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Personal Choice |
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Review #12532 - Dated: 7th of September, 2014 Author: Tucker |
While beef is a staple I grew up eating, and refuse to remove from my dietary life, venison is a meat I have had only a little experience eating and no experience cooking... so this was a real challenge for me. To be honest, I didn't know if I was going to be able to cook it properly, or risk overcooking it and wasting this beautiful meat!
With some trepidation, I planned out a menu I thought should, in theory, give me a good challenge but not so much that I risked ruining it all. A bed of potato and golden kumara mash with a little rosemary finely diced and mixed through, some broccoli that had been steamed in garlic-infused water, and pan-seared venison with a garlic, thyme & plum port jus drizzled over it. A bit ambitious, I thought, but I really wanted to treat this fine venison with some respect and not slap up something a bit passe like stir-fry and lumpy mash.
I think I managed to surprise my family with this meal, not only with the presentation, but also the sheer delight of having such a wonderful meat to try. Even my fussy 6yr old was keen to eat the meat - and considering most days he's bordering on vegetarianism, that's pretty telling! I found the venison so simple to cook, and despite being a bit on the "special treat" side of the budget line, it's really quite simple to cook.
Overall, while not an everyday staple for most people, this is certainly an affordable treat. Knowing the area in which the animal was living, I think it fairly safe to say that it is a very healthy meat too - lean, free of chemicals and introduced toxins, a good life leading to tender meat... couldn't ask for much better than that, really. I plan to get more of this as and when my budget allows, and though I can only find it at expos and shows at the moment, I know it's going to be readily available online in the very near future. (Apparently, it's available now in stores, but I am stumped trying to locate it anywhere I currently shop. So be sure to ask at your local meat stockist and see if they can/will get some in.)
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