Hmm. A little while ago I ventured that I was intending to experiment with the eating of roadkill. This turns the stomach of most people, but I'm pretty sure that it's all down to our very visceral experiences encountering dead animals that have been there for a while, and got a bit lively. A fresh kill, on the other hand, where there's a very obvious cause of death and a known time window (in this case between midnight and 6am) is another matter.
There's a common misconception here in England that if you kill something in your own vehicle, you're not allowed to take it home. Not true, I discover - if you hit it you have a duty to leave the carriageway clear, as with anything else. The theoretical owner of the carcass is the Highways Authority, but this is very rarely enforced. In other words, trough away!
I thought I might start gently, say with a bunny or two, and put a small plastic sheet in the car in case I should pass one*. But yesterday my beloved WP rang me at 9.30 to tell me there was a deer on the driveway. A bloody deer, and too heavy to carry up the hill without my wheelbarrow - and of course once I had the carcass in there everyone had to come out to take a look, including the vegetarian Miss Giggle who was surprisingly cool with it given that the crows had been there just previously to remove the eyes.
She peered. "What's that you've got there?"
"No eye dear."
Well, you have to don't you? Opportunities for crap jokes like that one don't come along often.
So. Said deer has been hanging in the garage overnight while I tried - unsuccessfully - to engage the interest of anyone who has butchered one before. Now it will be me and my kitchen knives, and may the gods have mercy. But first... I have to paunch it. This should be interesting.
*Recollections of my late friend Vaguenbeardy, who screeched to a halt on his way to work to collect a pheasant struck by the car in front. Leaving the carcass in the trunk all day, after work he went to put his briefcase back in and the bird, who had only been stunned, shot out like a jack-in-the-box leaving the car full of shit and feathers, and V close to a heart attack from the shock. Ah, memories.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Roadkill 101
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3 comments:
By paunch I suppose you mean eviscerate. That should have been done when you hung it. If it is cold enough you could leave it, post eviscerating, to hang for a couple of days, head removed, to bleed out. Probably too late for that, so it will be a bit strong. After you skin it (very sharp knives help a lot here) I'd joint it, save a few tender bits to use as a roast or chop, and grind the rest for sausage. You will have to find some fat somewhere to make good sausages. Good luck! Cook it REALLY WELL if it is warm now and the flys have been at it.
Thanks Alan - actually I'm told the word for deer is gralloch, which sounds Scottish to me. It's not been cold enough to leave for longer than a day, but not warm enough for many flies; skinning and gutting went slow, but fine. Lacking a grinder I just jointed the thing into haunches, shanks and loins, and chunked the rest for stews.
Fat (for roasting) is no problem at all - we never throw anything away!
If it was a road killed deer it may have been a bit stressed out at point of (as a Bishop described death when referring to Jade Goody) "crossing the rainbow bridge".
Eyes caught by bright lights, momentary panic, life flashing before eyes, regrets, past sucesses etc, etc. That sort of thing.
That tends to make all the muscles tense and flood with adrenalin hence making the meat a bit chewy.
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