venison

[jenksi87 3]

right then lads. i know sod all about deer stalking or what it involves, but i would like to know a little about venison. do different kinds of deer taste different? i'm guessing they will, but is it a subtle difference that only people that eat it all the time can tell or is there a big difference? also, when you go to a restaraunt and order venison, it does not say what species of deer it is from. which do they generally use? and are there any specific factors for using this species, i.e. tast, price e.t.c..

cheers

jenks

[wireviz 8]

The reason that venison is used as a cllect tive is to protect the price and protect is ananimity ,If you start to call it EG fallow deer Red deer you then are telling indviduals they are eating deer .Smilar to viel beef mutton hides the true facts even just for a while

[matt_hooks 188]

The species your venison comes from depends on where you are, the time of year, what's available to the buyer, there's no real way of telling which species unless you shoot a few and get to know the size of cuts, but even that's not infallible as you can get a small red, similar in size to a large fallow.

 

Around the south of England, the venison is most likely to come from Roe, followed by fallow. You will very rarely get muntjack or red, and CWD is rarer still.

 

I find the smaller deer tend to be a bit more tender, though I think there is more difference between different genders and ages in one species than there is between species. For example a young red hind is a completely different beast eating wise to a hoary old red stag taken in the middle of the rut.

 

If the person selling you the deer has half a brain, they should be able to tell you what species the meat comes from.

 

If it's cheap stuff then it will almost invariably be farmed, and therefore it will be either red or fallow. Fallow is the most common park and farmed deer, as they are easy to look after and look nice. Red's are more difficult to keep in, they can clear a 6 foot fence with ease, and so tend to be a second choice for farming.

 

A lot of venison sold in the UK is from farms. Most of our wild shot deer go overseas, or direct to the top restaurants, where they fetch a premium. Rutting stag, apparently, mostly goes to Germany as they prize the flavour. Personally I wouldn't eat rutting stag if you paid me, I really don't like the flavour, but some people love it.

 

My favourite type of venison is red calf. They're a good size, but very young and tender, with bags of flavour but not as gamey as older animals.

[clint 45]

It is the cook, A good cook make you want more, as you drip. A bad cook, you wish to spit food ! As with all meat is preparation & taste blends, add or take other flavor.

[Deker 3,478]

Roe and Muntjac eat the best in my view, MUCH of what you get in the Supermarkets and at many restaurants is Farmed Red!

 

And yes, you can taste the differance in a Free Range Organic Shot Deer!

 

[HUnter_zero 58]

Do different kinds of deer taste different?

Go to a restaraunt and order venison, which do they generally use?

Are there any specific factors for using this species, i.e. tast, price e.t.c..

cheers

jenks

 

Hi Jenks,

 

Different species of deer do taste different, fallow (the deer we mainly have here) taste musky, Roe a bit like lamb, Reds a bit like beef. All taste or more to the point smell like deer if that makes sense.

Restaurants use Farmed red, firstly because all the meat is traceable, supply is reliable (it's pointless having venison on the menu if supply is hit and miss) and yes, taste comes in to the factor being more or less the same.

Restaurants pay £120 for two back straps (tender loins to us). Most restaurants will "back door" venison but both the stalker and restaurant owner are breaking the law! Most wild deer are sold to game dealers, who then sell it on at a massive profit, to the french so I am told.

 

Speaking of which, I'm off after stags tomorrow night which will be the first stalk with my Remington 700 SPS!

 

John

Edited August 30, 2010 by HUnter_zero

[matt_hooks 188]

Hunter, that's a bit of a sweeping statement. "both are breaking the law".

 

It's not necessarily true. As long as the stalker has the right paperwork, and follows all the proper procedures, he can quite legally sell deer into the food chain, even direct to restaurants and butchers.

[Deker 3,478]

Hunter, that's a bit of a sweeping statement. "both are breaking the law".

 

It's not necessarily true. As long as the stalker has the right paperwork, and follows all the proper procedures, he can quite legally sell deer into the food chain, even direct to restaurants and butchers.

 

Very sweeping, many are fooled into believing you must have all sorts of certificates to put venison etc into the food chain...not so...unless it is your primary business.....

 

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/wildgameguide1007.pdf

[jenksi87 3]

thanks for the info guys

[matt_hooks 188]

A bit more complex than that Deker. If you are selling other than to an approved game handling establishment, you are still required to register with your local authority as a food operating business, but it's pretty simple to register.

[HUnter_zero 58]

A bit more complex than that Deker.

 

 

A lot more complex. I'm certainly not going to educate pork, that's for sure. I'll get straight to the point. I have a LOT of dealings with Environmental health in the course of my business and they will make mince meat of most amateur stalkers. If they were to be called to a food incident and the supply of meat was traced back to you, then by god you had better have a bloody good set up, bloody good insurance and every certificate you can obtain, because if you haven't they will make every effort to make sure you and every other stalker never attempts to back door venison again.

You will also need to register as a food business and game dealer with the local authority. This will result in the EHO visiting your 'food business' sooner or later and of course it's taxable income.

 

 

John

Edited September 1, 2010 by HUnter_zero

[Deker 3,478]

A bit more complex than that Deker.

 

 

A lot more complex. I'm certainly not going to educate pork, that's for sure. I'll get straight to the point. I have a LOT of dealings with Environmental health in the course of my business and they will make mince meat of most amateur stalkers. If they were to be called to a food incident and the supply of meat was traced back to you, then by god you had better have a bloody good set up, bloody good insurance and every certificate you can obtain, because if you haven't they will make every effort to make sure you and every other stalker never attempts to back door venison again.

You will also need to register as a food business and game dealer with the local authority. This will result in the EHO visiting your 'food business' sooner or later and of course it's taxable income.

 

 

John

 

 

IF IF IF IF IF IF, You DO NOT need a food Hygiene certificate or be registered with anyone to supply food on an occasional basis to a game dealer, and it is not back door trading.

 

As in any walk of life if something went wrong there may be issues, that does not make this activity illegal!

 

Guys, can I remind you what I said..

Very sweeping, many are fooled into believing you must have all sorts of certificates to put venison etc into the food chain...not so...unless it is your primary business.....

 

I posted this for the very simple reason that vast numbers of people think you have to get your food hygiene certificate (DSC1 perhaps) to put Venison into the food chain.

 

This is not the case but a myth many groups like to perpetuate.

 

Many stalkers are VERY occasional and they have no issues selling to a dealer at all. As I made clear, this is not the case if it is your business!

Edited September 1, 2010 by Deker

[HUnter_zero 58]

Tender loin is the fillet stake not the back loin

 

 

It would take a very long time indeed to tenderise a fillet of stake

 

I'd stick with plain old rump steak if I were you boss

 

John

[HUnter_zero 58]

You DO NOT need a food Hygiene certificate or be registered with anyone to supply food on an occasional basis to a game dealer, and it is not back door trading.

 

 

 

Do you sell venison to food serving businesses? If you do, put your money where you mouth is and state names and address. Quantities and prices sold and dates. I am sure the businesses would be happy with the free publicity; If not, stop talking codswallop. Supplying *any* venison (deer / hare /boar) to a GAME dealer is a totally different circumstance to supply food outlets such as pubs, clubs, restaurants or even burger vans! There is also a vast difference between putting venison etc into the food chain and supplying to a registered game dealer who then puts the venison in to the food chain.

You could try and set yourself up as a game dealer and supply directly to food outlets but believe me, it's not as simple as registering with the LA & buying a game dealers license from the post office. LA EHO's will require all manner of records and equipment or they will put you out of business instantly. EHO's have more powers than the police.

 

 

 

John

Edited September 1, 2010 by HUnter_zero

[Deker 3,478]

You DO NOT need a food Hygiene certificate or be registered with anyone to supply food on an occasional basis to a game dealer, and it is not back door trading.

 

 

 

Do you sell venison to food serving businesses? If you do, put your money where you mouth is and state names and address. Quantities and prices sold and dates. I am sure the businesses would be happy with the free publicity; If not, stop talking codswallop. Supplying *any* venison (deer / hare /boar) to a GAME dealer is a totally different circumstance to supply food outlets such as pubs, clubs, restaurants or even burger vans! There is also a vast difference between putting venison etc into the food chain and supplying to a registered game dealer who then puts the venison in to the food chain.

You could try and set yourself up as a game dealer and supply directly to food outlets but believe me, it's not as simple as registering with the LA & buying a game dealers license from the post office. LA EHO's will require all manner of records and equipment or they will put you out of business instantly. EHO's have more powers than the police.

 

 

 

John

 

 

That was a very long winded way of saying I am correct in what I have written.