As I often say, everything that is wrong with America’s relationship with food since the end of WWII can be summed up in four words that appear on almost every popular restaurant menu: “white meat boneless wings”.
This article gets me in the mood to do some cold weather cooking! Creativity and surprising yourself with the odd ends in the kitchen makes it so much more interesting- and fulfilling.
Well done sir! Your essay definitely speaks to me. I just the other day made another large batch of fish stock from your recipe (tomorrow I'll final filter and freeze in portions. It's blackfish season here in SE New England and I have fillets for a winter of chowder and good fish stock is the secret ingredient. Also in the basement fridge is a big pot of duck confit using legs and wings; parts that sadly are too often discarded, but we love as an appetizer; or a meal.
I try not to waste, and I have you and Jacques Pepin reminding me not to. You mentioned pheasant plucking, and that reminded me of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRCaHD3QoG4.
We are in our third year of deer hunting and I am glad we're not the only ones who find the backstrap the least amazing of all the wonderful venison. Sure, it's fine, but have you had the top round sliced into ribbons, marinated someway Asian, skewered, and grilled? Because y'all...backstrap and ground aren't everything.
I seem to be in a similar place, in terms of regaining my engagement with cooking after spending much less time with kitchen projects in 2025. Yesterday I too had a big pot of chicken bones I had collected simmering for awhile.
My partner got back from a hunting trip in S. Dakota and said you could pay someone $8/bird to breast out your pheasants. I was like that sounds like a scam and then, how do I get into that business? Because, I agree pheasant thighs are the best!
Fact is the thighs are best on probably all game birds. For my money I'll take them over the breasts on pheasants, ducks, geese and wild turkey; more flavor for sure. I honestly think the obsession with breasts is simply because of how easy they are to remove vs. the thighs, legs and wings.
I've been on a stock making binge - clearing out rabbit, chicken and turkey carcasses for mixed stock, and ducks for separate, very yummy stock. Last month, I made 6.875 gallons of mostly rabbit, with some chicken, turkey, and one pork humerus. Just finished a marathon session yielding 5.375 gallons of duck stock, and 4.25 gallons of mixed (mostly rabbit, with a chicken or two). These were all home raised. A friend asked me if I was feeling food insecure. Nope. Not even. Just honoring the animals by using every bit that I can. I make paté out of all the livers and hearts (the ones I don't eat as a reward in butcher day). I canned a bunch of rabbit, to use in stir fries, or curry rabbit salad. It's good to have a little control over your own food supply.
While they were ignorant, they acknowledge our local knowledge and we had a great couple of days afterwards. But you raise interesting points. So many people do not use much of the animals that they hunt and kill. That is grievous ignorance to me. I'm not a hunter but I have respect for those that show intelligence, and have respect for the art and act of hunting.
Hey Hank. Speaking of slowish experiments that open all kinds of flavor doors, years ago you turned me on playing with and using Koji. I post about it occasionally on my blog www.ovendriedtomatoes.com You did that because of a post on HGAC. I do not think you "went back" to playing with it. Have you? It'd be great to learn of any updates.
As I often say, everything that is wrong with America’s relationship with food since the end of WWII can be summed up in four words that appear on almost every popular restaurant menu: “white meat boneless wings”.
Oh, and don’t forget fried striper bones. Dredge in flour salt pepper and fry in a cast iron skillet. Delicious. We’ve even served them to company.
This article gets me in the mood to do some cold weather cooking! Creativity and surprising yourself with the odd ends in the kitchen makes it so much more interesting- and fulfilling.
Those tiles are absolutely beautiful! I would love to see more!
Well done sir! Your essay definitely speaks to me. I just the other day made another large batch of fish stock from your recipe (tomorrow I'll final filter and freeze in portions. It's blackfish season here in SE New England and I have fillets for a winter of chowder and good fish stock is the secret ingredient. Also in the basement fridge is a big pot of duck confit using legs and wings; parts that sadly are too often discarded, but we love as an appetizer; or a meal.
I try not to waste, and I have you and Jacques Pepin reminding me not to. You mentioned pheasant plucking, and that reminded me of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRCaHD3QoG4.
We are in our third year of deer hunting and I am glad we're not the only ones who find the backstrap the least amazing of all the wonderful venison. Sure, it's fine, but have you had the top round sliced into ribbons, marinated someway Asian, skewered, and grilled? Because y'all...backstrap and ground aren't everything.
I felt guilty the other night when I tossed the gnawed remains of a couple of squirrels. 😆 I could have made 1 cup of stock with those!
I seem to be in a similar place, in terms of regaining my engagement with cooking after spending much less time with kitchen projects in 2025. Yesterday I too had a big pot of chicken bones I had collected simmering for awhile.
As always. I enjoy following you. And you have fabulous recipes.
My partner got back from a hunting trip in S. Dakota and said you could pay someone $8/bird to breast out your pheasants. I was like that sounds like a scam and then, how do I get into that business? Because, I agree pheasant thighs are the best!
Fact is the thighs are best on probably all game birds. For my money I'll take them over the breasts on pheasants, ducks, geese and wild turkey; more flavor for sure. I honestly think the obsession with breasts is simply because of how easy they are to remove vs. the thighs, legs and wings.
I've been on a stock making binge - clearing out rabbit, chicken and turkey carcasses for mixed stock, and ducks for separate, very yummy stock. Last month, I made 6.875 gallons of mostly rabbit, with some chicken, turkey, and one pork humerus. Just finished a marathon session yielding 5.375 gallons of duck stock, and 4.25 gallons of mixed (mostly rabbit, with a chicken or two). These were all home raised. A friend asked me if I was feeling food insecure. Nope. Not even. Just honoring the animals by using every bit that I can. I make paté out of all the livers and hearts (the ones I don't eat as a reward in butcher day). I canned a bunch of rabbit, to use in stir fries, or curry rabbit salad. It's good to have a little control over your own food supply.
Exactly.
It's more than "good," it's soul satisfying.
Another wonderful slice of your life :-) I can't believe it's been 3 autumns...seems like yesterday. Congratulations on reaching that peaceful place!
While they were ignorant, they acknowledge our local knowledge and we had a great couple of days afterwards. But you raise interesting points. So many people do not use much of the animals that they hunt and kill. That is grievous ignorance to me. I'm not a hunter but I have respect for those that show intelligence, and have respect for the art and act of hunting.
Excellent, I got to have coffee with Hank.😊
Hey Hank. Speaking of slowish experiments that open all kinds of flavor doors, years ago you turned me on playing with and using Koji. I post about it occasionally on my blog www.ovendriedtomatoes.com You did that because of a post on HGAC. I do not think you "went back" to playing with it. Have you? It'd be great to learn of any updates.
I have not. It just hasn't grabbed me yet.