When it comes to wild big game, proper aging is crucial
Sep. 22—FARGO — When it comes to preparing big game such as deer and elk, wild game chef and cooking educator Jeff Benda says perhaps the biggest mistake people make is not aging it.
Getting the meat cool right away but not freezing it — whether vacuum sealing the cuts and putting them in the fridge, a process called "wet aging," or hanging the hind quarters, a "dry aging" process — is crucial to the final product, he says.
Benda offers tips, and a plethora of wild fish and game recipes, on his website,
.
"It transforms the meat that you're dealing with," he said. "The difference in flavor and tenderness, it makes such a big difference when you take time to age the meat."
Either process generally requires at least a week — and up to three weeks for dry aging — at temperatures of 40 to 43 degrees, Benda says. Aging the front quarter isn't as important, he says, because the meat is usually broken down by grinding or braising.
Storing or hanging cuts of meat for up to three weeks may not seem practical, but there are options. That's where Benda's role as an educator and his demonstrations on butchering and preparing wild game come into play.
"I walk them through the process of what to do and how they can do it at home," he said. "Not a lot of people — we don't have walk-in coolers and things like that — so can you do it in a cooler in your basement? Can you hang it in the garage?
"We live in North Dakota. It could be 90 degrees on deer opener weekend or it can be freezing, so (it's about) trying to set people up for success on what they can do on proper meat care."
Benda says he brings a Jaccard meat tenderizer and an instant-read meat thermometer to every cooking demonstration he conducts.
"I hold them up and I say, if you're a hunter, or you have a hunter in your household, these are the two things that you need to purchase for Christmas," Benda said. "These are absolute musts that people need to have."
Typically, Benda says, he cooks wild big game to a temperature of 130 degrees — medium rare, lets it "rest" for a minimum of five minutes but prefers 10, and then serves it.
"If you're aging the meat and then cooking it to medium rare, that's probably the biggest tip that I can give people," he said. "Because if you cook it past medium rare, it's going to end up tough."
