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6 Unusual Meats You Should Try paleo diet-min

6 Unusual Meats You Should Try

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One of the many luxuries of a Paleo diet is all of the high quality meat, fish and poultry there is to enjoy. For me, it doesn’t get better than a grass fed fillet steak, a crisp wild salmon fillet or a couple of juicy chicken thighs. However, there are times when it feels like you have hit meat monotony; which is the perfect time to shake things up and introduce something new to dinner times. There are plenty of exciting, more unusual meats just waiting to be enjoyed…

Which of the following have you tried?

Ostrich

Ostrich is a delicious, rich red meat that is a brilliant alternative to beef or lamb. The meat actually comes mainly from the legs and back of the bird – there isn’t any breast meat available! It makes excellent burgers, and the steaks are lovely simply pan fried and served rare. It’s a very good source of protein, iron and calcium – and almost always free range too.

Kangaroo

Like Ostrich, Kangaroo meat is almost always free range – I'm still yet to visit a kangaroo farm! It has a texture that is somewhat like liver, and is best served rare and paired with rich flavours like garlic, sun dried tomatoes and caramelised onions. I've also seen kangaroo sausages, although they were made with wheat flour and some strange looking ingredients, so I decided to give these a miss – but making my own is definitely on the to do list.

6 Unusual Meats You Should Try paleo diet-min

Zebra

A mild tasting meat, Zebra has delicate ‘gamey’ flavours similar to venison. As it has a low fat content, it’s important not to overcook it and make it too tough – serve the steaks medium rare and enjoy with roasted root vegetables or a big green salad. Demand is increasing for Zebra year on year, so it can be pretty expensive. Make sure it’s from a good source with humane hunting methods and fast shipping from its country of residence.

Bison

Bison is very similar to beef, but it’s always wild – so not subject to any of the artificial hormones, drugs and feeds found in modern day beef production. For this reason, it’s more expensive, but definitely worth it. Bison mince makes excellent burgers and Paleo Bolognaise, and the steaks are perfect just as they are. It has a more well-rounded amino acid profile than beef as well, and is very rich in Iron and Vitamin B 12.

Crocodile

Likened to chicken, crocodile is a mild tasting, lightly coloured meat that works well in curries and stir-fries. You’ll find most of the good meat in the tail, which means it’s very lean. Make sure you source this meat sustainably though, as some species of crocodile are at high risk of extinction.

Camel

Camel has been enjoyed for centuries across Africa and Asia, and is a popular choice with Muslims as it is considered Halal. The flavour is slightly sweet and similar to mutton, and it benefits from slow cooking as it can be rather tough. One camel yields an exceptionally high amount of meat, as almost the entire animal (including the hump!) is edible. Camel blood is also consumed by many indigenous tribes in Africa – but I’d recommend staying clear of this one!

Are there any unusual meats that you have tried that I've missed? Please feel free to share them with me below!

Paleo pizza recipe grain-free

Paleo Pizza

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I had some grain loving friends coming round for dinner at short notice, so I wanted to make something that didn't look Paleo at first glance – and also used things I already had.  Pizza seemed like a good choice, as it seems like such a non-Paleo food!  Of course, my pizza used almond meal instead of flour and good quality grass fed meat.

This was the first time I've tried a Paleo pizza and I'll probably experiment with the crust a little next time, perhaps adding coconut flour.  I'm wondering if I could even make it on sliced eggplant and do away with a traditional base altogether?

Paleo Pizza
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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Ingredients
For the base:
  • 300g Almond meal
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, basil & salt
For the sauce:
  • Tin organic diced tomatoes
  • Tin tomato paste
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
For the topping:
  • Onion
  • Capsicum
  • Mushrooms
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Beef
  • Kangaroo Steak
  • Coconut Oil
Instructions
  1. I preheated the over to 180 degrees.
  2. I put the crust ingredients in a bowl and mixed them together with a wooden spoon until a ball emerged.
  3. I then greased a baking tray with coconut oil and pressed out the dough trying to cover as much of the tray as possible, whilst keeping the dough relatively even.
  4. I put the base in the oven for 15 minutes until it started to turn crispy.
  5. I put the sauce ingredients in a pan and simmered for about 15 minutes. I then used my blender to achieve a "sauce" consistency
  6. I sliced, then browned the meat in a pan of coconut oil before setting it aside.
  7. I then fried the vegetables in coconut oil for a few minutes.
  8. Once everything was ready I spread the sauce on the crust and added to meat and vegetables.
  9. It was then returned to the oven for another 20 minutes, cut and served!

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It was very well received – as demonstrated by no leftovers – and prompted lots of questions about paleo!  It's nice to make things like this that show how broad paleo food can be.  A nice occasional treat!

Have you tried a paleo pizza?  I'd love to hear how you made yours?
Paleo pizza recipe grain-free

Kangaroo Jerky recipe how to make paleo diet-min

Kangaroo Jerky

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I hadn't had jerky much before I went to the AHS in August.  I’d tried it, but wasn't that impressed.  At the AHS the US Wellness Meats company supplied lots of jerky – so I had to try it!  It tasted fantastic; completely different to any jerky I’d tried before.  The beef jerky I tried contain grass-fed beef and salt.  No nasty ingredients whatsoever. But I'm in Australia. What about Kangaroo Jerky?

Dried meat like this is full of protein and such a great snack, being so portable and easy to store.  When I got back I was really keen to take advantage of living in the land of kangaroos – by trying Kangaroo Jerky!  I think Kangaroo is such a good meat, as it isn’t farmed and is a great protein source.

Kangaroo Jerky Processed Package-min

Unfortunately all of the commercial Roo Jerky’s I've found so far are heavily processed with lots of undesirable ingredients such as sugar, soy sauce, canola oil and lots of artificial ingredients and flavours.

Kangaroo Jerky Ingredients-min

I don’t have a dehydrator yet, but have found a few recipes for home-made jerky, which I’ll be trying soon (I'll keep you updated!).  In the meantime I'm going to check out a few local farmers markets here in Sydney at the weekend – hopefully I’ll be able to source some Paleo approved, local, organic, grass fed jerky!

I think Jerky will be a great snack to keep at work and to take to the gym.

Have you found some good Paleo Jerky?  Have you tried Kangaroo Jerky?  If you have a recipe for making your own I’d love to try it!

Kangaroo Jerky recipe how to make paleo diet-min

Barbecued Kangaroo with Strawberry Sauce & a Cube of Chips paleo diet recipe-min

Barbecued Kangaroo with Strawberry Sauce & a Cube of Chips

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I love Kangaroo.  Living in Australia it is a really cheap meat – and as kangaroos aren't farmed I know I'm getting good meat.

Kangaroo goes really well with plum sauce.  Unfortunately however the stone fruit season doesn't start for another month or two here, so I had to improvise for lunch today!  I had lots of frozen strawberries so made a strawberry sauce which went really well with the Roo!

I love sweet potatoes so used them to make big chunky sweet potato chips, which I stacked like a game of Jenga.

Barbecued Kangaroo with Strawberry Sauce & a Cube of Chips
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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Ingredients
  • Two small onions, diced
  • 200g organic tomato paste
  • 200g frozen strawberries
  • pinch of mustard powder
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Spoon of coconut oil
  • For the Chip Cube:
  • One large sweet potato
  • Salt (I use pink himalayan crystal salt)
  • oregano
  • EVOO
  • And of course, Kangaroo
Instructions
  1. Saute the onion in coconut oil and added the tomato purée, after a few minutes, with a couple of tablespoons of water.
  2. Add in the mustard and pepper and let it simmer for a few minutes.
  3. Add the strawberries and allowed it to simmer for about ten minutes.
  4. barbecued_kangaroo_strawberry_c-min
  5. Cut the sweet potato into 18 equally sized lengths and arranged them on an over tray.
  6. Drizzle some EVOO on the chips and some salt and oregano before putting it in the oven at 200 degrees. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
  7. barbecued_kangaroo_strawberry_b-min
  8. Once the sauce cools, put it in the blender until it reaches a nice consistency.
  9. Barbecue the Kangaroo very simply, I try to do Kangaroo rare.
  10. Once everything is cooked Iassemble the cube using three layers of three sweet potato chips.
  11. Add a couple of spoonfuls of sauce to the kangaroo and serve!
  12. barbecued_kangaroo_strawberry-min

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The sweetness of the sauce was a great compliment to the Kangaroo.

barbecued_kangaroo_with_strawberry_sauce_&_a_cube_of_chips_paleo_diet_recipe_friend-min

Not in Australia?  I believe Kangaroo meat is available in some exotic meat stores around the World.  I'd love to hear what you think of this recipe, and if you have any top Kangaroo dishes – let me know in the comments below!

Barbecued Kangaroo with Strawberry Sauce & a Cube of Chips paleo diet recipe-min

Kangaroo meat paleo australia-min

It Doesn’t Get Much More Paleo Than Kangaroo…

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I've started to eat Kangaroo regularly since I began my paleo lifestyle.  Since Kangaroos aren't farmed in Australia, I know I'm getting free range meat from animals that have been eating a natural diet.  Also, in Australia at least, Kangaroo meat is a cheap very accessible meat – which is a great help in offsetting the cost of more expensive free range meats.

Kangaroo meat paleo australia-min

Fillet cuts of Kangaroo are widely available in Coles and Woolworths as well as local butchers.  Loin and rump cuts are also stocked in some places.  Whilst there are many pre-marinated and processed kangaroo products available too – avoid those and make your own!

Why Kangaroo?

Kangaroo is lean & rich in protein, making it a great protein component of a paleo meal.

For a quick and easy Aussie Kangaroo dinner, make some plum sauce using 4 fresh large plums, remove the pits and add to a blender with 2 garlic cloves, a chunk of fresh ginger, a squeeze of lemon, the juice of an orange and a sprinkling of onion powder, nutmeg, mustard and pepper.  Once blended transfer to a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.  Meanwhile barbeque your kangaroo to medium-rare perfection, then serve with your delicious home-made plum sauce.

Look out for more Paleo Kangaroo inspired dishes in the coming weeks.  Have a great Kangaroo recipe?  Tell us about it!

And if you aren't in Australia but want to try some Kangaroo?  You should be able to find some frozen and vacuum sealed – look for an exotic meat dealer, or speak to your local butcher.  Many companies export Kangaroo to New Zealand, so options there should be a lot more plentiful.