A
Antlers_Ink
Guest
For those of you that don't visit the Campfire section very often I thought it would be appropriate to put this here as well. 
With hunting season already upon us in many corners of the country, I
figured this might be a timely message - with plenty to think on
regarding
the proper care of the results of your hunt, should your hunt result in
more
than just pleasant memories and scenery pictures.
From the U.S. Venison Council
*Controversy has long raged about the relative quality and taste of
venison
and beef as gourmet foods. Some people say venison is tough, with a
strong
"wild" taste. Others insist venison's flavor is delicate. An independent
food research group was retained by the Venison Council to conduct a
taste
test to determine the truth of these conflicting assertions once and for
all. *
*First, a Grade A Choice Holstein steer was chased into a swamp a mile
and a
half from a road and shot several times. After some of the entrails were
removed, the carcass was dragged back over rocks and logs, and through
mud
and dust to the road. It was then thrown into the back of a pickup truck
and
driven through rain and snow for 100 miles before being hung out in the
sun
for a day. *
*It was then lugged into a garage where it was skinned and rolled around
on
the floor for a while. Strict sanitary precautions were observed
throughout
the test, within the limitations of the butchering environment. For
instance, dogs and cats were allowed to sniff and lick the steer
carcass,
but most of the time were chased away when they attempted to bite chunks
out
of it. *
*Next, a sheet of plywood left from last year's butchering was set up in
the
basement on two saw horses. The pieces of dried blood, hair and fat left
from last year were scraped off with a wire brush last used to clean out
the
grass stuck under the lawn mower. *
*The skinned carcass was then dragged down the steps into the basement
where
a half dozen inexperienced but enthusiastic and intoxicated men worked
on it
with meat saws, cleavers, hammers and dull knives. The result was 375
pounds
of soup bones, four bushel baskets of meat scraps, and a couple of
steaks
that were an eighth of an inch thick on one edge and an inch and a half
thick on the other edge. *
*The steaks were seared on a glowing red hot cast iron skillet to lock
in
the flavor. When the smoke cleared, rancid bacon grease was added, along
with three pounds of onions, and the whole conglomeration was
fried for two hours. *
*The meat was gently teased from the frying pan and served to three
intoxicated and blindfolded taste panel volunteers. Every member of the
panel thought it was venison. One volunteer even said it tasted exactly
like
the venison he has eaten in hunting camps for the past 27 years. *
*The results of this scientific test conclusively show that there is no
difference between the taste of beef and venison...*
With hunting season already upon us in many corners of the country, I
figured this might be a timely message - with plenty to think on
regarding
the proper care of the results of your hunt, should your hunt result in
more
than just pleasant memories and scenery pictures.
From the U.S. Venison Council
*Controversy has long raged about the relative quality and taste of
venison
and beef as gourmet foods. Some people say venison is tough, with a
strong
"wild" taste. Others insist venison's flavor is delicate. An independent
food research group was retained by the Venison Council to conduct a
taste
test to determine the truth of these conflicting assertions once and for
all. *
*First, a Grade A Choice Holstein steer was chased into a swamp a mile
and a
half from a road and shot several times. After some of the entrails were
removed, the carcass was dragged back over rocks and logs, and through
mud
and dust to the road. It was then thrown into the back of a pickup truck
and
driven through rain and snow for 100 miles before being hung out in the
sun
for a day. *
*It was then lugged into a garage where it was skinned and rolled around
on
the floor for a while. Strict sanitary precautions were observed
throughout
the test, within the limitations of the butchering environment. For
instance, dogs and cats were allowed to sniff and lick the steer
carcass,
but most of the time were chased away when they attempted to bite chunks
out
of it. *
*Next, a sheet of plywood left from last year's butchering was set up in
the
basement on two saw horses. The pieces of dried blood, hair and fat left
from last year were scraped off with a wire brush last used to clean out
the
grass stuck under the lawn mower. *
*The skinned carcass was then dragged down the steps into the basement
where
a half dozen inexperienced but enthusiastic and intoxicated men worked
on it
with meat saws, cleavers, hammers and dull knives. The result was 375
pounds
of soup bones, four bushel baskets of meat scraps, and a couple of
steaks
that were an eighth of an inch thick on one edge and an inch and a half
thick on the other edge. *
*The steaks were seared on a glowing red hot cast iron skillet to lock
in
the flavor. When the smoke cleared, rancid bacon grease was added, along
with three pounds of onions, and the whole conglomeration was
fried for two hours. *
*The meat was gently teased from the frying pan and served to three
intoxicated and blindfolded taste panel volunteers. Every member of the
panel thought it was venison. One volunteer even said it tasted exactly
like
the venison he has eaten in hunting camps for the past 27 years. *
*The results of this scientific test conclusively show that there is no
difference between the taste of beef and venison...*
