Marinades a Great Way To Flavor,
Tenderize Game
A marinade is nothing more than a flavored liquid that uses an acid like wine, vinegar or citrus to tenderize meat along with herbs and spices that add flavor. Marinades are particularly effective for duck and goose, and especially older birds.
Depending on which source you believe, the word marinate is derived either from the Spanish or Italian languages. Loosely translated, it means “to pickle.” The idea, most cookbooks agree, is to enhance the flavor of the bird, without masking or overpowering it.
If ever there was an aspect of game cookery that invites creativity, it would be marinade-making. Whipping up a suitable marinade is virtually foolproof—just chose from a long list of ingredients and follow some basic guidelines:
Marinades should be stored in non-reactive containers like glass, stainless steel or porcelain, covered. Many cookbooks include ceramic crockery, but according to The Joy of Cooking, the glaze on some ceramic dishes contain led that could be drawn out by the acid in the marinade. Food-grade bags with most of the air squeezed out also are acceptable.
If the meat isn’t totally immersed in the marinade, it should be turned regularly.
The longer the meat is marinated, the more it will be tenderized. Some game cookbooks recommend as long as four days for old, tough birds, while most say 24 hours should be sufficient. If marinating longer than 24 hours, check the meat frequently to make sure it isn’t turning mushy or stringy.
If the marinade is also to be used in making a sauce, it should be boiled first to remove any impurities.
Start by patting the meat dry before putting it in the marinade. Plan on using half a cup of marinade for every pound of meat.
Marinades can include wine, vinegar (regular, red wine, balsamic, cider) or citrus juice, which usually means lemon. The wine should be compatible with the dish. While it doesn’t necessarily have to be an expensive wine, it should be something suitable for drinking.
Other ingredients can include:
Onions, scallions or shallots,
Carrots
Celery,
Cracked black peppercorns,
Salt
Minced garlic,
Bay leaves
Worchestershire sauce,
Soy Sauce
Teriyaki sauce,
Vegetable oil, extra-virgin olive oil
Basil, marjoram, rosemary, cloves, thyme, tarragon, juniper berries
Let’s start with a simple marinade recipe:
1 cup red wine
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of onion, diced
Here’s another, slightly more complex version of the same recipe:
2 cups red wine
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
Here’s one called the Minnesota Marinade. It came from Babe and Kris Winkelman’s The Ultimate Game and Fish Cookbook. Several slightly different versions of this same recipe were included in this recipe:
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup red wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Here’s another we like:
2 cups red wine
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 sprigs of parsley
2 sprigs of thyme
6 cracked black peppercorns
2 small bay leaves
A slightly different twist:
2 cups red wine
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup soy or teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Delta board member Don Morrison of Calgary, Alberta provided this recipe that included a little Parmesan cheese:
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup of olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
1½ tablespoons of oregano
1 ½ tablespoons of fresh-ground black pepper
You get the idea: Start with the standard list of ingredients, mixing and matching some of your favorites. Stir it all up, pour it over the meat and wait.