Ever tried rabbit taquitos? How about pheasant wontons or elk meatballs?
You don't know what you're missing, said chef Dan Nelson.
"Wild game has amazing flavor unlike any chicken or beef you'll find today. When it's prepared properly, game takes you deeper into that flavor than any other protein," Nelson said.
That's why Nelson loves sharing his culinary expertise with Gourmet Gone Wild, a popular program that literally brings the message of conservation, hunting and fishing to the dinner table.
"So many people today are foodies and really enjoy eating locally," said Taylor Renton, program manager for Gourmet Gone Wild. "People are interested in consuming meat from sustainably harvested animals that got to live their whole lives in nature and were never treated with synthetic hormones or antibiotics."
The innovative program began in 2012 through a partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State University, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, the Boone and Crockett Club, and the Hal & Jean Glassen Foundation. Its goal is to teach people about the health benefits of eating wild fish and game, while also introducing a new audience to the role hunters and fishermen play in sustaining our natural resources.
"It's eye-opening to many people that hunters are eating game like squirrels and pheasant, let alone making gourmet meals out of them. Gourmet Gone Wild offers participants both delicious food and a learning opportunity to better understand how Michigan manages and balances our wildlife populations, "said Merisa Campbell, of the Michigan Wildlife Council.
The Michigan Wildlife Council has recently launched a public education campaign highlighting the importance of managing the state's natural resources.
"(Gourmet Gone Wild is) a fun atmosphere with friends and, when possible, we pair it with hands-on activities like archery, shooting sports or fly fishing," Renton said.
Learning around the dinner table
This spring, for example, a group of MSU graduate students gathered at the Demmer Center to enjoy a cooking demonstration and wild fish and game dishes, as well as try their hand at archery. Dishes included steelhead chowder, venison rib sliders and curried squirrel rice.
The highlight is sampling wild food professionally prepared by Nelson. The gourmet chef gladly shares his tastiest wild game recipes and preparation techniques with hunters and non-hunters alike.
"The greatest way to share the story of a successful hunting or fishing trip is at the dinner table," said Nelson, 35.
That's why the executive chef has focused much of his career on creating – and sharing – recipes that feature wild game.
"There's a lot of fun in exposing new palates to the deep flavors you'll find in the wild," Nelson said.
Growing up, Nelson said he spent a lot of time outdoors with Saginaw-area relatives who liked to hunt and fish.
"I loved nature and I loved being out there," he recalled. "The first deer I ever shot was on Thanksgiving Day when I was 16 years old. I was at my grandparents' house, and it was a fluke that I was at the right place at the right time."
"I was able to cook with wild game and fish, and it gave me great results," he said. "I think I've always had a soul for cooking."
Nelson is so passionate about properly cooking wild game that he helped write a cookbook on it entitled "Wild Gourmet". Published in 2014, the Boone and Crockett Club partnered with Gourmet Gone Wild to produce the illustrated cookbook featuring easy recipes for everything from salmon to whitetail deer, wild boar to quail and turkey.
Gourmet Gone Wild hosts 10 to 15 programs annually across the state, mostly targeting young professionals in urban areas such as Grand Rapids. Although no public events are held, organizations that are interested in hosting the program are invited to contact Renton.
"It's changing people's perspectives, and we see increasing support of hunting and fishing," Renton said. "We don't expect everyone to go out and hunt afterward. All we ask is that people are open to it and understand why so many people do it."
Nelson said he's proud to play a part in this growing movement.
"In the end, you're taking something delicious home with you to the dinner table and extending that story ... and great stories lead to healthy lifestyles," Nelson said.
For more information on Gourmet Gone Wild or to schedule a program for your organization, email gourmetgonewild@mucc.org.
Try it at home!
Great Lakes Fish Cakes
Bourbon Venison
Venison Loin
Venison Meatballs
Venison Pasties
Venison Roulettes
Recipes provided courtesy of Michigan United Conservation Clubs.
