The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook

Starred review from September 17, 2018
Rinella (The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game) is perhaps best known for his MeatEater podcasts and Netflix series, and in this insightful and straightforward look at cooking what one hunts, he proves to be as skilled with a pen as he is with a gun. “Wild game is wildly variable” he writes in the introduction, as he explains his “cut-based” method of cooking, in which it is less important to consider whether it is deer or antelope being prepared than it is to understand what part of the animal is being held to the fire. Starting with venison and ending with shellfish, the 100 recipes call upon all sizes of game, fowl, and fish. Rinella includes clear, photo-enhanced instructions on gutting, skinning, and butchering, along with taste charts that explain the differing flavors and textures of similar beasts. Recipes range from simple riffs on popular restaurant food, such as dove jalapeño poppers, to more complex dishes such as seared goose breast with apple, cherry, and sage chutney. The nose-to-tail approach incorporates everything from bullfrog legs (simmered in butter and wine) to duck hearts (grilled and served with a walnut pesto). Rinella is at the top of his game in this must-read cookbook for those seeking a taste of the wild.