How do I cook an ostrich, or should I even bother?
May 26, 2010 2:43 PM Subscribe
How do I cook an ostrich, or should I even bother?
So I'm going to drive out to a farmer's market this weekend to pick up some locally raised meat prodects. I was raised on beef, chicken, and pork and have no experience with cooking game meats, but I'm curious about the taste and would like to try them. On offer: buffalo, ostrich, emu. Limitation: All I have is a microwave and a couple of hot plates.
Also, any information on differences between cooking grass-fed beef vs. the ordinary kind would be much appreciated.
Also also, if there are particular types of vegetables that I should try for while I'm there, I'd appreciate recommendations about that, too.
So I'm going to drive out to a farmer's market this weekend to pick up some locally raised meat prodects. I was raised on beef, chicken, and pork and have no experience with cooking game meats, but I'm curious about the taste and would like to try them. On offer: buffalo, ostrich, emu. Limitation: All I have is a microwave and a couple of hot plates.
Also, any information on differences between cooking grass-fed beef vs. the ordinary kind would be much appreciated.
Also also, if there are particular types of vegetables that I should try for while I'm there, I'd appreciate recommendations about that, too.
1. Buffalo tastes like really, really good beef and is a good starter game meat. And they aren't going to have whole ostriches there. My guess is that they'll have ostrich loin, which is reasonably sized and boneless easy to cook. My experience is that it's somewhere between beef and pork, though I've never cooked it.
But ask the people who are selling it. At a farmer's market, they'll care and will be willing to give you tips, if they don't already have recipes on hand. Tell them about your limitations, and they'll not only point you to recipes, but also cuts.
2. Grass-fed beef tends to have somewhat lower intramuscular fat content than corn-fed, so it dries out more easily. But the flavor makes it worth it. Seriously, ask the people who sell you the stuff what they would do if they had your setup limitations. If they're doing grass-fed local beef, they'll have opinions.
3. Where are you? Your profile mentions VA. In Mid-Atlantic America, it's asparagus season and green season. If you're further south, you'll be more advanced in the growing season, particularly if you've been experiencing the ridiculously hot weather. So you may be able to find early peas, which are just dreamy.
If you can get fiddlehead greens, try them. Parboil them for thirty seconds or a minute on that orer, then dry on a paper towel and saute in butter on the hot plate with some shallots and maybe white wine. They're a little bitter, but crunchy and delicious and really cool-looking. It's also strawberry season. Locally grown strawberries are so infinitely superior to what gets shipped cross-country or even cross-continent. Find a strawberry stand that you can smell from a couple feet away, and buy a pint from them.
posted by joyceanmachine at 3:07 PM on May 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
But ask the people who are selling it. At a farmer's market, they'll care and will be willing to give you tips, if they don't already have recipes on hand. Tell them about your limitations, and they'll not only point you to recipes, but also cuts.
2. Grass-fed beef tends to have somewhat lower intramuscular fat content than corn-fed, so it dries out more easily. But the flavor makes it worth it. Seriously, ask the people who sell you the stuff what they would do if they had your setup limitations. If they're doing grass-fed local beef, they'll have opinions.
3. Where are you? Your profile mentions VA. In Mid-Atlantic America, it's asparagus season and green season. If you're further south, you'll be more advanced in the growing season, particularly if you've been experiencing the ridiculously hot weather. So you may be able to find early peas, which are just dreamy.
If you can get fiddlehead greens, try them. Parboil them for thirty seconds or a minute on that orer, then dry on a paper towel and saute in butter on the hot plate with some shallots and maybe white wine. They're a little bitter, but crunchy and delicious and really cool-looking. It's also strawberry season. Locally grown strawberries are so infinitely superior to what gets shipped cross-country or even cross-continent. Find a strawberry stand that you can smell from a couple feet away, and buy a pint from them.
posted by joyceanmachine at 3:07 PM on May 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
I really wanted this question to be about the in and outs of cooking a whole ostrich. Now I have something new for my life accomplishment list. Damn.
I'm not sure I would classify any of this as "game" meats. They are just meat from farm-raised non-standard animals. Buffalo cooks exactly like cow, just generally leaner. Only stew the meat if you buy a cut requiring long, low, wet cooking. (Personally, I would kill for a steed buffalo tongue sandwich.) Choose a cut you know and treat it accordingly.
Talk to the people selling you the meat. They want you to come back and they will have tried all of the meats and cuts. They will have more ideas that you will know what to do with.
posted by Seamus at 3:10 PM on May 26, 2010
I'm not sure I would classify any of this as "game" meats. They are just meat from farm-raised non-standard animals. Buffalo cooks exactly like cow, just generally leaner. Only stew the meat if you buy a cut requiring long, low, wet cooking. (Personally, I would kill for a steed buffalo tongue sandwich.) Choose a cut you know and treat it accordingly.
Talk to the people selling you the meat. They want you to come back and they will have tried all of the meats and cuts. They will have more ideas that you will know what to do with.
posted by Seamus at 3:10 PM on May 26, 2010
Wait--are you asking how do I cook AN or SOME ostrich? Big difference. If it's the former, I'd do it in a pit, like a pig roast. The latter, throw them bird steaks on a grill.
posted by sourwookie at 3:47 PM on May 26, 2010
posted by sourwookie at 3:47 PM on May 26, 2010
Response by poster: Some ostrich, I suppose I should say. Not a whole bird, unless they are particularly inexpensive. And point taken on the 'game meat' thing, I tend to think of anything not in my particular trinity of farm animals (pork, beef, chicken) as 'game'.
posted by _cave at 3:54 PM on May 26, 2010
posted by _cave at 3:54 PM on May 26, 2010
I really wanted this question to be about the in and outs of cooking a whole ostrich. Now I have something new for my life accomplishment list. Damn.
Obviously if you're going to cook a whole ostrich, you have to first stuff it with a turducken.
posted by DaveP at 4:26 PM on May 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
Obviously if you're going to cook a whole ostrich, you have to first stuff it with a turducken.
posted by DaveP at 4:26 PM on May 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
Ok.. so if I had to pick between cooking an ostrich in a microwave or on a hotplate, I'd pick the hotplate - mostly because you can't control the cooking in a microwave the same way you can with any other cooking method. Ideally, I'd go out and buy a hibachi or any reasonably small grill, but if I couldn't - I'd make due with the hotplate and I would treat it like an electric stove - which means pan-fry saute, and an improvised oven (bake or braise) are your principal cooking methods. Maybe - just maybe you could make a smoker out of it - though the phrase "fire hazard" seems to be ringing in my ear....
With an ostrich tenderloin, fillet or steak, I would probably rub a mix of garlic, cardamom, black pepper, cumin, salt and safflower oil on the outside. I'd let it sit for about 5 hours in the fridge. Then I'd get the hotplate cranking hot, drop a bit of safflower oil down and then sear the outside of the meat. For the steaks and tenderloin, that would probably do it. For a fan fillet I might pour a little bit of red wine (go heavy, go strong - think Chilean) and scrape up the sucs. The I would pour in a bit of stock, and throw in a bay leaf, some carrots and potatoes. I'd spoon the liquid over the top of the fillet, then turn the heat way down, cover the whole thing with a makeshift lid (pie tin) and let cook for a good hour, periodically basting it and basking in the glory of making a gourmet meal on a hotplate..
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:34 PM on May 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
With an ostrich tenderloin, fillet or steak, I would probably rub a mix of garlic, cardamom, black pepper, cumin, salt and safflower oil on the outside. I'd let it sit for about 5 hours in the fridge. Then I'd get the hotplate cranking hot, drop a bit of safflower oil down and then sear the outside of the meat. For the steaks and tenderloin, that would probably do it. For a fan fillet I might pour a little bit of red wine (go heavy, go strong - think Chilean) and scrape up the sucs. The I would pour in a bit of stock, and throw in a bay leaf, some carrots and potatoes. I'd spoon the liquid over the top of the fillet, then turn the heat way down, cover the whole thing with a makeshift lid (pie tin) and let cook for a good hour, periodically basting it and basking in the glory of making a gourmet meal on a hotplate..
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:34 PM on May 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Things to know about ostrich and emu (I used to work in a specialty game meats butcher):
Ostrich and Emu - despite being superficially similar, actually exist on opposite ends of the game fowl spectrum:
Emu is a dark, red, game-y meat with a flavour not dissimilar to venison. It is a lean meat, and due to its already strong flavour, can take a strong marinade, red wine, etc. It won't drown out in most situations, so you could consider putting in a casserole, in addition to traditional barbequing etc. Be aware that emu meat is a somewhat acquired taste; its _very_ strong with its flavour. I enjoy venison but am much more circumspect about emu. It does not marry with sweet flavours well in the way that venison can. Stay strong, and savoury. I've not done it, but I think curry flavours and/or a spice rub would marry well.
Ostrich is the other end of the scale; it is an incredibly light, pinkish meat with a very very subtle flavour and a almost slightly airy texture. It is said of ostrich that is is the least gamey of all game fowl - even chicken. It cooks quickly and will be wasted if you try to drown it in strong flavour. Believe it or not, french cooking is something that favours ostrich; white wine, chervil, little bit of garlic, butter. Be gentle with the meat, fry it certainly but don't be rough with it; fry it gently, with lots of butter; coax that caramelisation out. Don't try to put ostrich up on its own - it's too subtle, it will taste bland and possibly dry (think lean, no-skin chicken breast poached in water. Yuck), prop it up with a sauce or a dressing, something unctuous.
posted by smoke at 4:40 PM on May 26, 2010 [6 favorites]
Ostrich and Emu - despite being superficially similar, actually exist on opposite ends of the game fowl spectrum:
Emu is a dark, red, game-y meat with a flavour not dissimilar to venison. It is a lean meat, and due to its already strong flavour, can take a strong marinade, red wine, etc. It won't drown out in most situations, so you could consider putting in a casserole, in addition to traditional barbequing etc. Be aware that emu meat is a somewhat acquired taste; its _very_ strong with its flavour. I enjoy venison but am much more circumspect about emu. It does not marry with sweet flavours well in the way that venison can. Stay strong, and savoury. I've not done it, but I think curry flavours and/or a spice rub would marry well.
Ostrich is the other end of the scale; it is an incredibly light, pinkish meat with a very very subtle flavour and a almost slightly airy texture. It is said of ostrich that is is the least gamey of all game fowl - even chicken. It cooks quickly and will be wasted if you try to drown it in strong flavour. Believe it or not, french cooking is something that favours ostrich; white wine, chervil, little bit of garlic, butter. Be gentle with the meat, fry it certainly but don't be rough with it; fry it gently, with lots of butter; coax that caramelisation out. Don't try to put ostrich up on its own - it's too subtle, it will taste bland and possibly dry (think lean, no-skin chicken breast poached in water. Yuck), prop it up with a sauce or a dressing, something unctuous.
posted by smoke at 4:40 PM on May 26, 2010 [6 favorites]
Oh should add in case I confuse with all my talk of chicken: ostrich tends to cooks up darker not white like chicken does. The flavour is light though. At least, from the farmed ones we sold here in Australia.
posted by smoke at 4:45 PM on May 26, 2010
posted by smoke at 4:45 PM on May 26, 2010
Fuddrucker's sells Ostrich burgers, so presumably you can grind the meat and make it into burgers.
posted by kenliu at 5:01 PM on May 26, 2010
posted by kenliu at 5:01 PM on May 26, 2010
I'm pretty sure I had ostrich tataki (seared outside, raw inside) in Japan and that it was good.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:19 PM on May 26, 2010
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:19 PM on May 26, 2010
Ostrich is fabulous meat. To me, it tastes like beef steak. I cook it frequently, it is common in supermarkets in Europe. Buffalo I've only had in a restaurant, prepared at the table by a fabulous chef. This was in South Africa. It was divine, the chef, curiously, was Swiss (where I live now). (Buffalo != Bison, aka, "American buffalo").
posted by Goofyy at 4:52 AM on May 27, 2010
posted by Goofyy at 4:52 AM on May 27, 2010
Ooooh I just had me some ostrich last week! Yummy stuff.
You have to be careful about overcooking as it's very lean meat.
I did steaks of it marinaded in soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lemongrass which I then grilled until it was still pink in the middle (Pic) - it has a beef-like texture and you want there to be pink in the middle.
With the remaining steak I made Bourguignon d'Autruche (Ostrich stew) but cooked the ostrich for at least half the time recommended for doing beef. (Pic)
Ostrich is also good to marinade and put on skewers and grill - Ostrich Kebabs!
posted by gomichild at 4:59 AM on May 27, 2010
You have to be careful about overcooking as it's very lean meat.
I did steaks of it marinaded in soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lemongrass which I then grilled until it was still pink in the middle (Pic) - it has a beef-like texture and you want there to be pink in the middle.
With the remaining steak I made Bourguignon d'Autruche (Ostrich stew) but cooked the ostrich for at least half the time recommended for doing beef. (Pic)
Ostrich is also good to marinade and put on skewers and grill - Ostrich Kebabs!
posted by gomichild at 4:59 AM on May 27, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by beagle at 2:56 PM on May 26, 2010