Got Game?

Sorry for the photoless blog today, but my camera is MIA. I'll post up some pics when I get it back. We did some really fun stuff in class this week. (I'm going to hit the highlights)

Monday:
Veal Osso Bucco
Wow this was great. We braised a slice of veal shank for 2 hours in veal stock and white wine and mirepoix. By the time we pulled it out of the oven, we had to use a spatula to take it out of the pot because it was so tender and falling of the bone. We used the braising liquid to make what the chef called a, "sexy, sexy sauce". Seriously, he complimented the sauce like 6 times. After we ate the meat off the bone, we dug the marrow from the inside of the bone. The ridiculous richness of that tasty "meat butter" was cut by a zesty gremolata made of raw garlic, lemon zest, parsley, salt, and anchovy. We nailed it. 20

Tuesday:
Green Chile Pork Stew
Goodness gracious. The hits just keep coming. This was so fantastic. We seared off some bite-size pieces of pork shoulder; then made a thick braising liquid with onion, garlic, masa flour, and pork stock. The pork went back in and into the oven. It came out when the pork was fork tender. We reduced the sauce and added a purée of roasted poblano and jalapeño. Garnished with cilantro and monterrey jack cheese, this was just delicious. Look for it at a tailgate near you this football season. 20

Wednesday:
Venison Chili
I know, it's like a George Strait album huh? #1 hits galore! This, you will DEFINITELY see at atleast one of our tailgates this season. I've got some deer in the fridge just itching to hop into a pot with onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, tomatoes, masa flour, veal stock, and puréed ancho chiles to make a belly-satisfying chili. Chef said our chili was, "a little thick". What? Chili is supposed to be thick. So I disagreed there, but topped with fine chopped red onion, cheddar, and fried tortilla strips, this was no question the best chili I've ever made. Like I said, this will not be venison chili's last appearance. 19

Thursday:
Duck à L'Orange
This may be the last blog I ever write, because it just may not get better than this. We trussed up a gorgeous duck and scored that yummy fat layer on the breast. Seared it sexy GBD in a hot pan and tossed it into the oven on a rack on a sheet pan. We basted it a couple times with some of the fat that we rendered down. The skin got crispy delicious. The meat was perfect, juicy medium. How could it be better? I'LL TELL YOU!! We used the neck bone, wishbone, and kidneys to start a base for a tasty orange-duck sauce. That got stirred into a red wine vinegar gastrique to make an absolutely decadent sweet, savory, tangy, orange glaze for the duck. We served this with simple grilled asparagus. The chef said he could find absolutely nothing wrong with the dish. He gushed. It was a little embarrassing really. He said he would serve it in his restaurant. It was awesome. I also took the dish next door and had Chef Waggoner try it. He concurred that it was great. 20

Friday:
Bacon-Wrapped Roasted Quail
This was actually a pretty easy day. We wrapped some tiny little quails (with only leg and wing bones) in bacon, seared em, roasted em, and sauced em. Served with ratatouille and fried polenta. 19.5 (ratatouille needed salt)
Cornish Game Hen with Mustard Crust and Horseradish Cream Sauce
Again, pretty simple. We de-boned a cornish game hen, seared it GBD, rubbed it down with dijon mustard, crusted it with some panko persillade, and roasted it. Served with carrot and celery root sauté. 19 (carrots and celery root needed salt)

Overall, a fantastic week. Lots of delicious dished that I will certainly add to my home repertoire and hone to my tastes. This week, we break down whole chickens every day. I'm pumped. Tonight is "Meaty Monday Madness: Pork n Bourbon". Stay tuned for Pork Pops.