Eye on Exotic Meats

With today's preferences for natural and healthy foods -- not to mention low-carb -- meat lovers turn to "exotic" alternatives to beef or poultry. Farm-raised exotic animals tend to be high in protein and lower in fat and cholesterol. Generally, farmers raise these animals on grass or grain diets and do not inject them with growth hormones or antibiotics. Today, consumers find exotic meats more frequently, both in the supermarket or on the menu.

Exotic meats give chefs new inspiration to create gourmet meals, such as venison with cranberries and chipotle; wild boar with tamarind and fruits; antelope with red wine, thyme and Worcestershire sauce; and bison burgers with balsamic dressing, cilantro and onions. Other items include shepherd's pie from emu meat and elk made into burgers, London broil, rib eye, porterhouse and T-bone steaks.

In the Arctic, Inuits boil musk-oxen, caribou, elk and wild boar for meals and use it to make jerky for snacks. Rabbit meat, which tastes like chicken, is popular as tenderloins and stews. Venison is made into broiled medallions, baked rack of venison, stews and even burgers.

Southerners enjoy alligator meat, which is white and flaky, as well as frog's legs flavored with black peppercorns, juniper berries and onions. Bison, or buffalo meat, hailed as the new red meat, is very lean, tender and slightly sweet, with high protein, iron and B12 content. Applications include burgers, hot dogs, steaks, sausages, ribs and kabobs. Ground bison is added to chili, served as bison bits on baked potatoes, formed into meatloaf and meatballs, and dried into jerky sticks for snacking. Ostrich meat targets the health-conscious: It contains more iron than beef, has 40% lower fat, and is low in cholesterol.

Other exotic meats play integral roles in cuisines around the world. In Belize, stewed gibnut, also called paca or agouti, accompanies rice and beans. Its flavor is reminiscent of farm-raised chicken, but more intense. Cuy, a guinea pig that tastes like pork, is popular in Peru and Ecuador. It is prepared as a whole roast, or baked, fried, broiled with lard, as a casserole or as fricassee. Llama makes good stews, burgers, sausages, cold cuts or smoked ham. Alpaca, a more-tender type of llama, comes as bistek llama, a grilled tenderloin with quinoa sauce, or Creole style, with tomatoes and onions.

Kangaroo meat, an Australian delicacy gaining popularity in Europe, has a lean, gamey flavor. Middle Easterners and North Africans enjoy the slightly sweet, beefy taste of lean, coarse camel meat. Yak, a member of the cattle family popular in the Himalayan regions, is dried into jerky, fried or smoked.

Finally, the Chinese believe some exotic meats promote well-being: Snake meat with chrysanthemum alleviates rheumatic pains; rabbit with ginger strengthens chi circulation; frogs with black beans cleanse intestines; venison with peanuts or walnuts improves blood circulation; and gecko lizards build and strengthen blood.

Susheela Raghavan, president of Horizons Consulting LLC, a New Rochelle, NY-based food-consulting firm, develops   "new" ethnic and American products for U.S. and global markets. Contact her via e-mail at [email protected], or by visiting www.SusheelaConsulting.com.

Back to top