I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start
with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any
special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?


--Lia

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
news:akX9c.127927$po.850253@attbi_s52...
: I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat
department of my
: supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I
never saw
: them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a
try. Is
: there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I
start
: with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there
any
: special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?
:
:
: --Lia
: ============

All of the ostrich and bison/buffalo that I've ever had have been
very lean. Of course, after saying this, yours will be the odd
man out and has had fat added to it... LOL

Regardless, buffalo burgers made with some Lea & Perrins
Worcestershire Sauce ROCK!

I've only had ostrich steaks... but will presume you can treat
them just as you would a high quality, lean ground beef.

--
Cyndi
<Remove a "b" to reply>

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
news:akX9c.127927$po.850253@attbi_s52...
: I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat
department of my
: supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I
never saw
: them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a
try. Is
: there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I
start
: with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there
any
: special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?
:
:
: --Lia
: ============

All of the ostrich and bison/buffalo that I've ever had have been
very lean. Of course, after saying this, yours will be the odd
man out and has had fat added to it... LOL

Regardless, buffalo burgers made with some Lea & Perrins
Worcestershire Sauce ROCK!

I've only had ostrich steaks... but will presume you can treat
them just as you would a high quality, lean ground beef.

--
Cyndi
<Remove a "b" to reply>

Julia Altshuler > wrote:
> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
> supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
> them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
> there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start
> with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any
> special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?

I haven't tried Ostrich, but I have eaten a few hamburgers from Buffalo
meat and one or two steaks from Buffalo. The meat has less flavor than
regular red meat so you might want to add in more herbs and spices, but
otherwise, you can cook Buffalo meat just as you would any other red meat.

Julia Altshuler > wrote:
> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
> supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
> them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
> there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start
> with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any
> special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?

I haven't tried Ostrich, but I have eaten a few hamburgers from Buffalo
meat and one or two steaks from Buffalo. The meat has less flavor than
regular red meat so you might want to add in more herbs and spices, but
otherwise, you can cook Buffalo meat just as you would any other red meat.

(Julia=A0Altshuler)Wrote:
I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start with
plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any special
flavor combinations that I should be aware of?
--Lia
---------------------------------------------------------------
Coney Island restaurant where my b/f works had ostrich burgers on their
menu couple years back.
They were told not to broil or grill them past rare as this would make
the meat tough.
Buffalo on the other hand I use instead of regular beef on the diabetic
food program.
Don't go past medium well or it will dry out the meat.
I noticed after I had been eating buffalo burgers for awhile I lost all
taste for regular beef.

(Julia=A0Altshuler)Wrote:
I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start with
plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any special
flavor combinations that I should be aware of?
--Lia
---------------------------------------------------------------
Coney Island restaurant where my b/f works had ostrich burgers on their
menu couple years back.
They were told not to broil or grill them past rare as this would make
the meat tough.
Buffalo on the other hand I use instead of regular beef on the diabetic
food program.
Don't go past medium well or it will dry out the meat.
I noticed after I had been eating buffalo burgers for awhile I lost all
taste for regular beef.

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
news:akX9c.127927$po.850253@attbi_s52...
> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department

<snip>

Check the chart here...

http://www.diamond88.com/orderform.html

lars

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
news:akX9c.127927$po.850253@attbi_s52...
> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department

<snip>

Check the chart here...

http://www.diamond88.com/orderform.html

lars

In article <akX9c.127927$po.850253@attbi_s52>,
Julia Altshuler > wrote:

> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
> supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
> them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
> there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start
> with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any
> special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?
>
>
> --Lia
>

Cook them rare.
They are very lean.
Ostrich is excellent!
I've never tried bison.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

"There are many intelligent species in the universe, and they are all owned by cats! -- Asimov

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In article <akX9c.127927$po.850253@attbi_s52>,
Julia Altshuler > wrote:

> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
> supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
> them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
> there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start
> with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any
> special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?
>
>
> --Lia
>

Cook them rare.
They are very lean.
Ostrich is excellent!
I've never tried bison.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

"There are many intelligent species in the universe, and they are all owned by cats! -- Asimov

>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<Katraatcenturyteldotnet>,,<
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Julia Altshuler wrote:

> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
> supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
> them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
> there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start
> with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any
> special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?

Ostrich is very fussy. It's extremely lean and will be dry as sawdust
if you cook it more than med-rare. Flavor is pretty good, if a bit
more subtle than beef but way more definite than poultry. I'd be
cautious about ground ostrich given how little you can cook it. The
best situation would be to buy hunks of it, sear the outside (and
slice off or not) and grind that. Bacteria.

Buffalo is also rather lean, but not as much as the ostrich. I'd add a
relatively neutral fat to both before cooking. Beef suet or some
uncooked pork fat. It'll make the meats more forgiving in the cooking
and provide a better sense of moisture.

Pastorio

Julia Altshuler wrote:

> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
> supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
> them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
> there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start
> with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any
> special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?

Ostrich is very fussy. It's extremely lean and will be dry as sawdust
if you cook it more than med-rare. Flavor is pretty good, if a bit
more subtle than beef but way more definite than poultry. I'd be
cautious about ground ostrich given how little you can cook it. The
best situation would be to buy hunks of it, sear the outside (and
slice off or not) and grind that. Bacteria.

Buffalo is also rather lean, but not as much as the ostrich. I'd add a
relatively neutral fat to both before cooking. Beef suet or some
uncooked pork fat. It'll make the meats more forgiving in the cooking
and provide a better sense of moisture.

Pastorio

Bob (this one) wrote:

> Ostrich is very fussy. It's extremely lean and will be dry as sawdust if
> you cook it more than med-rare. Flavor is pretty good, if a bit more
> subtle than beef but way more definite than poultry. I'd be cautious
> about ground ostrich given how little you can cook it. The best
> situation would be to buy hunks of it, sear the outside (and slice off
> or not) and grind that. Bacteria.

Good point. What do you think of rubbing the outside with tenderquick
and fridging overnight? Would that add a margin of safety?

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Reg wrote:

> Bob (this one) wrote:
>
>> Ostrich is very fussy. It's extremely lean and will be dry as sawdust
>> if you cook it more than med-rare. Flavor is pretty good, if a bit
>> more subtle than beef but way more definite than poultry. I'd be
>> cautious about ground ostrich given how little you can cook it. The
>> best situation would be to buy hunks of it, sear the outside (and
>> slice off or not) and grind that. Bacteria.
>
> Good point. What do you think of rubbing the outside with tenderquick
> and fridging overnight? Would that add a margin of safety?

Sure, if we're talking about solid muscle. But plain salt would add a
margin of safety, too. The problem is to know how much. Given that
bacterial contamination is essentially a surface phenomenon, anything
that will kill or attenuate bacteria will help. Many will alter the
flavor, so that needs to be considered. I like the searing because I
slice that part off and eat it while I'm prepping the rest of the meat.

Pastorio

Bob (this one) wrote:

> Sure, if we're talking about solid muscle. But plain salt would add a
> margin of safety, too. The problem is to know how much. Given that
> bacterial contamination is essentially a surface phenomenon, anything
> that will kill or attenuate bacteria will help. Many will alter the
> flavor, so that needs to be considered. I like the searing because I
> slice that part off and eat it while I'm prepping the rest of the meat.

Well put, as always. Thanks.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
news:akX9c.127927$po.850253@attbi_s52...
> I noticed ground ostrich and ground buffalo in the meat department of my
> supermarket today. Maybe they've been there all along, and I never saw
> them. I didn't buy them today, but I'm tempted to give them a try. Is
> there anything special I should know about cooking them? Do I start
> with plain burgers and develop recipes from there? Are there any
> special flavor combinations that I should be aware of?
>
>
> --Lia
>

For buffalo, think really lean beef. My favorite cut is stew meat, slow
cooked for a long time. To me, it tastes like beef, but beefier, somehow.

Ostrich is sort of weird. To me, it tastes a lot like beef, but the texture
is like poultry.

Y'all have convinced me to let the first time I try both ostrich and
buffalo be in a restaurant. I'm able to be careful about how long I
cook something, but I like to know what I'm shooting for before I start.
This is a little too unknown for me. Thanks for all those responses.
I learned a lot.

--Lia