There are so many kinds of meat out there that can grace your plate. For some, it doesn’t matter as long as it tastes good. In America, beef is loved by many and very popular. Did you know that in 2016, the average American consumed 55.6 pounds (ca. 25 kg) of beef? Why don’t we break the monotony and have something else?
Ostrich is one out of the many sources of meat that you have out there, it has some properties that you would love to know. The best part is that it feels like you are having premium beef. Ostriches lay the largest eggs among other land animals, and they hold the record for the fastest bird on land.
What does ostrich taste like? Ostrich tastes like premium beef or veal but has a more reddish texture and color. It looks beautiful on a plate. Ostrich doesn’t taste like any other bird meat you have out there, they don’t even have a similar flavor to other bird meat.
Ostriches get their nutrition from plants, but they fall into the category of omnivores. Their meat has a lot of nutritional benefits that cannot go unsaid. It doesn’t shrink like other meats do when you apply heat and can serve as a healthy alternative to many other kinds of meats.
Nutritional Benefits of Ostrich
Ostrich meat is very healthy, it is healthier than most meat that you have had. So, not only do you get to eat some that tastes like premium beef, you get to stuff yourself with a whole lot of nutrients.
Ostrich can serve as a healthy substitute for your normal red or white meat. It contains iron and serves as an excellent source of protein. Ostrich meat plays host to minerals and nutrients like selenium, phosphorus, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, zinc, vitamins B12 and B6, and many more. It provides about 84 percent of the reference daily intake (RDI) of vitamin B12 and significant levels of other minerals.
Ostrich meat has a low-fat content, a 97 percent reduction in fat content if you compare it to a similar cut of beef. It also has low cholesterol levels. It cannot reduce the cholesterol levels in your body, but it won’t cause a spike in those levels when you eat them. This beneficial nature of ostrich meat can be attributed to its low-fat content.
Ostrich meat is a lump of lean meat; this simply means that it is nutrient-dense, you can get all those nutrients without having to worry about calorie count, saturated fats, and cholesterol. Ostrich meat is leaner than other red meat because they are mainly raised in the wild where the birds do a lot of running around that eliminates fat in their muscles.
Obesity is a health risk. Ostrich meat may present a solution to help fight obesity. All these characteristics that ostrich meat has, make it beneficial towards heart health and the cardiovascular system as a whole.
Culinary Uses of Ostrich
Many people are used to preparing beef, chicken, lamb, or veal. But, the concept of preparing ostrich might be quite strange to some. You don’t need to worry much, all the recipes that apply to white or red meat works just fine for ostrich.
There are some things you need to note when cooking ostrich; it doesn’t have as much fat as other meat, so it has a shorter cooking time. Overcooking ostrich will result in the loss of the juices and the texture. For the best tasting experience, ostrich should be cooked to medium or medium-rare.
Ostrich can be used for a lot of things. For starters, ostrich meat can replace beef in hamburger patties. If you are the barbecue kind of person, you can try ostrich steak. As long as you don’t burn or sear them too badly, you can’t go wrong. Ostrich meat doesn’t shrink, it holds up well under heat. You can also use ostrich meat to make meatballs.
Ostrich can be grilled, fried, baked like turkey, or even boiled. Anything that catches your fancy, or any recipe that has meat in it, you can recreate with turkey. Just keep your adventurous mind open and experiment!
What is the Origin of Ostrich? How to Procure Them?
The ostrich is a large bird whose wings are not powerful enough to support flight, so it runs instead. If you want to know just how fast it can run, try stealing its eggs (please don’t try that!). It is the largest known bird species, bigger than vultures or eagles, the heavy body that it possesses attributes to its lack of flight.
The ostrich is native to Africa, and we have two species; the Somali Ostrich and the Common Ostrich. They lay eggs, very big ones, and raise their kids as other birds do, but on the ground. Germany is the number one consumer of ostrich meat in the world, and they get most of it from South Africa where ostriches are domesticated in over 150 farms.
Ostrich meat can be purchased online or bought from an ostrich farm if you are lucky to find one.
Why is there No Shrinkage in Ostrich Meat?
Ostrich meat doesn’t shrink because it doesn’t have marbling. Marbling is the storage of fat in the muscles. Since there is no fat to burn off, it doesn’t shrink.
Facts You Don’t Know About Ostrich
- Ostriches can run as fast as 70 km/hour.
- They can shake your hand because they have two fingers and two toes.
- Ostriches have very big eyeballs and are blessed with good eyesight. They can even see in color.