Cooking wild game: common questions
What temperature should wild game be cooked to?
Whole cuts of venison and elk are safe at 130–135°F for medium-rare. Ground game needs 160°F, because grinding spreads anything on the surface right through the batch. Bear must reach 160°F without exception to kill trichinella. Finfish is 145°F. Every recipe here states its own figure.
Can bear meat be served rare?
No. Bear can carry trichinella, and the only thing that reliably kills it is heat — 160°F internal, measured with a thermometer. This is the one species on the site with no medium-rare option.
Is it safe to sear tuna rare?
Only if the fish was commercially frozen, or frozen at −4°F for seven days, which is what kills parasites. Otherwise cook albacore through to 145°F.
Why does venison taste gamey, and what helps?
Most of what people call gamey is fat, silverskin and heat. Deer fat does not render the way beef fat does, silverskin will not soften at any temperature, and lean meat cooked past medium turns dry and livery. Trim hard, cook to temperature rather than to time, and rest it.
Can these recipes be made with store-bought meat?
Yes. Beef substitutes for venison and elk in every recipe here, pork shoulder for bear, and any firm white fish for halibut. Cooking times change with fat content, so keep using the safe temperature rather than the clock.
How long does wild game keep in the freezer?
Vacuum-sealed and kept at 0°F, whole cuts hold their quality for about a year and ground meat for three to four months. They stay safe indefinitely at that temperature — what degrades is texture and flavour, not safety.