If you hunt long enough you will find or may be a person who does not like the taste of some or all game. On this episode I talk about the top four reasons people do not like the taste of game and what you can do to change that.

Venison may be the most common game meat available so more people will have tried it and formed an opinion, but these principles apply to all types of game.  Keep in mind nothing says people need to like game, but I’ve found it can be something that enriches the lives of those who appreciate it.  Enjoying game is also not necessarily something that just happens, you have to develop your pallet, explore different flavor profiles, cooking methods, spices, etc. to learn how to get the most and the best from this new cuisine. 

• There are good reasons why someone may not like the taste of game, some are very valid, and all but one can be changed.
• Many people had a bad first impression and have never had a second impression. Or they have formed an opinion with no experience. In both cases there is hope.
• Most of the time people’s opinion is based on poor quality meat or poor cooking. The big issue here is that people try to cook game like store bought meat and it is not the same thing. Venison is not beef, it does not taste like beef, it does not cook like beef. It is unique and distinct and requires different cooking strategies. Here are two previous episodes that can make all the difference in these departments.
  • How To Butcher & Cook Venison
  • Why Some Deer Taste Better Than Others 
• You must remember that most children left to themselves will grow up unwilling to eat anything other than pizza, chicken nuggets, and mac & cheese. So it shouldn’t be surprising when adults become so used to a small rotation of food options that they find something different undesirable. But even that does not mean they actually do not like game. They may just have some growing to do before they can appreciate it.

Eating game for the first time, even if prepared well can be a little bit like having eaten chicken regularly and then having beef for the first time. It is very different and if you are expecting it to be the same, you will be disappointed. But in time, many people would come to appreciate beef. The same process and principle are true for deer meat, turkey, duck, goose, pheasant, etc. Many hunters end up preferring venison to beef in time. This is because they have developed a taste for it, have learned how to cook it, and know what to do with the meat throughout processing to assure the highest quality and flavor.

Here is a video I did on 10 reasons why your deer meat tastes bad and how you can improve it. These are principles that can both help you understand why you may have had a bad experience with game, and that can help you have better ones in the future.