Exotic Meats

[AGTDenton]

Is anyone here into 'Exotic' meats, what have you tried, where would you recommend buying, and how would you recommend cooking it?

Ever since the horse meat scandal I've been wanting to try proper horse meat i.e. I'd like to go in and buy a horse fillet, sirloin, burger etc. not Findus beef lasagne and hope I get a horsey batch.

Window shopping on various websites there is quite a selection of other meats that are against the norm that I'd also like to try.
Heres where I nearly placed an order for a few bits...
http://www.keziefoods.co.uk

[scaryjim]

Iceland actually do a variety of "speciality" meats at a decent price - I've had the Ostrich steak which were pretty tasty - a nice balance between a rich, gamey, red meat and the lighter texture & leanness of poultry. They also do crocodile, kangaroo, and less exotic stuff like venison and wild boar, but a lot of it is as burgers or sausages which have onion in, so they don't get into our house!

[AGTDenton]

Iceland actually do a variety of "speciality" meats at a decent price - I've had the Ostrich steak which were pretty tasty - a nice balance between a rich, gamey, red meat and the lighter texture & leanness of poultry. They also do crocodile, kangaroo, and less exotic stuff like venison and wild boar, but a lot of it is as burgers or sausages which have onion in, so they don't get into our house!

Thanks would never have guessed Iceland, will have to pay them a visit. not been for years!Never expected them to do that type of meat at all.

[Bagnaj97]

I picked up frozen moose leg steaks in Lidl the other day but have yet to try them. They also had ostrich and kangaroo in the same freezer. It could be worth a look if you have a local Lidl?

[Ttaskmaster]

I'd suggest skipping anything that comes as burgers or sausages, at least until you are familiar with the meat.

Nip up your local South African shop or find an online one, as they usually do ostrich, kudu, springbok, crocodile, zebra... sometimes kangaroo, goat and maybe a variety of fish (I don't eat fish myself, though).

There used to be a restaurant called (I think) Binghams in Berkhamstead that did a huge variety of exotic meats. Just be careful in such places and try not to get anything with fancy sauces - First time I had ostrich, it was wrecked and drowned in some awful orange sauce.

[Lil-Diabo]

+1 for the Iceland range.
we made kangaroo burgers last night from there and i was pleasantly surprised

[scaryjim]

... Nip up your local South African shop ...

Are there many of those in the UK? And if so which bits!? Don't think I've ever seen a South African shop....

[AGTDenton]

I picked up frozen moose leg steaks in Lidl the other day but have yet to try them. They also had ostrich and kangaroo in the same freezer. It could be worth a look if you have a local Lidl?

Got an Aldi so I'll give it a try and see what they have.

I'd suggest skipping anything that comes as burgers or sausages, at least until you are familiar with the meat.

Nip up your local South African shop or find an online one, as they usually do ostrich, kudu, springbok, crocodile, zebra... sometimes kangaroo, goat and maybe a variety of fish (I don't eat fish myself, though).

One in Maidenhead I'll give a try. Have been in there before but only for sweets.

[g8ina]

Lidl also do some exotic meats, I think Ive seen ostrich in there once.

[Ttaskmaster]

Are there many of those in the UK? And if so which bits!? Don't think I've ever seen a South African shop....

Hell, ja...!!

Just near me, there's one in Maidenhead, imaginitively called The South African Shop (www.southafricanshop.co.uk) and another right here in Reading just up by Rileys pool hall.

Failing that, loads in London and all around the internet, almost all of which seem to offer delivery.

[Domestic_Ginger]

Horse is quite sweet. Not really something I'm dying to try again.

With crocodiles being omnivores I'm quite reluctant to try them.

[AGTDenton]

Horse is quite sweet. Not really something I'm dying to try again.

Interesting, I have a sweet tooth but whether it will work for me in meat I don't know. I'd read/viewed videos that said it was very similar to Beef but more delicate and more tasty...

I went to Iceland on recommendation and got myself Ostrich and Wild Boar burgers, sadly steaks were out of stock. I'll try them out at the weekend. If I like 'em I'll order a bigger range from the site above esp as its nearing BBQ season

[ik9000]

Kudu. It's absolutely lovely red meat.

[Dooms]

Random things I've tried:

Kangaroo - All the time in Oz, more or less replaced beef with it as it was cheaper
Emu - Tasty 'steak' meat
Crocodile - Fishy chicken, didn't like it
Pigs Penis - We didn't know what we were eating, it was pretty inedible
Dog - Just tasted like the chilli it was coated in
Horse - At the time I thought it was slimy but that was when I was very young and not tried it since
Duck, Rabbit, Pigeon, et al - Most of them are good, used to join fathers hunting when I was young

[Rob_B]

Boar - it's pork
Ostrich - it's a bird
Swordfish- tuna
Kangaroo - a gamey taste, beef texture

They're all nice but I've never been blown away by the taste of any of these regardless of how blown away my wallet was!

Another vote for finding a South African shop though, that's your best bet

[Smudger]

Random things I've tried:


Crocodile - Fishy chicken, didn't like it

Funnily enough, that was my exact thought when I tried it. The worst aspects of both. Even Satay sauce didn't rescue it.