18 The Other, Other Red Meats Buffalo and ostrich may be hard to come by, but they're better for you than the bull you're used to eating. How many men salivate at the thought of sitting down to a 20-ounce porterhouse steak or a filet mignon done to the perfect level of medium rare? I know I do. But beef can clog your arteries and you run the risk of foaming at the mouth due to Mad Cow disease or being infected by contaminants found in tainted beef. Even Kobe beef, the highest and hottest cut of beef on the market right now, is prided on having more marbling (read: fat). Why pay more for that heart attack? There are other forms of red meat that are affordable and much healthier for you. Buffalo Let's start with beef's first cousin - buffalo. Also referred to as bison on some menus, this meat is very similar to beef. To the naked eye, buffalo has less marbling…and thus less saturated fat and cholesterol than beef. Also, because buffalo is raised "wild" or free range, the risk of Mad Cow disease is null due to them never being fed animal by-products. - Bleu Buffalo Burgers (serves 3)
1 lb ground buffalo meat
2 oz crumbled Bleu cheese
Cilantro
Parsley
Pepper and Salt
Olive or canola oil
Brioche buns
Add the cilantro, parsley, pepper, salt, and oil to the meat, really mixing well. Get in knuckle deep. Separate into 3 patties. Make sure the patties are no less than ½ inch thick. Buffalo meat is very lean and will dry out. Make a pocket in each burger patty and add the bleu cheese. Close the pocket in the meat. The cheese should be in the center. Sear the meat over high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Lower the heat and cover the
Article by Abigail Ekue-Smith [+] May 2008 Issue Abigail is a regularly contributing writer and fitness fanatic. She purposefully wrote this article because she knows how close we used to be with our butcher.
burgers. Cook about three minutes on each side. Serve on hamburger buns, with veggie toppings if desired. Venison Since deer are quick, spry animals by nature, that translates to leaner, shorter muscle fibers and tender meat. The meat can be described as having a gamey flavor. It tastes like its diet; woodsy or berry-like. Venison is a good source of protein and the minerals zinc, iron and selenium. Venison has one-third the fat of beef and is lower in total calories and cholesterol than pork, beef or lamb. - Sweet Venison Salad (serves 2)
2 - 3 oz venison medallions
1 bag field greens or Mesclun greens
1 mango (ripe) or ½ 16 oz can of mango slices
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup red cooking wine
Grape tomatoes
Raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Salt and Pepper
Olive or canola oil
Marinate the venison in the red wine, oil, salt and pepper. Let stand. In a separate bowl, rinse the salad greens. Peel, cube or slice the mango (or open the can and drain mango) and add to the salad. Add tomatoes and dried cranberries. Toss with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. On high heat, sear the venison on each side until lightly charred. Serve over the mango salad. Goat Although I am "Made in the USA", my direct lineage is from the Caribbean and Africa. Goat meat is very popular in many Caribbean, South American and African nations. For your buddies -- who think white meat is the only healthy meat -- goat has 45% less saturated fat than skinless chicken and 50-60% lower fat than beef. Goat meat is tougher than venison, buffalo, and beef, so it is popular in stews. - Curry Goat (serves 3)
2 lbs goat meat
3-4 tbsp Curry powder
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Oil
Butter (optional)
Potatoes (optional)
Carrots (optional)
Wash goat meat with vinegar and water. Season the meat with 2-3 tbsp curry powder, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Marinate overnight or for at least an hour. Scrape off the seasoning and set aside. Brown the goat meat in hot oil. Add 2 cups of water and the seasonings you scraped off. Cook over medium heat for 40 minutes. Add the remaining curry powder, onions. Adding butter, potato and carrot is optional. Cook for 10 more minutes. Serve over rice. Ostrich Is it a bird? Is it poultry? Usually our fine-feathered friends are considered white meat (chicken, turkey, duck, quail…) but ostrich is sweet, lean, red meat. It has no marbling making it very heart healthy. The American Heart Association, the American Cancer Association, and the American Diabetic Association all recommend ostrich meat. A 3-ounce cut of ostrich has more protein, less than half the calories, and one-seventh the fat of the same cut of beef. - Ostrich Teriyaki (serves 4)
1 lb Ostrich steak
Green pepper, sliced
Red pepper, sliced
Broccoli florets
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp Sesame oil
½ cup orange juice
Brown sugar
Canola or olive oil
Slice the ostrich, against the grain, into thin strips. Combine the soy sauce, orange juice, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. In a saucepan or wok, brown the ostrich on medium to high heat. Add the seasoning mixture and coat the meat. Next, add the broccoli and peppers. Stir constantly. Serve over rice or noodles.