Participated in a gibier workshop! Latter half

On June 15, chef Norihiko Fujiki (Auberge Espoir, Nagano) gave a lecture on gibier at Komaba Gakuen High School's Culinary Arts Department.

In this article, we will continue from (1) and report on how Chef Fujiki actually separates the carcass, the characteristics of venison, and its cuisine.

*There are some pictures of deer carcass, so please be careful if you are not fond of it.

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The carcass is then divided into parts.

Chef Fujiki explains the different parts of the carcass, such as the loin, fillet, and thigh, and talks about how each part is handled and why this part is so expensive, while Chef Fujiki vividly handles the meat.

The way the meat attaches to the bone and the placement of the outer thigh, shingle, and inner thigh are rare to see in person, so it is a valuable experience.

This is the fillet taken out.

Next, the students actually separate the meat into its parts.

Although they were puzzled by what they were doing for the first time, they were able to separate the parts under Chef Fujiki's advice, and their expressions of accomplishment were impressive when they were able to successfully remove the parts.

Next, the students will actually poach the venison.

At the same time, they will also sample fried venison, terrine, and shank and banana tart, which the teachers will deep-fry.

Terrine with venison

There were some delighted and disappointed faces at the landing point for the targeted heat...

After the tasting, I asked the students what they thought...

Banana and venison shank tart => "I felt the fibers of the venison as a texture rather than the taste of the meat".

Terrine made with venison => "It has a concentrated flavor of meat like salami".

Poiret of venison => "It doesn't taste beastly as I expected. The more you chew, the more you can taste the rich flavor of the meat itself.

These were some of the comments.

As a person aiming for the world of food, he used his senses to the fullest, and was able to sense the differences in the fine flavors!

After that, we grilled the meat from the carcass, using only salt for each part of the meat, to see the differences in taste and texture.

The students gave the following comments on each part of the meat.

Outer thigh - strong aroma and firm texture

Inner thigh - a little softer than the outer thigh, but with the same meaty flavor.

Inner thigh - a little softer than the outer thigh, but the meat aroma was about the same.

Loin - Slightly sweeter, with a strong flavor and less of the characteristic gibier smell.

Shank - Tender and juicy. Tender and juicy, with a plump texture.

By comparing the different types of meat, the taste and characteristics of the rough meat parts themselves are more clearly expressed and can be felt on one's own tongue.

Finally, you will be served with a broth made from crushed deer bones, seasoned only with salt, and cooked in a pressure cooker for only 15 minutes.

Because it is cooked for only 15 minutes, the color and taste are slightly pale, but compared to beef or pork, you do not feel much fat, and only the umami remains on your tongue.

According to Chef Fujiki, if you wait longer, you will feel the soup become truer around your mouth.

However, the impressive flavor of this simple soup makes us feel that it has a very strong potential to be used in a variety of ways.

This was the end of the workshop.

It was very interesting to be able to experience the whole process from the carcass to the point where it enters the mouth, and it strengthened my desire to learn more about it! It was a very interesting experience and made me want to know more!

The Japan Ghibier Promotion Association, of which Chef Fujiki is a representative, also holds seminars for chefs on the handling of gibier meat.

https://www.gibier.or.jp/seminar/dismantling/

*Some of these are currently not being held due to the Corona Disaster.

We are sure that not only dismemberment courses, but also courses on gibier in general are being held throughout Japan,

If you are interested, why not consider attending?

It may still be difficult to obtain gibier meat at home, but if you are able to find it (make sure it comes from a licensed processing facility!), you may want to check out the recipes in the links below. And by all means, please refer to the collection of recipes in the link below, while making sure it is well cooked!　Enjoy your delicious meat!

Recipes for gibier dishes

https://www.gibier.or.jp/recipe/

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How was everyone's experience?

I had a vague idea and knew some things, but through this workshop, my knowledge became clearer and I became more interested in gibier meat.

At the same time, I was able to get a glimpse of the many techniques and time and effort required by the chefs, and it was a very meaningful time for me.

Thank you to Chef Fujiki and everyone at Komaba Gakuen High School!