In the confines of a southeast London flat, a group of Brits sit in the kitchen of an Aussie expat’s home. They crossed the threshold with the usual ‘shrimp on the barbie’ jabs, predicting a dinner party which would end with a Neighbours theme tune sing-a-long. little did they know kangaroo was the main item on the menu for the evening! Greeting my guests with a carefully selected Australian shiraz was only their first pleasant surprise of the evening.
“So what’s on the menu?” they ask with eager eyes and grumbling bellies. I tell them “Kangaroo” and watch as a mixed response sweeps across the table. Half are enthusiastic about the thought of a new challenge, and the other half look at me with eyes that say “if only the wine was where the Australian culinary adventure ended.”
The menu choice was sealed when I discovered Lidl is now selling a deluxe 300g pack of two kangaroo steaks for £3.99. Compared to the cost of beef steaks, which have sky rocketed to a whopping £9 for the equivalent weight, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to treat my friends to some red meat — and a taste of home.
A few more glasses of shiraz and the stigma around eating an animal which featured on Australia’s coat of arms was forgotten. My friends enjoyed the mini indoor steak-out, and may even now be converted to the more environmentally friendly alternative to beef.
Why is kangaroo better than beef?
Kangaroo meat is much leaner and higher in iron than your average beef steak. It contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fat and is pretty much free of any chemicals that are usually associated with farmed stock. It costs Australia next to nothing to produce kangaroo meat; it is mainly sourced from wild animals as a byproduct of population control programs. It is only harvested by licensed shooters in accordance with a strict code of practice. Exported Kangaroo meat is inspected by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection service.
How do I cook it?
If you’re looking to fry a kangaroo steak, be careful not to overcook it. There is far less fat in this meat and it can easily become dry and rubbery. However, if cooked correctly, a kangaroo steak is delicious and full of flavor.
An Australian feast: Cooking with Kangaroo
Course: Lifestyle, Recipes4
servings30
minutes40
minutesLooking for a proper how to guide when it comes to cooking kangaroo? We’ve got the instructions, all you need is the kangaroo steak!
Ingredients
1 large kangaroo steak
4 tbsp Good quality olive oil
Directions
- Soak steak in oil for about 30 minutes.
- Heat up a heavy pan. If the pan is not hot enough the meat will boil, making it tough and giving it a less pleasant flavour.
- Place the meat into a hot frying pan without any additional oil and sear for about one minute.
- Remove the meat from the pan and place in a preheated oven (220°C) for about six or seven minutes.
- Remove kangaroo from the oven and allow it to stand in a warm place for the same amount of time that it was cooked.
- Kangaroo meat tends to expand when subjected to lots of heat. It needs time to settle and return to its original shape. The heat on the outside of the meat will cook the inside of the meat to perfection.
- Serve with some fresh bread and delicious salad and you’ve got your self a fantastic Aussie feast!
