Which is the best game meat?

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have not eaten a vast range of game, but what I have has all been quite different in flavour, all distinctive. Many years ago we partook of buffalo cubes on skewers over a fire, nicely salted, and I confess I can still taste it today, delicious. The old timers apparently put sable at the top of the taste list, Ive yet to try it. Bird is good too, our farm house favourite is pigeon pie.

What's yours?

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

Eland is no. 1 I would say.
Bushpig, bushbuck, kudu, impala, springbock. A young warthog isn’t bad either. Not at all. One of the very best was Gemsbok in Namibia.
However a lot depends on ones cooking skills. A poor cook can mess up the finest venison.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Personally, I think Oryx is the best that I've had and I've eaten 7 or 8 different species. While hunting in Nambia, I asked the outfitter's family what their favorite was and to my surprise they all said Zebra.

 

[Major Khan]

Among game animals in Bangladesh ... I personally consider the venison of cheetal deer , to be unrivalled in taste .

Among the game animals , which I used to hunt and eat in India ... I personally consider the venison of Chinkara to be the finest . Unfortunately , I have not eaten it ... In more than 50 years .

 

[375Fox]

To me, eland is best. I like springbuck too. All the other antelopes I put into the same category, good but not standing out.

 

[fourfive8]

Most all the African antelope are very, very good. Even biltong of the lowly waterbuck isn't too bad if handled properly. Most of them beat most everything here in the US or NA except for the wild sheep, moose and bison. Slow cooked moose ribs are excellent and in many ways bison here remind of buffalo in Africa- really very good. Even ele has a good taste- not unlike buffalo or bison except maybe tougher with heavier grain.

Tops I've had in Africa include oryx, impala, kudu, eland and guinea fowl. Worst I've had in Africa was ostrich.

 

[Hunting Sailor]

I think the taste of the meat differs a bit depending where the animal was. The Kalahari Springbok taste different in my view than the Karoo version etc.

My list goes like this:
1- Mountain Reedbuck
2- Impala
3- Springbok

 

[YancyW]

For me, I think I like moose best. But for African game, I like zebra and Eland the most.

 

[markm]

For me I would have to say my favorite is springbok .when we go over I can't get enough of it.

 

[Hogpatrol]

My palate prefers springbok backstraps on the braai. You can keep the kudu but hand me another piece of wildebeest biltong. It boils down to what the animal primarily eats. I've had whitetail deer I killed in the mountains that I couldn't stick a fork in the gravy. The ones I now take in farm country rival the best grass fed beef.

 

[meigsbucks]

I think moose is the best. For African meat: eland with gemsbok close behind.

 

[AES]

I have never eaten African game. That said Caribou from the NWT diced and made into a sandwich (Inuit recipe) has been my favorite game meat, to date. Am I the only one that thinks southern whitetail venison is just not that good (steak form)?

 

[Bwana Bob]

Gotta go with mtn zebra steak. You can cut them with a butter knife

 

[375Fox]

I have never eaten African game. That said Caribou from the NWT diced and made into a sandwich (Inuit recipe) has been my favorite game meat, to date. Am I the only one that thinks southern whitetail venison is just not that good (steak form)?

No you’re not alone. I’ve never eaten whitetail deer meat I thought was anything better than ok from anywhere. Best deer meat I’ve eaten was Sitka black tail deer in Alaska in August.

 

[Shootist43]

I agree with whoever said everything was dependent on the cook. Our first African hunt was booked with Cruiser Safaris. Their cook "Tiny" could easily replace the top Chief in any Five Star restaurant. Every meal was outstanding. Liking one meal over another was all but impossible. The consensus amongst the four PH(s) and the Outfitter was that Zebra was the best. I honestly couldn't tell.

 

[Tra3]

Mountain zebra! Followed by NA pronghorn Antelope, then elk.
eland is also excellent.

mostly, it depends on the chef. I am lucky to have some excellent cooks in my hunting party, so whitetail deer is very much enjoyed and a staple of my weekly diet. Wild game cooked past medium deteriorates. (And exception is overcooked but thin sliced for a sandwich)

 

[AES]

Mountain zebra! Followed by NA pronghorn Antelope, then elk.
eland is also excellent.

mostly, it depends on the chef. I am lucky to have some excellent cooks in my hunting party, so whitetail deer is very much enjoyed and a staple of my weekly diet. Wild game cooked past medium deteriorates. (And exception is overcooked but thin sliced for a sandwich)

NA pronghorn makes the best snack sticks and summer sausage I have ever had - though I know that is also nearly completely processor dependent.

 

[Solitaire]

For me it's my Eland tasted in Namibia :

 

[Hank2211]

I think a lot depends on which way your tastes run. I like beef, and eland tastes the most beef-like of any animal in Africa, I believe. After that would come kudu and perhaps oryx.

If your tastes run more towards North American venison, the likely impala would be near the top.

I note that @Tra3 liked zebra. I find the meat so 'sweet' that it's barely edible. Probably why I don't like horse meat here at home.

 

[Gemsbok45]

We had hunters collecting for a museum in Canada.Sorry but baby Giraffe was the best I’ve ever had.