Sour

Utilizing sour flavors on game meat can be done in a couple of ways, but one of my favorites is using red wine. Even though red wine has a slightly sour and sweet taste profile, it can become really delicious when used with bison, deer venison, and elk. Sautéed onions in a red wine reduction carry a fresh, savory, and slightly astringent taste when paired with seared bison. This pairing is delicious and shines when there’s a salty seasoning on the bison. Lamb pairs exceptionally well with sour tastes. Yogurt, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice combined with fresh herbs makes a tasty sauce or marinade for lamb. Many seasonings for lamb are salty and savory as well for that perfect pairing with sour. Duck can benefit from softer sour tastes from vinegar and citric acid, but mostly as finishing sauces. I love to use tamarind paste on duck because it has that slight sweet and sour combination that pairs well with the fattiness of duck.