Blog Archives
Antelope Spare Ribs (Sous Vide)
My love of cooking wild game meats is what led me to the sous vide method many years ago. I have prepared everything from beaver to camel using my sous vide device. Antelope meat is not new to me as I have tried tenderloin and steaks that were sent to me by friends of mine who hunt. Read the rest of this entry
Take a Walk On The Wild Side III: Southern Fried Python
When most people hear the word “snake”, the last thing on their mind is food. Believe it or not, eating snake in the United States is not all that uncommon.
Venison Tenderloin w/Blackberry Sauce
Venison has always been one of my favorite wild game meats. More and more these hunted animals are popping up in local supermarkets around the U.S. And while the number of hunters has declined in the last few years, farmed game is growing in popularity. National organizations representing deer and elk farmers are reporting rapid growth and substantial economic impact of their industries, indicating consumer demand. Read the rest of this entry
Buttermilk Fried Rabbit
While some of us view rabbits as a cuddly and furry pet, then there are those of us that view them as a food source. In fact, rabbits have been raised for food for thousands of years. I tried it for the first about 25 years ago and I’ve been hooked on it since then. Frying it is my favorite way to cook it, especially after letting it marinate overnight in buttermilk and herbs. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry
Silky Chicken In Red Coconut Curry
A black-skinned chicken? Say it ain’t so. This was my first reaction while shopping at a new Asian market in my neighborhood. I have heard that chickens like this existed, but I have never actually come across one myself. There was no way I was going to leave the store with out one! Read the rest of this entry
Skate Wings à la Grenobloise
I have loved to go fishing since childhood, and as I got older I have grown to love it even more. There was a time when my father and I would catch fish that we sometimes considered, “a garbage fish” and we would throw them back. The fish we threw back would consist of small sharks, Sea Robins, and the fish highlighted in this recipe, skate or stingray.
Venison w/Chanterelles & Fettuccine Rigate
A few years ago I became friends with legendary chef Jeremiah Tower via social media, and every now and then I would seek his advice on food and cooking. There was one time I came to him to seek his advice on the best way to cook dried chanterelle mushrooms. Read the rest of this entry
Llama, Alpacas, and Elk…Oh My! An Evening at the Exotic Meat Market
If you read my last blog post, you would know that Emily and I just returned from a 2 week California road trip. It was a great trip that took us to many destinations in the Golden State. One of the more memorable stops along the trip was the Exotic Meat Market in California. Those of you that know me personally, or follow this blog are also aware that I am an adventurous foodie and I am willing to sample different types of foods. I may not be as extreme as Andrew Zimmern, Read the rest of this entry
Take a Walk On The Wild Side II (“Leave It To Beaver” Edition)
Beaver Meat
By now, you know I am a very adventurous cook & foodie who is willing to try all types of cuisines and ingredients. But I really love cooking and eating wild game meats as explained in previous posts such as Take a Walk On The Wild Side pt.1 & It’s All In The Game. Read the rest of this entry
It’s All In The Game… Are Roo Ready?
Grilling Abalone at Sik Gaek Restaurant
If you have been following this blog, you know that I love preparing different types cultural cuisine and experimenting with game meats. I have prepared more than a few dishes consisting of game that were made available to me from my good friends at Fossil Farms. Read the rest of this entry
Venison Osso Buco
Venison Osso Buco
This tasty Osso Buco dish can be served with risotto, polenta, or pasta. I chose to pair it with Orecchiette pasta with black truffle oil, garlic and rosemary, which perfectly complimented this dish. If you cannot get your hands on venison, feel free to use veal or wild boar osso buco. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry
French-Style Antelope Chop /w Herbed Merlot Sauce
Now to put the spotlight one of my favorite meats, antelope! Many of you have never tried it, but trust me, I think it’s time you should. Antelope is indigenous to Africa, and parts of Europe & Asia. North American antelope are referred to as “Pronghorn”. I do not hunt so I purchase most of my game meat from www.Fossilfarms.com. The animals are farm raised and fed naturally with no hormones. The meat is very lean and high in protein, and most of all it’s tasty. This was my first try at antelope chops and I loved it! They may resemble deer but they are actually members of the same animal family as goat. The meat is mild tasting with a similar taste to venison, finely grained, and get this, one-third the calories of beef!
Antelope that are hunted in the wild are said to have “gamey” or “sagey” taste. As I explained in previous posts, the “gamey” flavor comes from the fact that the animals in the wild eat a very varied diet of weeds, acorns, wood bark, etc. This flavors the meat distinctively. Sagebrush makes up a large part of the antelopes diet, which may explain the “sagey” flavor. Since we are used to eating meat that is grain fed, which has a much milder flavor, game meat tastes strange to us now. We don’t need to worry about that here since this meat is farm raised. I cooked this the same way I would prepare a lamb chop, pan seared it and popped it in a 450 degree oven for a few minutes. I then pair it with roasted asparagus & potatoes (cooked in a bit of duck fat), and added my herbed merlot sauce to seal the deal. All I can say is wow! It was very tasty and a big hit in my household. So I highly recommend you try antelope — you wont regret it. Bon Appetit!
French-Style Antelope Chop /w Herbed Merlot Sauce
Rabbit Cacciatore
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion
1 cup of sliced white mushrooms
1 large celery stalk, julienned
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
3 Lb rabbit cut into 8 pieces ( you can use chicken if you like)
1 large garlic clove crushed
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth
1 Tbsp freshly chopped oregano
2 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
additional parsley for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat; then add mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside and keep warm. In a large 5- to 7- quart wide heavy pot , heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat . Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pot and place on the side with the mushrooms.
Season the rabbit generously with salt and pepper. Add rabbit pieces and cook, turning pieces several times until lightly golden, about 5 minutes per side. Add the reserved vegetables and mushrooms to the pot, then add the wine. Increase heat to high and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, mix well and bring to a simmer then add half of the stock and bring to a gentle boil. Add chopped parsley and oregano, stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adding remaining broth gradually as sauce thickens, until rabbit is very tender, about 1 hour. Garnish with parsley and serve with pasta of your choice. Here I served it up with cheese stuffed ravioli. Bon Appetit! 🙂
Introducing…..Steak-Bird! (Ostrich)
It’s October and the Fall is upon us, and it’s time to get ready for my favorite holidays of the year. This time of year also brings more food choices with the cooler weather moving in. We start to eat more comfort foods such as soups, casseroles, and stews just to name a few. This year I’m planning to bring you a multitude of these seasonal dishes. Tonight’s entree will be paired with a roasted Fall vegetable salad, which will be made with parsnips, butternut squash, red onion, red bell pepper and spinach, and tossed in pomengranate vinegarette & toasted squash seeds. The entree will be something new and different to many of my fellow New Yorkers. So I introduce to you… Steak-Bird!
Ostrich looks just like beef.
That’s right, ostrich is on the table tonight! Now the reason why I call it “steak- bird” is because this is not your average poultry; ostrich is similar in taste, texture and appearance to beef. Ostrich has found a place on the world’s menu, delivering red meat flavor with two-thirds less fat. According to the National Culinary Review, ostrich is poised to become “the premier red meat of the next century”. The reason is simple . . . no meat combines the flavor, versatility and nutritional benefits of ostrich. It is already a popular menu item at many American and European restaurants. I am yet to see it appear on menus within the NYC limits, but I’m quite sure it is an option in quite a few.
Now I tried to cook ostrich 2 years ago and it did not work out too well, especially since I did not research how it should be prepared. Because of its low fat content, ostrich cooks faster than other meat products. Steaks and whole muscles should be cooked medium rare to medium. Cooking ostrich to well done is not recommended, and this is exactly what I did — Blah! This time I was ready to redeem myself for the disaster that took place on my first try. After talking to a couple of fellow chefs, I was advised to marinate it before cooking, and prepare it as I would a delicate cut of steak such as filet. My choice was to cook it sous vide! this method produced a tender, flavorful cut of meat similar to beef. I made a cranberry/merlot sauce to top it off, and the sauce had just the right amount of sweet tartness of the cranberries which, along with the vegetables, made an awesome dish! What a great way to kick off the Fall season. Bon Appetit 🙂
Grilled Ostrich Steak with Cranberry/Merlot Sauce
Ostrich:
Ingredients
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 ostrich steaks (4 ounces each)
Directions
In a resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine the first 10 ingredients; mix well. Add meat to marinade and turn to coat. Seal bag or cover container; refrigerate overnight, turning meat occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Preheat your water bath to 125F. Vacuum seal the steak and place it into the water for 3 hours. Remove the ostrich from the bag and pat dry. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over high heat and sear each steak until crust forms about 2-3 minutes per side. If you are finishing it on a grill, oil the grates and grill the steaks over high heat for 2-3 minutes.s (I DO NOT recommend cooking it well done, it will dry out) and add sauce of your choice (I chose to make a cranberry/merlot sauce).
Roasted Vegetables
Heat oven to 450ºF.
Place first 5 ingredients in 15×10-inch pan. Add 2 Tbsp dressing; toss to coat. Spread to evenly cover bottom of pan.
Bake 40 to 45 min. or until vegetables are tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Spoon into large bowl. Add spinach; toss lightly.
Top with bacon, seeds and remaining dressing.
Gourmet De-Constructed 