Tonight we are having Kangaroo Casserole for dinner. Kangaroo meat is a 'gamey' meat and is harvested from 'farmed' kangaroos - not wild kangaroos. Current populations for kangaroos in Australia stand around the 25 million mark. This means there are similar numbers of kangaroos in Australia as there are cattle (28.7 million).
Kangaroo meat is lean meat being 98% fat free and comes in hygienic packages and is available from most supermarkets in Australia
It is affordable, costing around $20/kg for fillet steaks.
This is the contents of a package of 495gms of fillet steak, costing just under $10.00
As you can see, its a rich red meat, loaded with natural iron and zinc and has no fat attached to it.
For this recipe I am going to 'silk' the meat, which involves slicing it into thin pieces to begin with.
These pieces need no tenderising as the 'silking' process does that. I take the white of two eggs and two tablespoons of cornflour, add a pinch of salt and place these materials in a 'zip-lock' plastic bag. I then add the sliced meat and 'squish it' around until all the meat is evenly coated and then place the bag into a refrigerator - minimum 2 hours, the meat must cool down for the egg white and cornflour enzymes to soften up the meat.
This is a bag of meat that has been refrigerated for 4 hours:
The content of this bag are added to my skillet and lightly browned and once that is done I return my spiced onions (which I have previously cooked and set aside) to the pan with the meat. I then add my two types of mushrooms and a tomato sauce mixture that I had previously made some weeks back (and usually use for spaghetti bolognese, or, seafood marinara ) - about 300 to 400mls of this sauce. I bring this to the boil in the pan and then reduce it to a simmer for 30 minutes.
When it is cooked, thus far, I set the casserole aside in a covered casserole dish to cool at room temperature.
Later this evening I will place the casserole in a moderate oven - around 150C - and allow it to warm for about 30 minutes. I'll then serve the casserole straight to the table to be eaten with fresh steamed green vegetables and a spiral or shell pasta. Tonight we will be having baby bok choy ( a leafy Chinese form of spinach) and snow peas
A nice crusty bread roll and a bottle of red wine really sets off the meal.
6 comments:
I think it would have to be an acquired taste for me, having never had the pleasure of eating it. I am not a big meat eater and even less so with game. Sounds like an easy dish and does look good!
What does kangaroo taste like exactly? And why is this bothering me? I eat cow regularly. And chickens. Pigs. Why does eating a kangaroo sort of make me feel queasy? This is nonsense.
Maria - It tastes a bit like venison, or, goat. Australians are starting to realise that in this time of global food shortages we have 25-30 million of these things hopping around that require less care and attention than cattle. I wouldn't eat it all the time - but, as a change ......
Going to try the kangaroo mince next week - probably make hamburgers or maybe a spag bolognese ????
John, you are making me hungry! and it's well passed supper!
I would probably try it, why not? Never thought about eating a kangaroo....now, wouldn't THAT just go over nicely here in our supermarkets!? lol
You could have your own cooking show on TV John.
Jim, there is a significant export market for kangaroo meat - mostly to Europe - and mainly 'cos its taken so long for Australians to warm to the idea of eating 'skippy'. If you live in rural areas, wild kangaroos are a pest, damaging crops and for motorists (the stupid things will jump down the road and straight into and oncoming vehicle!)
I love eating roo from the supermarket. I get the steaks with herb & garlic marinade.
I eat mine very rare - just brown the outside to caramelise and brown the meat to a depth of 1 to 2mm. The inside is still soft and red. My wife and kids prefer it brown to pink inside. We eat roo about once a week. I'm just about to try cooking a roo stew with spuds, carrots, dried mushrooms, coconut milk, curry, onions and garlic. Mmmmmm
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