Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter SS1

Bonus Glossary of Otherworld Ingredients

Meats

Giba

A large boar-like animal with a pair of horns and large tusks. Highly aggressive. They breed rapidly, and are prone to wild swings in population size. As a result, if they are not kept in check, they will often spread beyond their native forests, causing serious damage to property and crops. A major pest species.

Usually, only the leg meat of a giba is collected, because the people of the forest’s edge are expected to hunt frequently in order to keep the population in check. If properly preserved in pico, the leg meat will last more than long enough for a single person to use it up if eating normally.

Giba meat is a deep red, and has a potent stench if not properly bloodlet immediately. It is traditionally prepared by slicing chunks off the bone in haphazard manner, and then boiling it at high temperature for 20 minutes to make a stew. However, preparing it in this way results in the meat becoming soft and slimy on the surface, while still remaining extremely tough and sinewy on the inside. It makes for an unpleasant meal, especially for the very young and old. It can also be dried out using lilo and eaten as a jerky, though it will still be as tough as rubber.

In order to bring out the full potential of this ingredient, a more laborious cooking process is needed. The meat must be simmered at a medium temperature for approximately 80 minutes. This softens the meat all the way through without overcooking the surface to the point that it becomes mushy. In the end, you will have a meat with a rich, quirky flavor that some may find overpowering, but which is just as delicious as pork or beef.

Alternatively, the meat may be minced and made into a hamburger meat patty using dissolved poitan as a thickening agent, to be served either steak style or sandwich style with aria, tarapa, or fruit wine sauce. The giba’s own fat is used to keep the patty from sticking to the pan as it fries at high temperature. The meat does not become overly soft because it is not submerged in water. This is a more difficult method of preparation, due to the thickness of the pots used by the people of the forest’s edge and the simplicity of their stoves making temperature regulation difficult. A thin patty may be quick baked using a single pot, but if a family has multiple pots that may be heated to different levels, the second may be used to more slowly cook the patties to the center after the surface has been seared.

Karon

An animal with meat that tastes similar to beef. Back and rib meat is especially prized, and is difficult for the average person to afford. In most markets, only leg meat is sold. It is said to be delicious, but it can be overly tough if not cut thinly and stewed thoroughly.

Kimyuus

An animal with white meat similar to processed chicken. Relatively cheap. It lays eggs which are also used as food. Commonly grilled, roasted, or fried with the skin still attached—considered a particularly delicious treat when prepared in the latter way. Its flavor is mild and simple, so it is easily overpowered by any vegetables and spices it is served with.