Camosci, Caprioli, Cervi, Daini, Stambecchi...

If you venture into the mountains in Italy -- something that's remarkably easy to do; in addition to the Alps there are the Apuans, the Apennines, and volcanoes scattered here and there -- chances are that you will be offered game. Time was, it was reserved for the nobility, or at least they tried to claim it: The families set aside tracts of their forested lands as hunting reserves; the size of the reserve depended upon the importance of the family, and a number of those established by the House of Savoy after they became Kings of Italy are now major national parks.

Of course trying to reserve game for one's personal enjoyment and succeeding in doing so are two very different propositions; those living in the mountain villages did go out poaching, because wild game was their major source of meat -- though they had livestock, in particular sheep and cattle, both were too valuable as sources of milk, and wool in the case of the sheep, to end up on the table unless they were quite old. Lambs and calves, you wonder? They would have been sold to bring in hard currency, much in the way that farmers living in the lowlands sold eggs rather than consume them themselves.

It comes as no surprise therefore that mountain villagers were adept at preparing game, deftly seasoning it with the herbs and aromas gathered on the hillsides and in the forests, and often accompanying it with polenta, the staple that was never absent from their tables.

So what are we talking about? Camoscio is chamois, capriolo is roe buck, cervo is deer, daino is fallow deer, and stambecco is ibex, or mountain goat. In the past, of course, these animals were all wild and tended to be gamy; consequently, traditional recipes call for the use of marinades and herbs to balance the flavors and increase tenderness. Now many of these game animals are also raised commercially, in which case they require much less marinating. Should none of these animals live where you happen to be, or you do not hunt or have friends who do, a well stocked market will likely have frozen game -- venison, in particular -- and even if it is not exactly what an Italian hunter might find on a slope, it will work quite well.

Some words on cooking venison: By comparison with beef it is much less marbled, and as a result is very easy to overcook and toughen. According to The Joy of Cooking, the cuts from the saddle, loin, tenderloin, and hind leg should be briefly cooked over high heat, whereas the cuts from the shoulder and neck, which are tougher, are better suited to stewing and braising. They also say that the quickly cooked cuts should be cooked rare to medium rare, at which point the meat will be crimson in color, and that if it's gray it's overcooked. Finally, they say that it's not necessary to marinate commercially raised game. I would, though for 3-4 hours, rather than the 24-48 that wild game requires.

Enough Talk! Some Recipes

Boar with Juniper Berries
Juniper berries are traditionally used in cooking boar, hare, and other game. Should boar not be available where you live, this will work well with venison too.

Braised Mountain Goat
A quick, simple recipe from the Val D'Aosta that will also work well with venison.

Chamois Civet
Civet is a Northwestern Italian technique for marinating game in wine and herbs and stewing it with the addition of onions.

Roe Buck Boscaiola Style
Venison stewed with wild mushromms: A mountain treat.

Roe Buck Salmì Friulana Style
A salmì is quite similar to a civet; it's a method for marinating game in wine and herbs, and will work beautifully with venison or other furred game.

Roast Roe Buck
A simple recipe for roasted venison basted in its marinade.

Stewed Venison with Mushrooms
Delicious!

Venison Goulash
Though people generally associate goulash with Hungary, it's also popular in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy's northeasternmost region, which was an Austrian province until the end of the First World War.

Venison Ribs
Pan-sauteed venison ribs are quick to cook and very tasty.

Venison with Juniper Berries
Venison with a classic game marinade that includes juniper berries.

Buon Appetito!
Kyle Phillips