REINDEER MINCE

Mince is probably the best way of first encountering game. It’s lean, nutritious, easy to cook and you get a lot of flavor for your money. Reindeer mince, oddly enough, has a wilder flavor than other game animals that are truly wild.

Reindeer facts

Reindeer mince is leaner than minced beef for example, which can make it a bit drier. Add a dollop of cream for a bit of extra fat and liquid.

Also remember to salt your mince at last an hour before making your mixture so it will bind in liquid and gain the right consistency. Salt is a powerful binding agent. If you leave it to work for a while, you won’t need to add any egg.

If you’ve got hold of frozen mince, defrost it quickly in a bag under running water as that way it keeps its flavor and consistency better.

Cooking with reindeer mince

Anything you can do with ordinary mince, you can do with reindeer mince. The difference is the great gamey flavor and the lower fat content (not to mention the good feeling that comes from knowing that you’re eating natural, sustainable meat) If you’ve got a recipe that uses moose or venison mince it will work just as well with reindeer.

The basics for beef burgers, faggots and meatballs made from game mince:

• Salt the mince in advance, to retain flavor and bind in water.
• Add to the juiciness and sweetness with fried/roasted/baked onion.
• Leave the mince to rest for an hour before shaping it into burgers, faggots or meatballs.
• Fry in a mixture of oil and butter.
• Test with a thermometer if you have one and aim for 55-60°C.

You’ll find more ideas for cooking game under cooking game.

The classic

Reindeer faggots with a chanterelle sauce and lingonberry or redcurrant jelly.