The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-09


When Game is in Season.
Game holds a very different place on
our list of foods from that given it by
| our early American ancestors.
With the first settlers it was neces-
| sity, and IN no sense a luxury either by
i virtue of it's price or scarcity. They had
but to take down their trusty flint lock
from its place over the mantel and go
| but a few rods into the forest around
their homes to find their meat market,
| supplied with the very choicest game of
the season, without cost or price-the
| only thing needful firm, steady aim
Game still holds its place among the
first families" but how altered the
| conditions Scarcity and price have
| regulated It to the luxurieS and abund-
ance of other meats have made it q
| non-essential except to those who have
| the inherited taste for this wild and
| .-WOodSy's meat.
Game as found in the markets of the
| present day is not very generally APP
| preciated, owing to this wild flavor"
and the length of time it is usually
kept, and often, too. owing TO the care
lessness of the hunters.
The very noticeable flavor peculiar to
wild game and enjoyed by those who
| have inherited their taste for it is inn
parted to the flesh by the wild food the
| bird or animal feeds upon. This nay
| be removed when it is disagreeable to
| those who do not relish it by careful
| bleeding as soon as the animal is killed
| This is done by opening the large vein
| found under the tongue of both birds
and animals The body is first suspend
/ ed from the limb of a tree with head
| downwards. If the birds are to be cook
/ ed Immediately, the feathers should be
removed by stripping them down care
| fully and quickly from the tail to head,
| leaving the tail feathers and those on
the head and tips of wings. The feath-
erS will come off very easily at this
time while the bird is hanging. The
birds should be drawn at once. The
| hunters cut a slit inside the leg AMI
| lengthwise of the body, remove the en-
trails and wipe out all the blood, then
! fill the body with prairie grass; this
keeps the bird in form and dry
Game is considered valuable meat
| for invalids, as the flesh is more easily
digested and has less fat distributed
| through the meat than the tame birds.
Fresh game should be given and no risk
| taken in giving meat that is not in the
! very best condition, even though keep
| ing" brings out the flavor and makes
| the flesh more tender.
All shot should be removed at once
| from the flesh Do this, if possible,
! even when the game is not intended for
| immediate cooking.
| HOW TO PREPARE FOR COOKING.
To remove pin feathers from game,
| plunge into a pan of boiling water to
| loosen them. Never wash game more
| than is absolutely necessary; frequent
ly a thorough wiping inside is sufh-
| cient- The skin needs a. more complete
| cleaning.
| Large birds, like pheasants, peacocks
| and prairie chickens may be made more
| delicate in flavor by soaking them for
| eight or nine hours in cold sailed wa
| ter. or parboiling them in water to
| which you have added an onion and a
| little vinegar. To remove any unpleas-
| ant odor or flavor from wild fowl, peel
| the yellow rind from lemon and place
/ the lemon inside the fowl before cook
| ing. When birds are kept for some time
| before cooking they should have a piece
! of charcoal laid inside; this viii prevent
| its becoming too strong. Do not re-
move the skin or feathers from game if
| it is to hang any length of time. To
! keep rabbits or squirrels sweet and
| fresh for several hours before cooking
| and after Skinning them, rub well with
| salt inside and out and place bits of
| charcoal about them. cover with a cloth
| and keep them in a cold place.
| VENISON.
| This meat is generally best enjoyed
| roasted or broiled, especially if the
| roasting can be done before an open
IN usky'' taste will find the flavor more
| delicate if they make it into a fricassee.
TO ROAST BIRDS.
Wild duck grouse and pheaSants are
roasted plain and longer if stuffed The
flavor is best preserved if they are served
without stuffing; they should be season
ed with pepper and salt and butter only;
place a gOOd-SiZed lump of butter inside
each bird truss and skewer and place in
the oven. Basic with more butter if re-
quired to keep the birds from becoming
too dry.
LARDING GAME
The natural flavor of birds is destroy
ed disguised to a great extent when
they are larded. but for the dry meat
birds Harding has it's advantages; the
fat pork moistens the meat. if the lard
ing is done properly. and at the same
time bastes the outside, preventing a
hard, dry skin.
Grain-fed young pigeons and par
tridges that frequent the grain fields
and stubble are the best and are equal
ly good broiled, roasted or baked.
ROAST BIRDS
Cut off the neck so to leave two
thirds on: draw carefully, being careful
not to break the gall bag in the liver.
Remove everything from the inside, es
pecially the lungs that are irnbedded in
the ribs and will impart a bitter taste.
Draw the legs up close together and tie
loosely; fill with a plain we1l-favored
dressing of bread, or the oysters or po-
tato stuffing, filling rather loosely; lay
the birds in a baking pan, placing each
one on its back on strip of fat, salt
pork or bacon. Arrange in rows Spread
them thickly with butter or lay strips of
fat salt pork over them; put little wa
ter in the pan to prevent burning to the
pan; bake half an hour if birds are
young Birds may be prepared in the
same way for braising and placed on a
layer of carrots, turnips and onion cut
into dice and little parsley. with just
enough water to cover the vegetables
Then the cover is put ON and the pan
placed in a hot oven. Old pigeons are
nice cooked this way, but it is not the
best way to cook young birds.
PRAIRIE CHICKENS SAUTED
Young prairie chickens are very nice
fried or sauted. Joint the chicken and
season with salt and pepper and sprinkle
with -four and let stand in cool Dlace-
Heat enough bacon fat or vegetable oil
to cover each piece Dip the pieces of
chicken in beaten egg and bread crumb BIS,
put into the fat without crowding and
fry a nice brown. Do not have the fat
too hot, as it will require thirty or forty