Kangaroo meat is an excellent alternative to beef. It has been shown that animals have less fat, cholesterol, and calories than other meats, making them healthier protein options. In addition to being healthy, smoking kangaroo meat will give your dish just the right amount of zest.
How to smoke kangaroo meat? You can either use techniques such as slow smoke poaching or smoking over low heat. Because kangaroo is low in fat, a soft and slow smoking technique is used to tender tough cuts of meat.
How can we do the smoke and what to prepare? Let’s find out first about nature. This blog post includes instructions on how to smoke the meat and tips and tricks on making this delicious dish even better.
The most common way of cooking is in stews. But it can be cooked more deliciously by smoking the meat. Smoking gives a hint of smoky flavor that perfectly complements the characteristically lean and tender meat.
While you may use wood or charcoal when cooking, barbecue meat is a bit more delicate, so wood chips are usually the best choice.
Can you eat kangaroo raw?
Red kangaroo meat is harvested rather than farmed. According to the Australian Institute of Food Safety, this unusual meat should always be cooked thoroughly before eating and never consumed raw.
How do you make it taste better?
Like other red meats, it should not be overcooked to retain moisture and flavor. Garlic, rosemary, juniper, mountain pepper (or pepper), and fruity tastes such as plum, red currant, quandong, or orange complement it.
How to Smoke
So, what smoking and BBQ techniques are appropriate?
It is shallow in fat (almost non-fatty meat), which is less than 2%. This makes it healthy to eat. But you must cook it carefully so it does not get dry and become rigid.
Fat contains a lot of moisture, so high-fat meats like beef can be cooked well without drying out. You must follow a few straightforward steps to ensure the meat remains juicy.
Slow Smoke Poaching
In the first step, it is slowly “Poached” in a smokey BBQ environment over several hours to release internal moisture.
It is seared when the meat is gently heated until it reaches an internal temperature of 63°C (144°F). It is then seared to provide the plate color and a crisp deep red grilled crust.
There is some science in this cooking technique to maximize the available moisture.
Kangaroo internal temperature of 41°C (106°F), the proteins will begin to shrink or “denature,” forcing the moisture into the cell. At 66°C (150°F), the heated moisture inside the cell expands to the point that the cell wall ruptures and the moisture can be lost.
BBQ Smoker. Credit: canva
Smoking over low heat
One of the best ways to cook is by smoking it over low heat for an extended time. This will allow all that flavor and moisture from within the body to enter the smoked dish itself.
To smoke this delicious red meat, you will need the following:
A smoker or an oven set to low heat of around 80 degrees Celsius.
Wood chips (hickory and applewood are terrific choices)
Two stainless steel BBQ grills to place on top while it cooks amongst the wood chips.
Two large pans filled with water.
Here are the steps:
You will want to salt the meat to be ready for cooking lightly.
Once you have all of your equipment set up, including wood chips and water in large pans under each hot grill where it will be placed while smoking, add some wood chips to your smoldering fire. This will give you the delicious smoked flavor you want in this dish.
After one hour of smoking, baste the piece of meat with a mix of honey and water or oil before placing it back into the smoker to smoke again.
After an additional hour, baste the meat a second time, but this time add some more honey and water or oil. This will give the delicious sweetness you are looking for in this dish without making it too sweet.
Once basted, allow the meat another 45 minutes of cooking before checking on its progress by inserting a knife into one of the pieces to see if it comes out clean.
If the meat is not yet ready, you will want to let it cook for up to another hour before checking on its progress.
Continue doing so until it has reached that perfect level of tenderness and flavor that you are looking for in this dish without letting all of the moisture escape.
Once ready, you can serve it either hot or cold by itself or with a side of vegetables and potatoes. This delicious game meat will make an excellent addition to any meal, especially if smoked like this.
Remember that some precautions must be taken when dealing with it. Although lean and low in fat, compared with other meats such as beef or pork, you could end up with a very sick pet if not prepared properly.
This means that it should either be thoroughly cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit before feeding it to your pets or avoid this type of red meat altogether.
BBQ Smoker. Credit: canva
Easy Smoke Kangaroo Recipe
Ingredients:
One kangaroo loin
Two pinches of lemon myrtle
Two pinches of dried bush tomato kangaroo spice
Two pinches of salt
Two pinches of black pepper
One tablespoon of olive oil
veal, red wine, and port reduction (or similar to use as a base for the sauce)
handful of blueberries
a handful of Australian blackberries
1 tbsp pepper berries
½ orange, rind grated
Two pinches of thyme
Four rosemary leaves
chips or sweet potatoes to serve
coleslaw, to serve
Methods:
Smoking time: 2 hours
Preheat the smoker. Place the meat on a rack and cover it with a lid for 2 hours to get it appropriately seasoned but not cooked.
In a mixing bowl, combine lemon myrtle, bush tomato, spice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss the marinated smoked kangaroo in the mixing bowl to coat evenly with the marinade.
Preheat the grill to medium rare (10–12 minutes on high). Allow 5–6 minutes for resting.
Meanwhile, stir together the reduction, blueberries, blackberries, and pepper berries until combined.
Add the zest of one orange, one tablespoon each of thyme and rosemary, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir to combine. Then strain it off.
For a smoother sauce, blend the ingredients to make a puree. Sauté until simmering in a pan.
Slice it across the grain. Serve with chips and coleslaw, topped with tartar sauce.
What is a Kangaroo Meat?
Type of Meat
Kangaroo steak comes from the giant marsupials that are native to Australia.
The meat is the meat of any of six species (two genera) of large Australian marsupials. It has a very high concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) compared to other foods.
Types
There are two main types, the first being ‘wild’ harvested from wild animals and generally regarded as game. The second type is “farmedThe,” obtained from free-ranging or captive animals.
Most of the meat on supermarket shelves is wild-caught, not industrially farmed.
Nutritional Value
It is lean meat. Although it does not contain more protein than these meats, it can utilize the nutrients in its diet better by converting them into muscle instead of fat.
In addition, it is a good source of iron and is high in B vitamins and omega-three fatty acids. Omega-three fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce pain from arthritis or asthma attacks. However, it does not contain any carbohydrates due to the animal’s diet.
Taste
Yes. It is gamey meat, and many connoisseurs like its softness and flavor over lamb and steak. It has a more robust flavor than beef or lamb but isn’t as challenging as venison.
Where to find
It can be found in most food stores selling game meats. If you live near an Outback Steakhouse, this would also be a great place to purchase this and other game meat.
Price
In the past, it was pretty expensive and is often not widely available, but prices came down last year. Australia’s largest meat processor has slashed its wholesale prices by almost 20%, making this lean red meat more affordable to consumers.
FAQs
Is kangaroo steak high in protein?
The meat is lean red meat with less than 2% fat, making it an excellent alternative to beef. It’s also high in protein, B vitamins, minerals like zinc, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential fatty acids.
Why is it illegal in the USA?
California banned importing kangaroo products because there are too few left in Australia.
Is kangaroo meat illegal?
It was legal to eat in South Australia in 1980. The only way it could be sold in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria was pet food. But you can’t sell it everywhere now. It’s not always available. They began being exported from Australia in 1959.
Does kangaroo smoking have to be cooked through?
It is easy to cook. The mince, sausages, burgers, and meatballs must be cooked like other mince/processed meat products.
What is the healthiest meat to smoke?
The best meats to smoke are fatty cuts like beef brisket, pork shoulder, and ribs. Smoking the meat can dry out if it does not have a high-fat content. But beef brisket and pork shoulder have high-fat content, so they keep the meat moist, tender and delicious.
Firstly, you need to cut off the kangaroo tail meat.
Secondly, wash the meat thoroughly.
Thirdly, put the meat into a pot with some water.
Fourthly, add salt, pepper, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, and bay leaf.
Fifthly, cover the pot and cook for about 4 hours at 180°C.
Sixthly, remove the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Seventhly, serve the stew with rice.
Where is There a High Concentration of Bbq Smoke?
The best place for BBQ smoke is at home! If you want to create a great-tasting barbecue, then you need to use high-quality wood chips.
Try using oak, maple, hickory, pecan, mesquite, cherry, apple, or wood chips. When buying wood chips, look for dry and free from insects.
Kangaroo Meat Worms: What is It?
The animal can carry a naturally high level of parasites. A single animal may be infected with up to thirty thousand parasitic worms from up to twenty different nematode species.
They do not always carry parasites, but they won’t contaminate the meat if they do.
Additionally, all commercially sold products in Australia have been tested for the presence of parasites and were found safe for human consumption.
How to Make Slow-Cooked Kangaroo Curry?
First, cut off the head and legs from the carcass. Then place the whole animal into a large pot.
Add 2 cups water, 1 cup coconut milk, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Remove meat from bones and shred using two forks. Return shredded meat to the pot and add the remaining ingredients.
Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve hot with rice.
