Wild game question

[LizzyBee]

...

 

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:

 

...

 

Cultural difference, I suppose. I was brought up that when you're a guest, you eat what is served, period. I've never known anyone who announced what was being served until I met my friend D. Every time she has people over to eat, she makes a big deal about announcing what each thing is and how it was prepared. I perceived it as rather egotistical, but maybe she was brought up in a family that simply considers it good manners.

[Trresh]

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.

 

 

 

What's the disease called? I want to look it up because my DH processes his deer himself.

[JennyD]

What's the disease called? I want to look it up because my DH processes his deer himself.

 

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We also know someone who died of it (or some variant); the theory was that he contracted the disease from eating elk. It is very rare but a truly awful way to go.

 

I voted that I would want to know what I was eating.

[RoughCollie]

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.

 

Why? I'd be pleased you were sharing it.

[RoughCollie]

I just bought venison for stewing today. Laura

 

Where I live, I can't buy it in the store. Opening day of deer hunting season is a school holiday.

 

I get venison food and treats for my dog, though. The venison dog food is imported from NZ, which I find humorous since we have many deer in the woods behind my house.

 

I haven't seen rabbit for sale here either. The only people I know who eat rabbit are from Europe. They must be hard to catch because there are lots of wild rabbits around here, but no one hunts them.

[Crimson Wife]

I dislike strong-tasting meat, including venison, rabbit, and also lamb. If you didn't tell me what it was, I'd definitely ask before starting the meal. I would still eat a small portion of the meat for politeness' sake, but I'd know to load up on the sides.

[Laurie4b]

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 checked Yes, not because I "need" to know, but because I think it's polite to tell people. Two couples we know almost always serve venison when they invite people to dinner and they *always* tell people. I would not want to be "fooling" my guests. I love venison, etc.

 

I've eaten squirrel and would eat it if you served it to me, though I don't love it. I think I'd be annoyed if you let me think it was chicken and I was wondering why it tasted "off."

 

I think there is no reason not to tell, and it's good manners to tell.

[Laurie4b]

I agree with both of you. Unless it's an area in which serving game is common, people will not think to say they don't eat it.

[Pink Fairy]

I've tried it lots of times--well, venison, bear, and wild boar--but it tastes weird to me and I don't enjoy it. Unless the taste was somehow covered up, I'd recognize that it wasn't beef or think that there was something wrong with it. So yes, tell me please!

 

I don't serve anything unusual when we have guests (I eat a lot of Asian foods), because I know people are more likely to not enjoy the food, and I want them to enjoy the food. :) My friends must be the same, because the most exotic thing I've had at someone else's house was oxtail soup.

[Whereneverever]

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We also know someone who died of it (or some variant); the theory was that he contracted the disease from eating elk. It is very rare but a truly awful way to go.

 

I voted that I would want to know what I was eating.

 

I see the prion link to mad cow cited, but I don't see any links between CWD and C-J disease. Most hunters also know to leave the brain, spine, eyes, bones, ect alone at this point?

[LidiyaDawn]

...

 

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:

 

…

 

Cultural difference, I suppose. I was brought up that when you're a guest, you eat what is served, period. I've never known anyone who announced what was being served until I met my friend D. Every time she has people over to eat, she makes a big deal about announcing what each thing is and how it was prepared. I perceived it as rather egotistical, but maybe she was brought up in a family that simply considers it good manners.

 

See now, we (family, friends, extended family, etc) function more along the lines of "we're having X for lunch ~ help yourself to it, or go have a look in the kitchen if you don't like X" … very informal, nobody is EVER expected to eat something that they don't like or aren't comfortable eating.

 

Your friend doesn't sound "egotistical" to me at all…she sounds like someone whose house I'd enjoy eating at… because I'd know what was what! :D

[peachskittles]

I can tell when something is "different". I tried organic chicken...Twice... It just didn't smell right to me (and it wasn't bad). Someone tried to feed me deer. I could tell upon entering the house that the meat smelled odd. I couldn't make it past the smell. And lamb...Oh that was horrible... I grew up with very basic food and I really try to expand my horizons. My nose, on the other hand, makes it hard to do that. I'd want to know and I let my guests know what I'm making.

[BigMamaBird]

I don't NEED to know, but it would be fun to know, "Hey! I'm eating elk!"

[JennyD]

I see the prion link to mad cow cited, but I don't see any links between CWD and C-J disease. Most hunters also know to leave the brain, spine, eyes, bones, ect alone at this point?

 

I have no idea. The person to whom I was referring was in his late 50, in Colorado, when he developed Creutzfeld-Jakob disease or some variant thereof, and the working theory among his doctors was that it may have been connected with his eating elk over the years. Or, presumably, not. I know nothing more than that.

[CanaryMelody]

I voted that I wouldn't need to know. But my husband is a hunter himself, and we have friends who hunt and routinely serve venison at their meals. So it is normal around here. :)

[IsabelC]

I think it's courteous to let the guests know (a) if it's something that they are likely to object to, so you can offer an alternative, or (b) if it isn't what it looks like (because most people do prefer to know what they are eating).

[Whereneverever]

So, for everyone objecting to game- should I be going out and specifically buying beef for entertaining?

[Lucy in Australia]

I voted "yes" for two reasons : if you're feeding a foodie (such as myself :D), you will add to their enjoyment of the food, especially if they've never tasted it before. On the other hand, if you're feeding someone who is very non-adventurous when it comes to food, they will not appreciate the novelty. And don't ask me how I know :sneaky2:

[KatieJ]

Interesting question. We eat venison regularly here, but I usually tell folks what I am serving if I think they have an issue with it. I have neighbors who didn't speak for years because one of them cooked venison on purpose and fed it to the one who swore she didn't like venison. I also have a friend who just this past weekend said she didn't like venison because it was wild and tasted wild. Another woman in the room informed her she had been feeding her venison burger for years.

I guess full disclosure would have been better in these two cases.

[katilac]

So, for everyone objecting to game- should I be going out and specifically buying beef for entertaining?

 

If your social circle doesn't consist of hunters or members of the wild game co-op, then yes :D

 

Most people simply don't expect it, and many are freaked out by it. It's not kind, imo, to serve it and not tell, or to have it as the only option. You don't need to buy other meats, necessarily, but it would be gracious to have enough non-game food to make a meal. Actually, I always like to have several choices. Sure, it's polite for a guest to eat whatever is served, but I want my guests to enjoy themselves, and they won't if I serve one main item that they happen not to like.

 

fwiw, I do eat and enjoy wild game, and I'm open to trying new types, but I would MUCH prefer to know ahead of time.

 

And now I'm thinking of Indiana Jones - should we tell our guests if there are eyeballs in the soup?

[oneplustwoIdaho]

I say yes, you should let them know, and you should buy something your guests would like if you are pretty sure they will not like what you have on hand. I would just run it by them before hand. I have hunted with my hubby and ate the deer I shot. We had elk for dinner tonight.

 

BUT...I have two sisters-in-law that I know would not eat it, and two others who would. I had a friend try to pass off rabbit as chicken once when we were kids, but her mom burned it, so we ate something else. We are still friends, but I didn't want to eat rabbit, and in fact I still never have.

I just don't want to eat bunnies, but yes, I will shoot a deer. Makes no sense, I know.

[Margo out of lurking]

Yes, because I will not eat deer or let my kids eat deer, particularly in Colorado (and Wyoming). I believe there is a connection with, Creutzfeld-Jacobs disease.

 

Additionally, we have a distant family in NY who has been diagnosed with dementia. I have no doubt he has C-J and has been misdiagnosed. He's long eaten wild deer and venison. It's a horrible disease.

 

Because it's such an unusual thing to serve, I would never think to say that it's something we don't eat (when asked). We have no food allergies, and I just respond that I think we eat anything.

[Ipsey]

I've never really thought about it.

I grew up eating elk, deer, and antelope. Didn't understand that beef tasted different, really.

 

I probably would tell folks they were eating game because they might find it interesting.

 

It would have occurred to tell them otherwise. I'd assume if they ate meat, they'd eat all meat, unless they said otherwise.

 

I don't see anything wrong with letting them know, but it's a schema shift for me. I wouldn't have thought anyone would care.

[angela in ohio]

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.

 

Yep. Around here, if someone serves you chili, there's a good chance it's venison. It's an honor to be served someone's game, really, and so it would be bragging to tell someone that you were serving them game. Sort of like saying, "did you notice this is lobster and filet mignon?" You can also assume that the peaches were home-canned and the tomatoes were grown in the garden, but you wouldn't mention that, either.

 

I can't imagine announcing what is for dinner in general, though. We are also of the "eat what is served to you" crowd. If someone has an allergy, they discuss it privately of the hostess when they are invited, and it isn't made a big deal of. Of course, people around here are farmers or have farmers in the family, and so they appreciate what it takes to put food on the table. It creates a different mentality.

 

Given the garbage in store-bought beef, the recalls on so many kinds of store-bought foods, I'd rather have people warn me that they were feeding me that. :glare:

[Crimson Wife]

So, for everyone objecting to game- should I be going out and specifically buying beef for entertaining?

 

No, but do make sure that you serve enough sides such that someone who is only taking a small helping of the meat doesn't go hungry.

[Impish]

I dated a guy for two years whose mother could. not. cook. Seriously. She deep fried french toast. Just...gross.

 

It wasn't until I'd been eating with them for over 6 mths that I found out I was eating moose. She was such a bad cook that I just assumed she was screwing up beef. :lol:

[RoughCollie]

So, for everyone objecting to game- should I be going out and specifically buying beef for entertaining?

 

I would not. It is interesting to serve something different, and to give people the choice of eating it or not. I agree with Crimson Wife that having several side dishes is a good plan.

Edited October 21, 2011 by RoughCollie

[Whereneverever]

No, but do make sure that you serve enough sides such that someone who is only taking a small helping of the meat doesn't go hungry.

 

 

Oh, I always do that! Entertaining is just a good excuse to cook for me. :001_smile:

[NanceXToo]

So, for everyone objecting to game- should I be going out and specifically buying beef for entertaining?

 

If I were inviting someone over to dinner, if I were you, I'd say something like: "Are you a fan of deer/wild game, or would you prefer something else?"

 

If they say they like it, problem solved. If they say "Oh, we're not really big on it" then you can present an alternative: "No problem...is chicken or beef ok?" and take it from there. If they told you they don't eat meat you can do a pasta dish. But this way, there's no awkwardness when they arrive, no wasted food, and you can wait to shop/prepare until you know what they like.

[scholarly]

My MIL can't eat venison because it aggravates her gout. She would want to know before she had some and then was in pain afterward!

[SweetMissMagnolia]

yeah I'd like to know.....I have no problem with venison/elk/bison/etc.....

[Remudamom]

Wait until everyone is finished and then tell them the fried beef is mountain oysters.

 

My mom was pissed.

[Aurelia]

I'd like to know, simply because the taste is likely to be different, and I would want to know what to expect.

[Whereneverever]

Wait until everyone is finished and then tell them the fried beef is mountain oysters.

 

My mom was pissed.

Gack. :tongue_smilie:

[Annie G]

I'd want to know. I rarely eat beef, so if I ate wild game thinking it was beef, I might panic that it tasted different than I expected it to. And I don't think it's funny to surprise a guest later by announcing that what they ate wasn't what they thought it was. I'm not saying that you'd do that but some people do. If someone is serving chili made with deer meat, it's worth mentioning, just like you'd probably mention it if the dish was super spicy.

[elegantlion]

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.

 

:iagree: me too.

 

So, for everyone objecting to game- should I be going out and specifically buying beef for entertaining?

 

No, but I like the answer below.

 

If I were inviting someone over to dinner, if I were you, I'd say something like: "Are you a fan of deer/wild game, or would you prefer something else?"

 

If they say they like it, problem solved. If they say "Oh, we're not really big on it" then you can present an alternative: "No problem...is chicken or beef ok?" and take it from there. If they told you they don't eat meat you can do a pasta dish. But this way, there's no awkwardness when they arrive, no wasted food, and you can wait to shop/prepare until you know what they like.

 

We live in an area where hunting is popular. My dh doesn't hunt, but we have deer in the freezer. I don't like game or beef generally. I told dh he had to make the deer, I wasn't touching it. I won't eat it. I rarely eat beef either.

[Lady Marmalade]

I voted "other". I would personally like to know because I'm an adventurous cook, and I'd love to know what we're eating and how to best prepare it if I've never had it before.

 

If I were the one cooking the game, I would tell my guests that was what we were having before they came over. That way I would know if I need to prepare an additional dish so that they can eat as well. When we cooked wild duck for a dinner party a few years back, I also roasted up a few chickens so that those who didn't want to have the duck could still have a delightful meal.

 

I guess I don't think of this as a "game specific" question. I always tell dinner guests what we're having ahead of time to give them an opportunity to voice any concerns over the meal and allow me to adjust accordingly- or have them bring a dish to complement.

[Jennifer3141]

I see the prion link to mad cow cited, but I don't see any links between CWD and C-J disease. Most hunters also know to leave the brain, spine, eyes, bones, ect alone at this point?

 

Every once in a great while, you get one guy who thinks he knows better than the CDC and who has been processing meat like that forever without any implications.

 

That's just not the way I'd chose to die. Ack!

[K&Rs Mom]

Usually when we're inviting people, I give them an idea what I'm planning to serve, so they can tell me if it would be a problem for them, and if it is I have plenty of time to plan something else. I think that's pretty common around here, so a "surprise" of game wouldn't be likely, on either side. As a guest, I don't think to ask specifics, but when we're invited I offer to bring something and usually try to make a dessert or side that goes with whatever the main dish is, but not knowing wouldn't be a big problem.

[DarlaS]

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.

 

:iagree:

[DarlaS]

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

 

Now, that would be fun. :D

 

When I prepare venison, it does not taste funny--but I don't cook it like it's beef. There are recipes better suited to game than just subbing it in for whatever domestic meat it most closely resembles.

[Whereneverever]

Now, that would be fun. :D

 

When I prepare venison, it does not taste funny--but I don't cook it like it's beef. There are recipes better suited to game than just subbing it in for whatever domestic meat it most closely resembles.

:iagree:

I didn't really want to get into it- but I'm surprised at all the people saying it tastes funny. Well prepared game is delicious. :D

 

 

Not to imply I think tricking people is fun/funny.

[DawnM]

Yes, growing up in Africa I didn't ask, but often found out later. Let's just say it makes me ill to know what I have eaten in some of those cases.

 

Dawn