How to cook reindeer?

[Rosamunda]

I use my slow cooker a lot for cooking game. Last week I cooked an elk tongue for about 7 hours in the crock pot (in a veg stock) and then skinned it and boiled it up again for one hour with root vegetables. It was really delicious (with horseradish sauce, fab), totally melt in the mouth.

There have been some famous slow-cooker / crock pot threads on this forum in the past. They used to crop up every few months. IIRC, "we" did locate a company in Lapland that was producing some kind of an electric crock pot. If I could be bothered to wrestle with the search engine I might be able to find it for you.

But don't be tempted to bring one over from the USA. Even with an adapter it might not work. My crock pot is from the UK and it NEVER worked in France (though it does here). It wasn't the watts or the volts... I think it was something else (Hz???). Whatever.


Found it: http://metsastys.eratukku.fi/pitokokki- ... -p-63.html (3.8 litres)

and recipes: http://www.eratukku.fi/kuvat/pitokokki/reseptit2.htm

[Halldor K]

Having hunted and cooked Reindeer for many years back home in Iceland i can come up with a few suggestions.

Wild game should be cooked medium at the most...anything more than that will make it tough and leathery unless you slow cook it for hours on end.

Marinating is also something that helps with making the meat more moist and seals in some juice. Many(me included) like it just as natural as possible and just use a little salt and pepper and grill it.

I have cooked all kinds of Reindeer steaks, hole legs even and all kinds of roasts and pot dishes, and after finding the ideal cooking (medium rare) for me i stick to that and am always 100% happy with it.

Remember that wild game has hardly any fat at all...so don't overcook it!

Regards
Halldor K
Rovaniemi

[AldenG]

Can anyone explain why you're supposed to coat meat cubes in wheat flour after browning but before putting into a pot of stew?

I skip that step and never really notice a problem.

[Halldor K]

Actually it is before browning and before putting in a croc pot or such.

It gives the meat a very nice browning and also makes for excellent scrapings on the bottom to deglaze using red wine or whatever you want to get a lot of flavor and thickness to stew or sauce.

Regards
Halldor K

[Pursuivant]

Having hunted and cooked Reindeer for many years back home in Iceland i can come up with a few suggestions.

Dig it in a ditch on a beach and let it ferment for a couple months? (its called "sourmeat" in Finnish and done in a spring, but I've never heard anyone do it in modern times

[Halldor K]

Ahh no that is a special treatment reserved for the shark...and mind you it is done to make the shark non poisonous as it is when it's fresh

But Reindeer i prefer just hanging up for a few days to let the meat break down into good nice juiciness and then throw it on a grill or in a slow cooker

[panda_123]

I make a stew with the reindeer we get (already cut in strips - frozen section).
Heat in a pot with a bit of water (not too much or else it will be too watery)...toss in lots of spices and herbs (peppercorns, bay leaves etc), chopped veggies (carrots, turnip, egg plant, zuchini etc) and serve over mashed potatos...