Why Some Meat Tastes Gamey

[weblyish]

I have heard many refer to gamey as the iron taste many connect with liver.
I dont think i would describe it like that.

To me game is gamey, just as mutton tastes as mutton, game taste of game. Do we need to describe it more than that?

I find roe and red to be gameyer than say fallow or moose.
I think much comes down to carcass handling and cooking. You can certainly enhance the gamey taste through cooking, also to unpleasant levels in some cases.
Just as with mutton, you can make the taste (some say it tastes wooly?) unpleasnt and overpowering by wrongful handling during butchering.

Some old recipes cooks woodcock without removing the innards...
I reckon that would make it taste quite gamey.

the woodcock with the innards is not nearly as gruesome as it sounds - it's just a nice pate on your toast so long as you dont think about it too much. Don't shoot them any more but did enjoy eating them when i did

but woodcock really suffers from the metallic taste if you overcook it - same as pigeon and completely unrelated to hanging it and i think different to gamey

 

[Norfolk Horn]

In Iceland don't they hang sheep outside in a special shed until it becomes a bit ripe shall we say and whales

 

[Tralle]

In Iceland don't they hang sheep outside in a special shed until it becomes a bit ripe shall we say and whales

They sure do on the Faroe Islands.

Skærpekød

Skerpikjøt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"Wind dried" there is so much moisture in the air up there due to the sea around them, I would not call it dried per se...

 

[Tralle]

the woodcock with the innards is not nearly as gruesome as it sounds - it's just a nice pate on your toast so long as you dont think about it too much. Don't shoot them any more but did enjoy eating them when i did

but woodcock really suffers from the metallic taste if you overcook it - same as pigeon and completely unrelated to hanging it and i think different to gamey

Woodcock is one of my favorite birds to eat (and to shoot also )

I usually remove the innards, minus lungs and intestines and use it for a "pate" that is served on small piece of toast as a side to the bird.

Agree on the metallic taste.

 

[enfieldspares]

The worst is when folk chuck just shor pheasants in a heap rather than either brace and hang them or, at the very least, lay them on their backs to let the breasts cool.

Some old recipes cooks woodcock without removing the innards...

I've always done them that way. Cook the plucked bird on a slice of toast with its beak used to skewer the legs. When done pull out the "trail" with your fork onto the toast and eat. Then eat the bird. Delicious and not at all "gamey". Just rich and full tasting.

Here's two from 2018 or so season.