Episode 280: Advanced Offal and Wild Game Butchery with Anna Borgman

Episode 280: Advanced Offal and Wild Game Butchery with Anna Borgman

Author: Harvesting Nature August 4, 2026 Duration: 58:22
Summary: Justin and Anna Borgman explore the fascinating world of organ meats, butchery, and processing wild and domestic animals. They share practical tips, cultural insights, and personal stories to inspire a deeper appreciation for the whole animal. - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave a Review of the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy our Wild Fish and Game Spices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Art of Venison Sausage Making Chaos Farms Chaos Farms Instagram Anna Borgman Instagram Recipes: Curried Steak and Kidney Pie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Smoked Rocky Mountain Oysters Dried Venison Soup with Timpsila (Bapa Wohanpi) Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Overview of the Episode 01:04 Anna Borgman's Background in Butchery and Cooking 03:13 Upcoming Whitetail Deer Camp and Butchery Workshops 04:07 Anna's Journey into Culinary School and Butchery 06:04 Transition from Shop Work to Field Slaughter 07:31 Motivations for Moving into Field Harvesting 08:55 Challenges Facing Small Meat Shops and Regulations 11:25 Demand for In-Field and At-Home Butchery 13:00 Wild Game Seasons and Processing in Montana 14:38 Philosophy of Offal and Organ Meat Consumption 15:37 Kids and Organ Meat Acceptance 19:06 Processing and Cooking Organ Meats: Tips and Techniques 22:36 The Use and Identification of Organs in Field Dressing 27:01 Cleaning and Preparing Intestines for Sausage Casings 32:32 Using Caul Fat and Fat in Cooking 35:58 Keeping Things Clean During Butchery and Processing 42:13 The Culinary Appeal of Cheeks and Trotters 48:16 Experiences with Tripe and Offal Dishes 55:14 Exploring Feet, Tails, and Other Offal Parts 01:00:00 Sharing the Joy of Organ Meats with Family 01:02:56 Closing Remarks and Future Events Takeaways: The importance of using the whole animal in butchery Practical tips for processing wild game and domestic animals Cultural and culinary significance of organ meats and offal Techniques for cleaning and preparing organs like liver, heart, and tripe The role of fat, caul fat, and tails in cooking and flavoring Encouraging the next generation to try organ meats and offal Keywords: Butchery, organ meats, wild game, processing, cooking, fat, tripe, sweetbreads, offal, hunting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Townsend and the team from Harvesting Nature host Wild Fish and Game Podcast, a series that treats wild food as a starting point for much wider conversations. Rather than just a collection of tactics or recipes, this podcast digs into the entire cycle of bringing food from the landscape to the table and beyond. You’ll hear discussions that connect the act of hunting or fishing to the rhythms of the season, the specifics of a place, and the cultural traditions that shape our approach to harvest. Episodes move through every stage of the process-the pursuit, the careful work of butchery, the various methods of preservation, and finally, the cooking that turns ingredients into a meal. It’s about the craft involved in each step and how these skills integrate into a practical, meaningful lifestyle. The conversations often explore how these harvested foods are carried through real life, nourishing families and communities. For anyone curious about the depth and connectivity of a life centered on wild foods, this podcast offers a thoughtful, comprehensive look at a system that is as much about philosophy and responsibility as it is about sustenance. Tune in for a consistently engaging exploration of what it truly means to know where your food comes from.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Wild Fish and Game Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Episode 282: Learning to Hunt Lanai [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:36
Summary: Justin shares his detailed experiences hunting on the Hawaiian island of Lanai, exploring its unique terrain, logistics, and the challenges of island hunting. Discover insights into hunting Mouflon sheep and Axi…
Episode 281: Cooking by Cut - Making the Book [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:25
Summary: Justin and Adam discuss their new book 'Cooking by Cut', exploring the philosophy of butchery, cooking techniques, and global influences on wild game preparation. They share insights on organizing the book, unle…
Episode 279: The Wild Pantry, Part VI, Pickling Wild Foods [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:57
Summary: Justin and Adam explore the rich history, science, and techniques of pickling, emphasizing safety, creativity, and cultural diversity. Discover how vinegar preserves, enhances flavors, and offers endless culinar…
Episode 278: The School of Salmon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:09
Summary: Join us as Melanie Brown shares her deep connection to salmon fishing in Bristol Bay, exploring its cultural significance, sustainable practices, and environmental challenges including the impact of farmed salmo…
Episode 276: The Wild Pantry, Part V, Preserving Wild Food with Fat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:52
Summary: In this episode, Justin Townsend and Adam Berkelmans explore the history, techniques, and safety considerations of fat-based preservation methods like confit, rillette, and oil preservation. They discuss how the…
Episode 275: Wild Game Without Borders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:09
Summary: Justin Townsend and Adam Berkelmans explore how global cuisines can inspire new approaches to cooking wild game, emphasizing techniques suited for tougher, leaner, and more variable ingredients. They discuss the…
Episode 274: The Wild Pantry, Part IV, Smoking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:33
Summary: This conversation delves into the ancient art of smoking food, exploring its historical significance, cultural practices, and the science behind how smoking enhances flavor and preserves food. The hosts discuss…
Episode 273: Wild Salmon, Wild Forests [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:31
Summary: Join us as Tyson Fick from Yakobi Fisheries shares insights into Alaskan salmon fishing, conservation efforts, and the ecological importance of wild salmon. Discover the nuances of sustainable fishing, the impac…
Episode 272: On the Ethics of Killing: The Moral Math of Eating [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:02
Summary: Explore the ethical considerations of eating and killing in the context of hunting, food production, and environmental impact. Blake Binford shares insights from his book 'On the Ethics of Killing: The Moral Mat…