Page 64 - The Hunt - Fall 2021

FOOD & DRINK
Pheasant and duck are a great alternative to domestic poultry, and bison is a worthy alternate to beef. My go-to spot is the Country Butcher in Kennett Square, which offers about 20 different options. Start planning a couple of weeks in advance, just in case your butcher has to special order.
I’m never quite sure why more people don’t prepare lamb. A stuffed and butterflied leg can be a beautiful centerpiece for at-table carving. And what’s more succulent and red-wine-friendly than lamb chops— prepared individually or as a rack?
For a ham, see if you can find one from a heritage-breed hog or farm-raised wild boar, locally or by mail. And when it comes to turkey, Christine Herman suggests a special breast preparation. “Debone one, and then it can be stuffed and prepared like a beef roll,” says the owner of Herman’s Quality Meat Shoppe in Newark.
Speaking of beef, a whole filet—trimmed, roasted medium rare and sliced at the table— can be a delicious and beautiful entrée.
SLICE OF LIFE
Standing behind the high counter at Janssen’s Market in Greenville, meat manager Marcus Dalnogare holds up his go-to tools. “For everyday cutting, I use a 12-inch steak knife and a six-inch flexible boning knife because it gives me easier cutting movements,” he says. “Here, we use plastic handles for sanitation. At home, I have wooden handles.”
The same holds true for his work areas— all plastic. Most of us working in our own kitchens wouldn’t give up our butcher blocks without a fight, although we may switch to plastic boards for cutting fish and poultry. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to rub coarse salt into cutting surfaces during cleaning.
Dalnogare uses a two-pound wooden mallet for tenderizing meats. Other instruments that may come in handy include a good slicing knife for cutting finished meats. A smaller blade—as in a sharp, rigid 12-inch boning knife—causes less damage to something delicate. Scissor-like shears are great for cutting joints, and you might want
to think about a meat cleaver or saw. More on that later.
PROCEDURAL MATTERS
Every year during the holidays, Herman sells between 300 and 400 turkeys ranging in size from eight to 32 pounds. The first question she gets is always: “What size should I order?”
“The answer usually depends on two things: how many people and how many are children,” she says. “The short answer is one pound per adult and one-and-a-half-pounds if you want leftovers. Two kids equal one adult. If you’re just getting turkey breast, then three- quarters to a pound per person works.”
An amazing number of first-time cooks don’t know their turkey has “stuff ” tucked inside (usually the neck and organs) that must be removed. The turkey should always be washed inside and out, and it’s a good idea to let one soak for a while with salt inside the cavity.
When is it done? Cook it 10-12 minutes per pound at 325 degrees on a rack within
a pan. If the leg easily continued on page 64
62 THE HUNT MAGAZINE fall 2021