Game | Definition, Wild Animals, & Preparation (2024)

game, in gastronomy, the flesh of any wild animal or bird. Game is usually classified according to three categories: (1) small birds, such as the thrush and quail; (2) game proper, a category that can be subdivided into winged game, such as the goose, duck, woodco*ck, grouse or partridge, and pheasant; and ground game, such as the squirrel, hare, and rabbit; (3) big game, predominantly venison, including roebuck, deer, elk, moose, and caribou but also including other large animals such as bear and wild boar.

In general, game is drawn and allowed to cool after being killed and then hung for several days. Whether or not game birds should be drawn is a debated issue. A common practice is not to draw birds with slender, tapering beaks, such as the thrush or corncrake.

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The meat of young game is generally easily digested. Small birds, usually eaten within a short time after the kill, are considered to be as digestible as poultry. Ground game, which is classed among red meats, is usually readily digestible, but some such meat, like that from hare, may be rich in elements that make it more resistant to digestion than domestic meat acquired from a butcher. Meat from older game, or from an animal exhausted in the chase, is less desirable, but it can be improved by marinating it for several hours, usually in a mixture of wine, vinegar, and spices.

While most game is cooked in simple country fashion, this class of foods has given rise to numerous renowned, sometimes very elaborate gourmet dishes. Young boar, or wild pig, that has been roasted, grilled, braised, or smoked is considered a delicacy, as is pheasant. Bear steak was a popular dish among North American trappers; as served today in wilderness lodges and urban restaurants, it is usually prepared like beef, except that it is marinated for a few days prior to cooking. A favourite dish in Russia is braised bear, served with sour cream.

Hare and rabbit are among the most widely eaten game. Young hare is usually roasted, and older hare is made into pâtés and pies, potted, jugged, and casseroled. Rabbit can be stuffed with bread and herbs before baking, potted with layers of bacon or ham, and stewed with vegetables.