3 ms·

The supermarkets carry mutton yearround. I don't see much or any venison, but maybe that's because those who eat it hunt it themselves? It does require knowin

by mc32 3y ago

The supermarkets carry mutton yearround. I don't see much or any venison, but maybe that's because those who eat it hunt it themselves? It does require knowing how to prepare it in order to overcome the gamey flavor though. (Greek recipes are good and approachable)

dfc 3y ago
You know an American supermarket that carries mutton?
- mc32 3y ago
  Whole foods (where mutton = sheep's flesh (in some places it may also mean goat's meat))
  - genocidicbunny 3y ago
    Lamb is also sheep's flesh, but it's not the same as mutton. Lamb is indeed very commonly available, though usually still in fairly limited selection, but I can't even remember the last time I saw actual mutton for sale.
jart 3y ago
Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal, so in a sense it's technically impossible to sell in stores.
- leipert 3y ago
  Why would it be impossible? You shoot the deer, you butcher it, you sell it in the store. Here in Germany we have „game season“ and you can pre-order it at a lot of butcher shops or even certain supermarket chains. The orders are then basically fulfilled by local hunters and foresters, the meat is inspected like any other meat.
  - jart 3y ago
    Because you're not playing the game if you buy it in a store.
  - floren 3y ago
    In the US it's illegal to sell wild game meat, even between private individuals. It's part of the North American Model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Model_of_Wildlife_Conservation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Model_of_Wildli... There are a few farms which raise venison, elk, etc. but I think due to chronic wasting disease and other issues they're rare... also your average American just isn't that eager to eat game (unless they're hunters). Note that "wild boars", being feral hogs, are usually exempt from the meat sale laws.
    - nkurz 3y ago
      > In the US it's illegal to sell wild game meat, even between private individuals. Because I'm a pedantic sort, I'll point out that this isn't completely true. The act you link to governs interstate commerce. Individual states can set different rules that apply for sales that do not cross state lines. I live in Vermont, so I'll use that as an example I know: Big Game: The only time it is legal to buy or sell big game or the meat of big game within the state is during the open season and for 20 days after the season ends. https://www.eregulations.com/vermont/hunting/general-regulations#:~:text=The%20only%20time%20it%20is,days%20after%20the%20season%20ends https://www.eregulations.com/vermont/hunting/general-regulat.... This was a surprise to me when I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Wisconsin, which (at least when I was there) followed the rules that you quoted.
    - extraduder_ire 3y ago
      The whole feral vs wild animal thing is kind of interesting once you know about it. Until a few years ago, I had no idea that most of the deer in my country are an invasive japanese species that were introduced a few hundred years ago by one guy who thought they looked cool. (as a result, hunting is pretty straightforward. Both permits and stalking wise.) I've been wondering for a while about doves that people hunt/eat, and the much more common type of dove (rock dove/domestic pigeon) which I presume nobody wants to consume due to its diet and the whole "flying rat" taboo.
philipkglass 3y ago
I see lamb all the time in large grocery stores, but not actual mutton from mature sheep. What chains carry mutton year-round?
candiddevmike 3y ago
Game meat like venison isn't FDA approved and hard to ensure food safety: https://www.food-safety.com/articles/4688-game-meat-a-complex-food-safety-and-animal-health-issue https://www.food-safety.com/articles/4688-game-meat-a-comple... I'd imagine there aren't a lot of suppliers or grocery stores carrying it because of the risk
- a2tech 3y ago
  All of the nicer grocery stores in my area (Whole Foods, any of the better stocked small chain grocers, but not Kroger/Meijer) stock a wide variety of frozen 'game' meats. Rabbit, boar, venison, etc. Rarely fresh, but always available frozen. It's all raised specifically for meat though, none of the animals are wild harvested.
retrac 3y ago
I'm not sure about the USA but here in Canada there are legal restrictions on game. In Ontario, you can't sell meat from game. (You can't even give it away, technically, unless it was inspected and butchered by a licensed butcher.) So any venison in the store will have come from farm-raised deer. And deer are relatively difficult and expensive compared to chickens or cattle. I can find mutton and venison, and also horse meat, in upscale grocery stores here in Ontario. It's all terribly expensive, except lamb/mutton from NZ when it's in season.
twobitshifter 3y ago
In NZ deer are farmed. When I was there it seemed almost more common than beef, the Italian restaurant I went to used it for their meatballs.

by mc32 3y ago

dfc 3y ago

You know an American supermarket that carries mutton?

mc32 3y ago
Whole foods (where mutton = sheep's flesh (in some places it may also mean goat's meat))
- genocidicbunny 3y ago
  Lamb is also sheep's flesh, but it's not the same as mutton. Lamb is indeed very commonly available, though usually still in fairly limited selection, but I can't even remember the last time I saw actual mutton for sale.

jart 3y ago

Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal, so in a sense it's technically impossible to sell in stores.

leipert 3y ago
Why would it be impossible? You shoot the deer, you butcher it, you sell it in the store. Here in Germany we have „game season“ and you can pre-order it at a lot of butcher shops or even certain supermarket chains. The orders are then basically fulfilled by local hunters and foresters, the meat is inspected like any other meat.
- jart 3y ago
  Because you're not playing the game if you buy it in a store.
- floren 3y ago
  In the US it's illegal to sell wild game meat, even between private individuals. It's part of the North American Model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Model_of_Wildlife_Conservation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Model_of_Wildli... There are a few farms which raise venison, elk, etc. but I think due to chronic wasting disease and other issues they're rare... also your average American just isn't that eager to eat game (unless they're hunters). Note that "wild boars", being feral hogs, are usually exempt from the meat sale laws.
  - nkurz 3y ago
    > In the US it's illegal to sell wild game meat, even between private individuals. Because I'm a pedantic sort, I'll point out that this isn't completely true. The act you link to governs interstate commerce. Individual states can set different rules that apply for sales that do not cross state lines. I live in Vermont, so I'll use that as an example I know: Big Game: The only time it is legal to buy or sell big game or the meat of big game within the state is during the open season and for 20 days after the season ends. https://www.eregulations.com/vermont/hunting/general-regulations#:~:text=The%20only%20time%20it%20is,days%20after%20the%20season%20ends https://www.eregulations.com/vermont/hunting/general-regulat.... This was a surprise to me when I moved to Vermont. I grew up in Wisconsin, which (at least when I was there) followed the rules that you quoted.
  - extraduder_ire 3y ago
    The whole feral vs wild animal thing is kind of interesting once you know about it. Until a few years ago, I had no idea that most of the deer in my country are an invasive japanese species that were introduced a few hundred years ago by one guy who thought they looked cool. (as a result, hunting is pretty straightforward. Both permits and stalking wise.) I've been wondering for a while about doves that people hunt/eat, and the much more common type of dove (rock dove/domestic pigeon) which I presume nobody wants to consume due to its diet and the whole "flying rat" taboo.

philipkglass 3y ago

I see lamb all the time in large grocery stores, but not actual mutton from mature sheep. What chains carry mutton year-round?

candiddevmike 3y ago

Game meat like venison isn't FDA approved and hard to ensure food safety: https://www.food-safety.com/articles/4688-game-meat-a-complex-food-safety-and-animal-health-issue https://www.food-safety.com/articles/4688-game-meat-a-comple... I'd imagine there aren't a lot of suppliers or grocery stores carrying it because of the risk

a2tech 3y ago
All of the nicer grocery stores in my area (Whole Foods, any of the better stocked small chain grocers, but not Kroger/Meijer) stock a wide variety of frozen 'game' meats. Rabbit, boar, venison, etc. Rarely fresh, but always available frozen. It's all raised specifically for meat though, none of the animals are wild harvested.

retrac 3y ago

I'm not sure about the USA but here in Canada there are legal restrictions on game. In Ontario, you can't sell meat from game. (You can't even give it away, technically, unless it was inspected and butchered by a licensed butcher.) So any venison in the store will have come from farm-raised deer. And deer are relatively difficult and expensive compared to chickens or cattle. I can find mutton and venison, and also horse meat, in upscale grocery stores here in Ontario. It's all terribly expensive, except lamb/mutton from NZ when it's in season.

twobitshifter 3y ago

In NZ deer are farmed. When I was there it seemed almost more common than beef, the Italian restaurant I went to used it for their meatballs.