To much meat in the freezer
- Thread starter snowhunter
- Start date
For security from power outs, I bought a small gas generator years ago. Used it only once when the power was out for 65 hours, and not only did this small generator saved the contens of the freezer, but also prevented my house plumbings from freezing over and cracking, and thus saved me for tousands of $$ from lost meat and plumbing repairs as well as keeping my house warm by keeping the heat pump running 
Vacuum packed meat can be kept for a fairly long time if you do not mind freezer burnt meat (about a year maximum for frozen meat). The problem is that whether or not air has gotten into the pack, your meat will eventually develop a taste of freezer burn and usually accompanied by that stale frozen smell as well. This is directly related to the percentage of water within the meat. The general rule of thumb is “the lower your percentage of water in the meat, the longer you can have it frozen” (again maximum one year give or take). The staling affect of frozen meat is inevitable and there is nothing that can do to prevent it. Meat in itself, is not designed to be frozen for long periods of time.
I would take all that stuff that is over a year old and find a good recipe for wild game ragout which requires 6 to 8 hours of slow, low heat cooking. Preferably, a ragout recipe that it tomato based and which includes natural preservatives such as lemon and other citric based ingredients. The ingredients high in citric acid well remove the old stale taste of any meat that has been freezer burnt. Then, invite all your friends and family and have one great, big freaking party.
Do not forget to invite me.
I would take all that stuff that is over a year old and find a good recipe for wild game ragout which requires 6 to 8 hours of slow, low heat cooking. Preferably, a ragout recipe that it tomato based and which includes natural preservatives such as lemon and other citric based ingredients. The ingredients high in citric acid well remove the old stale taste of any meat that has been freezer burnt. Then, invite all your friends and family and have one great, big freaking party.
Do not forget to invite me.
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
I've kept well packaged meat for up to 3 years. rlg does have soem great points for cooking
Well, Snowhunter has no location posted, but I am willing to show up in my chef's hat with the wine and beer in hand... mind you, if I have to travel across the county, who pays the flight.
I live in on a grape winery in sunny Okanagan, overlooking the lake. My neighbors are mostly rich transplant Albertans, Manitobans and Americans. Small lots along the Okanagan Lake sells for $ 850000.-
Hunting for white-tail, mule deer and women, on both side of the lake, is good to exelent. Also, turkey hunting just south of here, around Oliver and Osoyoos should be good.
The climate is very, very dry, with lots of sage, cactus and quail. The humid rainforrest around Vancouver is four and half hour away. We only get af sprinkle of snow in winter that easily can be dusted away with a brom.
See you all here
Hunting for white-tail, mule deer and women, on both side of the lake, is good to exelent. Also, turkey hunting just south of here, around Oliver and Osoyoos should be good.
The climate is very, very dry, with lots of sage, cactus and quail. The humid rainforrest around Vancouver is four and half hour away. We only get af sprinkle of snow in winter that easily can be dusted away with a brom.
See you all here
Well, I spent two weeks in Peachland in August of 2004, and let me say this, you live in God’s country. You are right that the mule deer are fast and the women are faster. Unfortunately, I was there with my wife and kids and therefore unable to hunt the women. While we were there, we did a tour of Mission Hill and Red Rooster (as well as a few other vineyards). All different in quality and size, but all impressive in there own ways.
Anyway, thanks for the invite, but I will not be flying across the county this week. Let me know how the wild game ragout turned out. Fishing, hunting and guns (in other words, the outdoors) may be my first passions, but food is definitely a close second.
Anyway, thanks for the invite, but I will not be flying across the county this week. Let me know how the wild game ragout turned out. Fishing, hunting and guns (in other words, the outdoors) may be my first passions, but food is definitely a close second.
I will also PM you this recipe
Wild game ragout: This recipe has been in my family for many years. Sharing it brings me much satisfaction.
Assuming you are serving approximately 8 to 12 people (which is a normal Sunday afternoon in an Italian household like mine).
N.B. REMEMBER THAT THIS IS VERY LONG TO PREPARE, SO DOING SO THE DAY BEFORE AND REHEATING IT THE FOLLOWING DAY IS A GOOD IDEA.
Step one:
If you are using canned tomatoes, at least 5 to 8 cans. If you are using fresh tomatoes you will need at least 18 tomatoes. The trick is to have at least 3 litre if tomato fluid once you are done.
Procedure:
Take your tomatoes and pass them in a blender not to long because you do not want to make a juice, you want only to sort of crush them into a paste. Then remove the seeds. This is done because the seeds will give a bitter taste to you ragout. You can remove them by passing them through a “passoire”. . I do not know what the English term is for that (being from Montreal and all) but it is one of those things you use to make apple sauce or stuff like that. It removes the big pieces (like seeds) and passes only the thick, pasty stuff.
Make sure you have at least 3 litres or more of this stuff, and set it aside.
Step two:
Take you venison, foul, or any wild meat and make sure you have enough for 8 to 12 people. There is nothing wrong with having leftovers. Cut them up in serving size pieces. Remember that this is not a stew with small pieces of meat, but rather a ragout with large serving size pieces. There fore the sauce that is left at the end is used to pour over whatever you are serving on the side (pasta, rice, etc). Your pieces have to be big enough so that they look presentable in a dish.
Set the meat aside.
Step three:
In a very large sauce pan or biggest pot you have:
Cover the bottom with olive oil,
2 or 3 gloves of crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large unions diced (or shallots) equal to about one cup
½ cup of sun dried tomatoes chopped small
2 heaping table spoons of capers
Spice quantities are to taste: Add Parsley, Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, and Savory
Let’s get started:
Using high heat, heat the oil until all the ingredients and spices begin to sizzle. When the garlic begins to turn light brown put in all you meat and sauté the meat under medium to high heat. For about 4 or 5 minutes, continuously tuning it so that the pieces of meat do not burn in the oil put rather turn a pretty light beige color. Once your meat has sautéed, pour 2 litres of the tomato liquid into the pot (keep one litre on the side for later) and lower the heat to 2 or 3 (low heat) so that it comes to a boil very slow. The ragout must heat up very gradually, never quickly. Stir every five minutes or so to make sure that the meat and stuff is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the whole thing has come to a boil, lower the heat to its minimum setting and allow to simmer for the next 6 to 8 hours. As the simmering ragout boils away, the fluids will evaporate so every 30 minutes or so, return to the pot, stir and add about ½ a cup of the tomato fluid. The end result must be a thick enough ragout that it can be poured over a side dish. If the sauce is too liquid, it will go through your pasta and sit in the bottom of the dish. You do not want that. Consistency is everything.
Optional:
Once the ragout is ready, remove the meat from the sauce and set the pot in the fridge to allow the fat to rise and be removed from the sauce once it is cooled.
The rest is easy. Boil up a large load of pasta or rice. Serve the meat separate from the sauce and use the sauce to pour over your pasta or rice and have some extra sauce on the table for those who wish to pout it over their meat as well.
Lots of bre3ad on the table and a nice tossed salad on the side, and you are all set.
Enjoy
Wild game ragout: This recipe has been in my family for many years. Sharing it brings me much satisfaction.
Assuming you are serving approximately 8 to 12 people (which is a normal Sunday afternoon in an Italian household like mine).
N.B. REMEMBER THAT THIS IS VERY LONG TO PREPARE, SO DOING SO THE DAY BEFORE AND REHEATING IT THE FOLLOWING DAY IS A GOOD IDEA.
Step one:
If you are using canned tomatoes, at least 5 to 8 cans. If you are using fresh tomatoes you will need at least 18 tomatoes. The trick is to have at least 3 litre if tomato fluid once you are done.
Procedure:
Take your tomatoes and pass them in a blender not to long because you do not want to make a juice, you want only to sort of crush them into a paste. Then remove the seeds. This is done because the seeds will give a bitter taste to you ragout. You can remove them by passing them through a “passoire”. . I do not know what the English term is for that (being from Montreal and all) but it is one of those things you use to make apple sauce or stuff like that. It removes the big pieces (like seeds) and passes only the thick, pasty stuff.
Make sure you have at least 3 litres or more of this stuff, and set it aside.
Step two:
Take you venison, foul, or any wild meat and make sure you have enough for 8 to 12 people. There is nothing wrong with having leftovers. Cut them up in serving size pieces. Remember that this is not a stew with small pieces of meat, but rather a ragout with large serving size pieces. There fore the sauce that is left at the end is used to pour over whatever you are serving on the side (pasta, rice, etc). Your pieces have to be big enough so that they look presentable in a dish.
Set the meat aside.
Step three:
In a very large sauce pan or biggest pot you have:
Cover the bottom with olive oil,
2 or 3 gloves of crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large unions diced (or shallots) equal to about one cup
½ cup of sun dried tomatoes chopped small
2 heaping table spoons of capers
Spice quantities are to taste: Add Parsley, Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, and Savory
Let’s get started:
Using high heat, heat the oil until all the ingredients and spices begin to sizzle. When the garlic begins to turn light brown put in all you meat and sauté the meat under medium to high heat. For about 4 or 5 minutes, continuously tuning it so that the pieces of meat do not burn in the oil put rather turn a pretty light beige color. Once your meat has sautéed, pour 2 litres of the tomato liquid into the pot (keep one litre on the side for later) and lower the heat to 2 or 3 (low heat) so that it comes to a boil very slow. The ragout must heat up very gradually, never quickly. Stir every five minutes or so to make sure that the meat and stuff is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Once the whole thing has come to a boil, lower the heat to its minimum setting and allow to simmer for the next 6 to 8 hours. As the simmering ragout boils away, the fluids will evaporate so every 30 minutes or so, return to the pot, stir and add about ½ a cup of the tomato fluid. The end result must be a thick enough ragout that it can be poured over a side dish. If the sauce is too liquid, it will go through your pasta and sit in the bottom of the dish. You do not want that. Consistency is everything.
Optional:
Once the ragout is ready, remove the meat from the sauce and set the pot in the fridge to allow the fat to rise and be removed from the sauce once it is cooled.
The rest is easy. Boil up a large load of pasta or rice. Serve the meat separate from the sauce and use the sauce to pour over your pasta or rice and have some extra sauce on the table for those who wish to pout it over their meat as well.
Lots of bre3ad on the table and a nice tossed salad on the side, and you are all set.
Enjoy
ummmm italian meals. i love eating for 3 hours
im like half italian too btw
sounds real good. Hopefully i get some time off to go hunt deer and bring some back home. mix that up in a ragout with some bear meat i hope to harvest next spring
im like half italian too btw
sounds real good. Hopefully i get some time off to go hunt deer and bring some back home. mix that up in a ragout with some bear meat i hope to harvest next spring
Some years ago when I lived in England I read a newspaper report of the discovery of a frozen mammoth carcass in Siberia. It said the scientists who dug it out of the ice and studied it sampled some of the meat and said it was good.
- Location
- WMU247 near Edmonton
mouth is watering..... mmmmm
