy22alyns]

I would absolutely want to know.

[AK_Mom4]

Maybe it depends on where you are? Wild game in a meal is pretty normal here. We had reindeer sausage the other night - very delicious! And I have a freezer full of salmon and halibut - does that count under the "wild game" category?

[beaners]

What is their logic? Isn't it more likely that something hand-raised and processed would be safer than mass produced meat? :confused:

 

I think it's just "too real" for them. I guess it's easier to forget that meat from the store also used to be an animal.

[Jen in PA]

Looking at the posts, I think there is a big difference between hiding the truth about what you are serving and just not thinking it's a big enough deal to point out. I would absolutely volunteer that I was serving venison stew and not pretend that it was beef stew! OTOH, I make things like chili or spaghetti sauce with different meats at different times and wouldn't think to announce whether I had used ground beef/venison/pork/turkey. When I freeze those items I never label them -- they are pretty interchangeable to me (although my kids do prefer venison in spaghetti sauce and will comment when I use something else).

[Parrothead]

Eeek, I need to know. I have "ick" issues with a lot of meat and so does my dh. We only eat chicken, turkey, lean beef and ham (no white pork, it smells icky to me), as well as fish but no shellfish. It wouldn't matter how good it tasted, I still feel the "ick".

 

I don't know anyone who eats game. It isn't common here although it is available at specialist butchers. Do some people shoot their own in the US?

Often.

[LizzyBee]

No, I don't need to know. I'd be able to tell you if I were eating venison, which I don't like much. I could probably pick out moose also. Elk tastes the same as beef to me.

 

My venison dishes usually taste exactly like beef and people don't know the difference, but I personally don't care for elk. To me, it's much gamier than venison and definitely not like beef. When I lived with my older sister for awhile, I ate elk instead of beef, and I had the easiest time staying thin because I had no trouble eating small servings. :-)

 

To answer the original post, most people who would come to our home for dinner know that dh hunts and it's possible there will be deer served, so I don't mention unless they ask. If I have any doubts as to whether deer is acceptable, I would just cook something else or I might have a chicken dish in addition to the venison dish. The one person I'd not serve venison to is my pastor's wife. She doesn't have a moral objection, just can't get past the thought of eating deer.

Edited October 20, 2011 by LizzyBee

[Tap]

Yes. I do not like venison and would likely let you know so you can save the meat for something else. I was raised on it....I just don't like it (and it doesn't have anything to do with how it is cooked....I don't like the taste no matter what! secret recipe was used).