Culled kangaroos and pet food
July 19th 2011 11:12
Not for the first time, an American friend has expressed fascination, in an incredulous kind of way, with the fact that Australians happily eat kangaroo meat. It’s something which hasn’t caught on anywhere else yet, but then again it’s something which took its time catching on around Australia.
It started here as pet food, which helps justify writing this report on a dog blog to dog lover friends.
I can remember, back in the 1970s or 1980s, that South Australia was the only state in Australia where it was legal to sell kangaroo meat for human consumption. It was available around the country as pet food, but only in the trendy state of SA (we had a Premier who wore pink hot pants into sessions of parliament) was it sold as human food.
This meant – shock horror - that it was available in some of the more adventurous restaurants, who actually claimed that it was both healthy and delicious. We just shook our heads. These, we thought, are weird times.
I remember that kangaroo meat, when sold as pet food, came with a warning: don't feed your pets on kangaroo meat alone. The reason for the warning is that it is about 99 per cent fat free - the leanest of all meats - and dogs and cats fed kangaroo meat would actually needed supplemental fats for a rounded diet.
The next major point to make here is that kangaroos are a pest in Australia. There are millions of them. They move in groups of several hundred, they can jump tall fences, and they can strip a 200-acre wheat paddock overnight. The government has sponsored controlled culling for decades now, something considered essential by Aussie farmers and reprehensible by global animal rights groups far removed from the reality.
Fast forward to three weeks ago when an old Hong Kong friend (I lived in Hong Kong for 16 years) came to visit me in Melbourne. He's American, and when I asked what he'd like me to cook for him, he said, "I hear you guys actually eat kangaroo."
“Indeed we do,” I said. It’s been legal, and reasonably popular, nationwide for decades now.
Eating kangaroo is like eating the finest, softest, most delicious red meat imaginable, and with a minuscule fat content, it is healthy. I have cooked kangaroo many times. I made it for my American friend pan-fried in a red wine and Dijon mustard jus, and served it with mashed potato and broccolini.
He’s still talking about it. He posted pictures on Facebook of me cooking, and of the dish as served. I'll try to find them and repost them here some time.
Here endeth my kangaroo story.
It started here as pet food, which helps justify writing this report on a dog blog to dog lover friends.
I can remember, back in the 1970s or 1980s, that South Australia was the only state in Australia where it was legal to sell kangaroo meat for human consumption. It was available around the country as pet food, but only in the trendy state of SA (we had a Premier who wore pink hot pants into sessions of parliament) was it sold as human food.
This meant – shock horror - that it was available in some of the more adventurous restaurants, who actually claimed that it was both healthy and delicious. We just shook our heads. These, we thought, are weird times.
I remember that kangaroo meat, when sold as pet food, came with a warning: don't feed your pets on kangaroo meat alone. The reason for the warning is that it is about 99 per cent fat free - the leanest of all meats - and dogs and cats fed kangaroo meat would actually needed supplemental fats for a rounded diet.
The next major point to make here is that kangaroos are a pest in Australia. There are millions of them. They move in groups of several hundred, they can jump tall fences, and they can strip a 200-acre wheat paddock overnight. The government has sponsored controlled culling for decades now, something considered essential by Aussie farmers and reprehensible by global animal rights groups far removed from the reality.
Fast forward to three weeks ago when an old Hong Kong friend (I lived in Hong Kong for 16 years) came to visit me in Melbourne. He's American, and when I asked what he'd like me to cook for him, he said, "I hear you guys actually eat kangaroo."
“Indeed we do,” I said. It’s been legal, and reasonably popular, nationwide for decades now.
Eating kangaroo is like eating the finest, softest, most delicious red meat imaginable, and with a minuscule fat content, it is healthy. I have cooked kangaroo many times. I made it for my American friend pan-fried in a red wine and Dijon mustard jus, and served it with mashed potato and broccolini.
He’s still talking about it. He posted pictures on Facebook of me cooking, and of the dish as served. I'll try to find them and repost them here some time.
Here endeth my kangaroo story.
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Comment by INDIOSDAD
Thanks for the info. Beleive it or not I've found a source of roo meat here in the States. Am now thinking of giving it a try. Was raised as a kid to try anything when it comes to food at least once. Therefore I've tried some intersting things over the years.Monkey in the phillipines as well as balutes. Bison and rattlesnake as well as possum here. Never know unless you try.
HongKong one of my favorite cities. Been there 3 times while in the Navy and twice since on vacation. Great place for food and diffrent cultures.
Thanks again for the info
Jerry
Comment by Heidiclyde
Beware, Roo meat has no fat, you cannot overcook it or you might as well serve up boot leather. Simplest way to cook it is to marinate it in your favourite marinade (we use a red win base) for about 24 hours, then grill or fry it to rare and serve.
Jennie.
Comment by INDIOSDAD
Thanks for the advice. Will probably make on the barbie (much shorter then the way we usualy say it) after a good marinade since it is summer here and current temps are in low 100s F about 38C. Still have to order some. It is about 25usd a pound so I will be very careful on how I make it. Does sound like something I would like to try. Sounds like the bison here. Similar in looks to beef but vrey lean almost no fat and shoe leather if over cooked. OH bison is the American Buffalo. At one time endangeered but now raised on huge ranches here in the north western states.
Thanks for the tip
Jerry
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
Comment by Chris Champion
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Comment by Chris Champion
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Barbecuing will work fine. Let us know how it went!
Comment by Chris Champion
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Sounds like you've had roo many times, and that you really know how to prepare it. Which leads to the obvious question: why wasn't I invited?
Comment by Chris Champion
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Just a word of caution about the dangerous character who sometimes comes in here calling himself Norm. That, I'm sorry to say, is his real name.
Whatever you do, don't talk to him. He's wanted by Interpol for crimes against language.
His nickname is Steel. He is not to be rusted.
Comment by Heidiclyde
I reserve the right to talk to him on the grounds thatmy family have always indulged crimes against language of the same variety (me being the poorest practicioner of the art) and despite all efforts to subdue us we continue to flourish and hope he does too!
Jennie.
You weren't invited for two obvious reasons, you defected from this aforementioned State therefore it would be a bit hard to get you here at a moments notice, and according to Scratchy you are a bigger guts than he is and there wouldn't have been enough for the rest of us.
Next time you travel to dear old S.A. let us know and we'll head up to Orrorroo for the best roo meat in the state and do up a feast for you.
I do a crash hot Barossa Christmas pudding too, put it up in preserving bottles and put it away for a few years, it doesn't have to be Christmas to bring one out.
Jennie.
Comment by Chris Champion
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I resemble that remark!
Comment by INDIOSDAD
As far as the crime of assult on the english language I plead guilty. I am an American and a Red Neck ta boot. So English is a language I desire to speak however. So anyone that committs assult on English is OK in my book.
Whats the thing about rust. Is that a comment on age. I am old and kinda rusty in some spots. So i xpect a full written retraction of that comment.
I used to have a friend named Norm. Oh wait he wasn't my friend he was my bartender. So nevermind.
Norm if ya wants to wriite feel free.
Jerry
Comment by TanyaMary
Tanya recently babysat a clutch of snack food on the weekend (she called them chicks) I was beside myself with the whole concept of it all. Food that comes to you. Wow, what next? The down side of all of this though was I wasn't allowed within a cooee of the bleeding things, no matter how much I begged, whined, scratched or complained. They have gone now but I still check the laundry when they get home just in case they magically reappear. Tanya says the only time I'm not thinking about eating is when I actually eat. She might have something there. Whats the point of thinking on something you got, except to think about what you're gonna get. So, Tanya's wrong, there is not a moment during the day when I do not think about food and eating.
Just to let you know, I like my kangaroo like Tanya likes hers, tataki style, seared on the outside, rare to raw in the middle and served at room temperature with a raw egg yolk and japanese soy sauce on the side. I'm drooling just thinking about it.
Love and Licks
Lynx (Intergalactic Glutton Champion)