Can I Interest You In Some Kangaroo Meat?
The Sacramento Bee’s M.S. Enkoji takes us into the world of the exotic meet butcher in this week’s Taste section. The butcher profiled was a local one, the Orangevale Meat Shoppe, where you can find kangaroo, alligator, elk and rattlesnake meat. The trend towards exotic meats is being spurred by celebrity chefs and the diverse nature of America’s growing culinary world. Another theory is that Americans are simply bored with what they’ve been eating and want to try something new”
“People are just bored with their food — or it’s the next big thing,” said Scott Leysath of Folsom, known as “The Sporting Chef” by millions who watch his cable show, “HuntFishCook.”
“The exotic is more the appeal than the health part,” said Leysath, who talked recently while grilling bison and smoking quail for a large San Francisco event.
“When you go fine dining, you’re not going to eat chicken because you eat that all week,” Leysath said. “The problem or misconception of game is that (consumers) have had it cooked badly. It’s just a different mindset. Why not a llama? It’s protein.
“Once people try it, they say, ‘This isn’t my grandmother’s deer,’ ” he said.
The Bee also highlighted a local event that draws attention to alternative meats - a wild game feed hosted by the California Waterfowl Association. It’s a fundraiser that often draws about 350 people. This year it will feature ”Cowboy pizza with elk, deer, caribou and buffalo toppings followed by elk stir fry with seasoned jasmine rice and — finally — buffalo roast with creamed horseradish.” They even discuss wine pairing with fun questions like: ”Hey, what kind of wine DO you drink with rattlesnake?”
The trend is only growing in popularity. The National Restaurant Association surveyed chefs and found that alternative red meats are in the top 20 percent of hot items. Are you on board?
Photo from Wikipedia.
[Ed note - while rattlesnake is not on the list for wine recommendations for some unusual meats see the post and comments on spittoon]
