Bison, boar, venison?

Does anyone know where in Chicago I might be able to buy such meats as bison (buffalo), boar, and venison? I'm looking to stew it, so big chunks are fine (or preferable). I don't care whether it's wild or farmed. (can you even get farmed boar?)

In this post, G Wiv lists a couple of excellent resources for game meats.

Enjoy.

Best,
Michael

Also, Whole Foods stocks a few types of game (venison, rabbit, ostrich), though frozen. I think Sunset Foods does, as well.

Paulina likewise has a decent amount of game (venison, pheasant and quail, buffalo, ostrich, rabbit) in a freezer case, but you'll have to go to one of the specialty vendors for the more exotic stuff.

HI,

New poster MarisaR posted on a shop in Gary, IN selling wild game:

Mark's Food Mart
6125 W 25th Av Gary, IN
219-887-8085

***

Black Forest Deli
8840 Waukegan Rd
Morton Grove, IL 60053
(847) 965-3113

Town Meat Market
121 E Cook Ave
Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 362-0210

This meat locker in Woodstock processes hunter's wild game. They might offer some for sale:

Jone's Country Meats
204 N. Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, IL 60098
(815) 337-0300

I suggest calling in advance to any of these places before heading out.

Regards,

Hunted game cannot be sold, only game raised on licensed game farms. I recently tasted some excellent dried venison at a NW Illinois meat processor, in their retail shot, but it was samples only, not for sale. They were busily processing venison, you could smell the raw meat (it smelled delicious:-) but alas, none could be sold.

annieb wrote:Hunted game cannot be sold, only game raised on licensed game farms. I recently tasted some excellent dried venison at a NW Illinois meat processor, in their retail shot, but it was samples only, not for sale. They were busily processing venison, you could smell the raw meat (it smelled delicious:-) but alas, none could be sold.

I had a feeling there might be some issue like this. It simply unscores the reason to call in advance.

Thanks!

Regards,

Thanks for the responses. I went ahead and called Chicago Game a little while ago. The woman on the phone was VERY nice. We talked about boar, venison, bison, elk, and kangaroo. Talked about what I wanted, what I'm going to do with it. I originally wanted bison, but the pieces they sell them in are too large. My freezer isn't big enough to only use part of a buffalo leg and freeze the rest. So, we settled on a boar shoulder roast and a venison denver leg. Pretty exciting. Here's the website with some cool lists. No prices, of course.

http://www.chicagogame.us/

Thanks again for the help!

Thanks for reporting back. I'm sure a lot of people here, including myself, would be interested to hear more about the final dishes--and how they taste

Best,
Michael

Sure, no problem. I'll be making chili for the superbowl. I usually just use beef, sometimes beef, pork, and lamb. My roommates are really good about putting up with my culinary experiments, so I've decided to surprise them with venison and boar chili. I'll probably do a batch of the beef chili, too, so we can compare. I'll post after the game with impressions.

Cooking game for the big game? Nice

Question: Does anyone else find that game meats have unpleasant gastro-intestinal effects?

I had some buffalo ribeyes a few years ago and duck a few weeks ago and in both cases it wasn't that I felt sick exactly but i think you can catch my meaning here.

aceking wrote:Sure, no problem. I'll be making chili for the superbowl. I usually just use beef, sometimes beef, pork, and lamb. My roommates are really good about putting up with my culinary experiments, so I've decided to surprise them with venison and boar chili. I'll probably do a batch of the beef chili, too, so we can compare. I'll post after the game with impressions.

For this Superbowl it would have been more appropriate to use horse and bear meat!

A few more questions on this:

Do people really consider buffalo to be "game"? Should it be cooked in a similar manner?

I've made buffalo before and enjoyed it but I've had a difficult time with getting it correctly done. Trying to tell when it is too raw or too overdone is difficult.

I tend to cook it over the stove, using a bit of grapeseed oil. I seer the one side and then turn down the heat.

For an average size buffalo steak, what would people estimate to be a reasonable cooking time for medium rare?

DML wrote:For an average size buffalo steak, what would people estimate to be a reasonable cooking time for medium rare?

Until its internal temperature is 123-125

Seriously, your pan and stove are different than mine, the steak will be thinner, or thicker, or will go into the pan at 55 degrees instead of 70 degrees, or you'll use higher or lower heat than me.

Take its temperature.

gleam wrote:

DML wrote:For an average size buffalo steak, what would people estimate to be a reasonable cooking time for medium rare?

Until its internal temperature is 123-125

Seriously, your pan and stove are different than mine, the steak will be thinner, or thicker, or will go into the pan at 55 degrees instead of 70 degrees, or you'll use higher or lower heat than me.

Take its temperature.

I never thought about doing it that way. I've always tried to do it just by taking a look at it.

Are you serious about the number for the internal temp? I just did a quick search and a place recommends 140 for rare to 170 for medium.

Most of the official sources I've seen suggest temps far higher than for the done-ness I'm seeking. I support gleam's recommendation, recognizing that the internal temp will rise another 5° - 10° when you let it rest before cutting into it.

But, because it's so low in fat, you have to pretty careful about the temps. I'd err on the side of underdone. You can always add more heat; you can't take it away.

DML wrote:Are you serious about the number for the internal temp? I just did a quick search and a place recommends 140 for rare to 170 for medium.

170, no matter the protein, is something you're gonna be throwing in the trash. You'll also be running around to shut off all your smoke alarms.

It should be about 125 when it comes off the heat and it should carry up close to 135 for medium-rare. It's ability to coast up to temperature during a rest depends on thickness, if it has a bone-in etc.

I highly recommend buying a good meat thermometer (a thermapen is best) and then learning what meat feels like (poke it) at different temperatures. Soon enough, you'll learn when to take meat off the heat with a simple, gentle poke.

Best,
Michael

As the others have said, 100% serious about the 125. I pull at 122-123 because I like it to be more like the halfway point between rare and medium rare.

If I pull it from the heat at 130, it's overcooked and I'm angry at myself. This usually happens if the steak cooks unevenly or if I forget about it It happened last night

Completely off topic but I was browsing (and drooling over) Chicago Game's web site and noticed they still list fois gras. Do they still sell it? I can't imagine they do. They were my main source before the food police decided what we can and can't eat.

Here's a great recipe once you do track down the bison:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/cook_home

(webcomic, nsfw language. Make sure to stock up on the mango lard).

Cafe Amano in Elmhurst has opened Amano Boucherie featuring, among other things, prime and organic beef, ostrich, bison and elk.

The boucherie is next door to Cafe Amano

Cafe' Amano
105 S. York
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Phone: 630.279.9333
Fax: 630.279.9444
Email: marco@cafeamano.com

Good morning! I've been crock-pot cooking full-time since the new year, and I'm in the mood for slow cooking venison. I have no idea where to find it. I live downtown and have access to a car. Can anyone suggest a place to purchase it?

CAll and ask if they have any in the freezer case, or if they have any you can purchase in the store. I'm almost certain they did last time I was there. I can confirm that they had ostrich in the freezer case, just seems as tho bambi flesh should be avail as well.
Paulina Meat Market
3501 N Lincoln
773.248.6272

https://www.paulinameatmarket.com/

Great place. Plan on spending a little after perusing the deli cases if you go.

According to the price list on their website, they sell:

"GROUND VENISON $10.50 / LB
LOIN CHOPS APPROX 8oz EACH $25.00 / LB
RACK 3 RIB-APPROX 1lb $35.00 / LB
STEW APPROX 1lb PKG $14.75 / LB
TENDERLOIN 2PC PER PKG APPROX 1.5lbs $36.00 per lb $54.00/Each
VENISON BURGERS 4 X 4oz $10.75 / PKG"

Thanks for the advice! I'll check that place out.