his month Nicky USA, the butcher and specialty meat purveyor, becomes the exclusive distributor of this newly available sustainable wild protein in the Continental U.S.
In a partnership with Hawaii’s Maui Nui Venison, Nicky USA has become the exclusive distributor of Nicky Farms Wild Hawaiian Venison to chefs on the West Coast. Maui Nui Venison, a sustainable operation based in Hawaii, harvests wild Axis Deer on the islands of Maui and Moloka’i to keep the invasive species populations under control, and through partners like Nicky USA, provides this truly wild protein to consumers. The overpopulation of the Axis Deer are a threat to both the the environment and agriculture in the islands, as the deer spread invasive plants, cause erosion, and damage ecosystems. Opening the market for Wild Hawaiian Venison will help to maintain the ecological balance of those islands, and offers an incredibly sustainable meat to consumers and chefs.
Up until this point, Wild Hawaiian Venison has only been available to chefs and non-commercial hunters within the state of Hawaii. It is harvested under strict USDA field protocols. Nicky USA first debuted Wild Hawaiian Venison at this year’s Wild About Game in October to rave reviews by attendees and chefs. It was selected as one of four proteins in the event’s cooking competition, prepared by Chef Doug Adams of Imperial and Chef Eric Sakai of Restaurant Marron.
Hank Shaw, an authority on venison and the author of the upcoming book, Buck, Buck, Moose: Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Deer, Elk, Moose, Antelope and Other Antlered Things (H&H Books 2016) says “Axis deer is widely regarded as one of the best-eating species in the world – its meat is fine, lean and almost sweet. It needs little more than salt and fire to make it shine.”
And chefs agree. “Hawaiian Wild Venison is truly a unique and special product. A perfect balance of taste and texture that’s sure to please game lovers as well as those who may think that venison is too ‘gamey,’” says Eric Sakai, Chef/Co-Owner of Restaurant Marron in Seattle and winner of Food & Wine’s People’s Best New Chef, 2015. “Hawaiian Wild Venison is a delicious and sustainable product made possible by great people from my homeland of Hawaii.”
Chefs in the region are excited to prepare dishes featuring this new protein, distributed in the Continental U.S. for the first time this month. No doubt, this newly available meat will begin to pop up on the menus of the most adventurous and highly regarded restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. Nicky USA will also distribute small retail packs of the venison to specialty retailers in the Northwest to make it available to home cooks. Nicky Farms Wild Hawaiian Venison is subtle yet full flavored and is a lean, palate-pleasing meat that is sure to enhance any menu.
About Nicky USA
Founded in 1990, Nicky USA is the Northwest’s leading butcher and purveyor of specialty game and high quality meat. The Portland-based company has forged relationships with local and international ranchers, as well as James Beard Award-winning chefs in an effort to make game a mainstay of specialty markets and fine restaurants. Nicky USA recently developed a specialty line of products under their Nicky Farms brand. With the recent purchase of their very own 35.9-acre farm in Aurora, Ore., owner Geoff Latham is now able to raise game for Nicky USA and host friends and customers. The company has built one of the nation’s only mobile processing units (MPU) for the sustainable and humane processing of animals, specially designed to process both poultry and hooved animals, making it the only USDA-compliant unit of its kind allowing complete control of the process from field to table. Aside from selling specialty game and high quality meat, Nicky USA hosts Wild About Game every autumn, an annual head-to-head cooking competition and the meatiest culinary celebration in the Northwest, celebrating high quality meat and specialty game. Nicky USA expanded in 2013 with a second location in Seattle. Orders for either location can be made by calling 1.800.469.4162. For more information, visit www.nickyusa.com. Follow @NickyUSA on Twitter and Facebook, and @Nicky.USA on Instagram, as well as #NickyFarms on all channels. To learn more about Nicky USA and Nicky Farms, view the 25th anniversary video here.
About Nicky Farms
Nicky Farms is the house brand of Nicky USA. Nicky Farms products include Northwest raised rabbit, quail, elk, venison, goose, water buffalo, chicken and American bison. They can be found on the menus of the Northwest’s best restaurants and the shelves of leading retailers such as New Seasons Markets. www.nickyusa.com/nicky-farms