MEITUS: Cook takes walk on the wild side

By Marty Meitus, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 23, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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A campfire. A long stick. Trout toasting over the flames. You can picture it, can't you? But cooking trout on a stick isn't likely to win too many fans, says John Head.

"Most people don't like game birds, game in general, and game fish, because they haven't been introduced to the right ways of cooking it," he says.

Head is going to show people how to tackle fish and game at the 2008 Denver International Sportsmen's Exposition. A local barbecue restaurant consultant and culinary instructor, Head teaches classes through the Culinary Institute of Smoke Cooking, founded by his former in-laws in the '90s (bbqcookingschool.com).

At the expo, he'll be cooking up some recipes for food "that people don't cook very well as a rule." And perhaps persuade a few more people to take another look at game. Why does he think game is the perennial also-ran?

"People choose the wrong meat and they have an expectation that can't be met, like rabbit. Rabbit doesn't taste like chicken, it tastes like rabbit."

He also thinks game has gotten a reputation for tasting, well, gamy, "which it will if you don't prepare it properly." At the same time, a lot of game available for the market is farm-raised and inherently less tough and gamy.

Raised in a hunting family, Head didn't think twice about eating deer or duck, and he thinks more people would feel the same if they had more exposure.

He would braise venison, for instance, "except steaks - and I would cook them medium rare. One of the best pieces of venison is the ham or hind quarter, which can be slow-roasted or smoke-cooked."

As for my favorite, duck, he likes to brine the meat to add moistness, especially if you're going to remove the skin. And he uses it in familiar ways, subbing it for pork, for instance, in a popular Chinese dish (see the recipe for Mu Shu Duck 12).

Head figures the idea of cooking trout on a stick being the best method is one of those "that's the way my father did it" stories that developed around the campfire.

"The best fish is 10 minutes out of the lake, cleaned and into the frying pan. That's the best fish in the world."

The International Sportsmen's Exposition runs Thursday through Sunday at the Colorado Convention Center. Admission is $12; under 12, free. Info, Denver.SportsExpos.com.

And speaking of events . . . Beaver Creek Resort pairs with Bon Appetit magazine Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 for the Culinary and Wine Focus in Beaver Creek.

Just as A Taste of Vail in April has the mountaintop picnic, this one has its own signature event, a Celebrity Chef Ski Race, followed by lunch for ticketholders at the Beaver Creek Chophouse. The Grand Tasting will feature local and celebrity chefs, including Cat Cora, Ming Tsai and many more.

The festival is open to the public. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to local charities. To purchase, visit bonappetitfocus.com or call 1-888-920-2787. For lodging reservations and Beaver Creek Resort information, visit beavercreek.com or call 1-888-323-7612.

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