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What goes next to it.

Cooking the meat correctly is half the meal. The other half is what you put beside it, and wild meat does not want the same plate as the supermarket equivalent - it is leaner, darker and more variable, and it needs fat, acid and a bit of thought. Each guide below covers what the animal is actually like on the plate, the sides that work and why, the spices that belong, a drink that matches, and the mistakes that turn good meat into a disappointment.

These sit alongside the cut-by-cut cooking guides, which cover how to cook each piece. This is the question that comes after that one.

Elk and Moose Mild, beefy, very lean The big deer are milder and beefier than whitetail, which changes the plate. Bigger cuts, bolder sides, and less need to work around a gamey note.

Pheasant and Upland Birds Pale, delicate, easily dried Upland birds are pale, delicate and dry out in minutes. The plate exists to add moisture and fat without burying a subtle bird.

Rabbit and Small Game Mild, lean, chicken-adjacent Rabbit and squirrel are mild, lean and closer to chicken than to deer. The plate should be comforting rather than clever, and it should bring fat.

Venison Lean, iron-forward, faintly sweet Venison is lean, iron-rich and faintly sweet, and it asks for fat, acid and something earthy on the plate. Here is what actually works with deer, and why.

Wild Boar Dark, nutty, variable by age Wild boar is darker, leaner and nuttier than pork, and a mature one needs long cooking and a sharp plate. Here is what works with hog, and what to do about a strong boar.

Wild Duck Dark, rich, sometimes livery Wild duck is dark, rich and often fishy at the edges, and the plate has to handle fat and acid at the same time. Here is what works with mallard, teal and the rest.

Wild Goose Dark, beefy, genuinely lean Wild goose is the most misunderstood bird in the bag - dark, lean, and nothing like the fatty farmed Christmas bird. Season and sear it like beef, plate it like game.

Venison cut guidesHow to cook each piece, from backstrap to shanks.

Preserving gameSmoking, curing and canning the surplus.

From the harvestUsing the whole animal, food and otherwise.

Gear for the game kitchen

Instant-read thermometer Lean game goes from perfect to dry in a few degrees. Check price Cast-iron skillet A hard sear, then a rest - most of game cookery. Check price Dutch oven Shanks and shoulders want low, slow and wet. Check price Carving knife Thin slices across the grain make every cut more tender. Check price

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What goes next to it.

Gear for the game kitchen

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