venison

I actually quite like chickens... they're cute!

Me too - for some reason, when I envisage my future, I see myself having chickens in the garden! Although not sure I could allow that as my 2 cats would have a field day!

Me & H were totally talking about having chickens the other day! We said we'd want to retire in a countryside bungalow with chickens! I'd only use them for eggs though, I know what I'm like, they'd all have names and be my 'friends', I just couldn't kill them!

Although I do have chicken for dinner tonight...

Truth be told, it is a little more involved than that. There was this huge study in europe, 15-25 year I think that came to the conclusion you were more at risk of bowel cancer and heart disease if you ate any sort of red meat, even two slices of bacon per week put you are risk, by a fifth I think.

That's what initially got me thinking. White meat, fish, poultry and the like didn't have those consequences in the study.

So for me I thought a little more into the reasons why and came to my own conclusions. Fish and chicken are quite a stretch biologically from us. Perhaps on a genetic level eating creatures genetically more similar to us go someway to causing these long term health problems.

My stance is a little bit of everything coming together. I still eat beef, but not so much. I don't like the thought of eating animals that haven't reached adult life all that much either. Having a dog makes me realize we're a little more connected to the life around us too.

Edit, found the report:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/mar/12/red-meat-death-heart-cancer

Technically all meat is 'bled to death' the difference being halal meat is blessed before slaughter and traditionally the animal isn't stunned before having its throat cut which raises questions about animal cruelty although around 95% of halal meat in the uk the animal is stunned before slaughter.

I have six chickens, I try to emotionally connect but they are pretty stupid.

I was always told (and clearly have never researched) that halal meat was cruel. What's the diffirence between that and normal meat (apart from the prayer )

Halal guidelines:

The kind of treatment and feed an animal receives during its life is important. It should be not be abused, mistreated or caused any pain. It should not be confined to an area where it cannot move or walk normally or get fresh air. It should be fed clean water and food that is appropriate and absolutely never fed another animal or products that contain the by-products of other animals.

We are getting a bit heavy here though and off topic. Good discussion, but we're drifting.

As a developmental geneticist, I cannot fathom a mechanism as to how that could be true.

At the risk of further derailing this thread, a quick google suggests venison is usually from stags aged between 15 and 27 months which is not *that* young, veal and lamb are from much younger animals.

Just give people the option of venison or the veggie option. You're paying so you should get what you like, not try to cater for people who feel the need to have meat on their plate but not THAT meat!

In terms of the venison debate: I would love venison, but then I like eating different foods. We're having chicken with sage and Marsala sauce, and considering we went for chicken as the safe, boring option, we've still had people requesting they just have it plain with gravy.

In terms of the eating meat debate: To be honest I've never really understood eating some animals and not others because you feel for them/think of them as cute and fluffy. All animals feel pain, and as much as I would like to be a vegetarian I love the taste of meat too much, so there's no point me picking and choosing and trying to take the moral high ground with which animals I eat.

Sorry, I have to disagree strongly with this. Venison is technically classed as game but I think it's far from it. I'm an ex-veggie (didn't eat meat for 17 years because I didn't like it & started eating it again about 2 years ago) and I love Venison.

Venison doesn't have a strong flavour it has flavour - unlike most cuts of beef which have no flavour whatsoever.

I personally think pork and lamb are more controversial a choice than venison - they are both fatty meats and a lot of people don't like them. I can't tolerate pork - makes me very sick (& it took Mum years to figure it out!)

We have a choice of 2 dishes (plus a veggie) and we are going for good old chicken (mainly for the likes of my unadventurous sisters) and venison (in a red wine jus) and most people will go for the venison.

For anyone who loves their game and decent quality meat I can highly recommend http://www.blackface.co.uk/ excellent customer service and very good quality meat.

Thanks for all your replays :-) ive learnt what halal meat is and not to cook my venison well done. I think its a Friday night dinner so I'll keep you posted. On another note I've found our menu which may add some help to our decision, there are three venison options, 1. Carved haunch of venison with juniper sauce, 2. Turkey and venison with.cranberry sauce, and beef and venison pie. All served with potato and veg, we have all the other meats too, quite alot to pick from. So far my opinion is similar to the posts on here, half of my wants something different for a special occasion, the other half wants to please everyone.

I'd go for this. Juniper berries are funny things - they are supposed to add a fruity note and goes well with venison although we both find it very peppery

Turkey & venison is an odd combo

I'd pick this one definitely, tis yummy.

We ARE having Venison ? We both love Venison and figured that as we are getting hitched on the 29th Dec that everyone would be fed up with white meat and thought we would have something a bit different. The people we have coming to our sit down are all excited as they either like venison or they are excited about trying it.

We eat Venison a great deal and the strength of the meat is different for different stock. Wild Venison is much much stronger than farmed. It also depends on how long it is hung for. Also as in cattle, boar, pig, lamb etc etc different breeds also taste different. Stag again is stronger. I tend to use it in the slow cooker for those cold nights and it is lovely.

Also from a health point of view, Venison is one of the leanest red meats and is actually very good for you.

Me personally I love to try different foods.

The part about putting stag in the slow cooker ... I've gone all Homer Simpson

I'd have venison. Well, *I* wouldn't, because I'm veggie, but OH would love it.

Actually, as a veggie, if I were to eat meat I would FAR rather eat venison, rabbit and other game, that has essentially run wild until that final shot (yes yes I know technically deer are on estates but they aren't herded about everyday) than eat an animal that has never had a chance to live a wild life. Also, deer stalked for venison are pretty much always chosen specifically by the gamekeepers as those which would be culled anyway for the benefit of the herd in general. A bit different from "how many chickens can we fit in a barn and pretend it's humane" and "here's my herd of beef cattle, which you eat is pretty much a lottery".

I am not veggie because I believe eating animals is wrong, I am veggie because I think farming methods in this part of the world are far from ideal just to satisfy those who insist on meat every day rather than once or twice a week as it used to be. I could go on, but it's not the point of the thread.

Anyway, you're not eating bambi, you're eating an animal that needs to be culled for the good of the herd, has had a fantastic wild life, and from what OH tells me, is a fantastic meat!

Barefoot beach bride couldn't have said it any better- exactly what I think

Although I love venison, I would be tempted to go for the safer option!

Hi everyone. Thanks for all your replies, I agree with both sides and will probably keep switching between safe and not safe until the time for final decision... So... The venison was yummy! And so proud of OH, I was guna cook it but was late from work so he took it upon himself to read the instructions and have it done for when I got home. It was really nice, cooked but still a little pink in the middle. And your right it does have a strong taste. He liked it too though. And he thinks if we like it we should have it. A lot of people around us are getting married and so far there is a lot of chicken. Think were guna mention it to most of our guests over next couple of months to check, but were only having about 40 adults so I'm thinking we should be ok. And of course we will offer a veggie option. I'm really swaying towards it at the min! Sport for no paragraphs, doesn't seem to work on the phone.

We were torn between safe chicken and the delicious beef from our menu taster. We decided that we would go with what we wanted and our guests would either have that or the veggie option. So I say go with venison, it makes a change from the normal overcooked dry chicken and veg!