More Avion cooking tips from Oak Creek Ranch and
at Kansas State University.
Healthy eating has seldom tasted so good. Chefs and home consumers alike are applauding the recent availability in the Bay area of a delicious and healthful red meat called Avion, which is harvested from some very big birds—specifically, birds in the family of ratites, which includes ostriches, emus, rheas and cassowaries.
Despite the fact that Avion is technically poultry, the taste and texture is much more similar to beef. Chefs who have cooked with it describe it as "assertive, beefy, like a well aged steak", and extremely tender. Best of all, it has fewer calories than skinned chicken, while tasting like a hefty mouthful of prime, juicy beef.
Prices for this product are still slightly higher than beef, but will probably head downwards as the meat gains a wider and well deserved popularity and acceptance. Thanks to the efforts of the United Ratite Cooperative and other dedicated ranchers, the sophisticated and health conscious diners of the the Bay area are fast learning to appreciate Avion. If you'd like to learn more about the product and its availability, take a look at the BayGourmet Products Page. More information on the ratite industry can be found on the World Ratite Association site.
General cooking tips:
More Avion cooking tips from Oak Creek Ranch and
at Kansas State University.
Toss the meat in a mixture of olive oil, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Add the peppers, and season with a little ground black pepper. This mixture can be left to marinate for an hour, or can be tossed and cooked immediately - Avion tends to absorb marinades in a surprisingly short time. Coarsely crush and chop the garlic, and brown it lightly in some additional olive oil along with the onions. Turn the heat up to high and add the meat and pepper mixture, stirring constantly. Remove when the meat is just done and the peppers still somewhat crisp, perhaps 2-4 minutes. Serve on heated tortillas with sour cream and cilantro to accompany.
Avion and eggplant are very complementary, and the fragrant meat takes well to the complexity of Indian spices. Toss the meat with the spices and set aside. Peel, cube and soak the eggplant in lightly salted water for about an hour, then rinse. Brown the onion and garlic in olive oil over medium low heat. Turn the heat to medium high and add the eggplant. When the eggplant begins to get soft, turn the heat to high and add the avian meat. Stir until the eggplant is crisp and brown and the meat is seared, about three or four minutes, then turn the heat to very low for another few minutes while you adjust the seasonings. Serve with the chutney or relish of your choice on Basmati rice or chapati bread.
Heart Healthy Avion meatballsCoarsely crush the tomatoes and place them in a heavy skillet in a little olive oil, or in their own juice. Add salt, freshly ground pepper and balsamic vinegar, and simmer down for about an hour. In a seperate pan, saute the remainder of the fennel, thinly sliced, in a little olive oil. You can also use defatted chicken broth to cook the fennel if you are on a stricter dietary regimen and wish to avoid fat completely.
Reduce the bread to fine crumbs in the food processor; remove and reserve crumbs. Finely mince 2 cloves of garlic and the fennel, using a chef's knife or the food processor. Knead the garlic-fennel mixture and half the breadcrumbs into the ground Avion, adding a dash of freshly ground black pepper. Shape into meatballs, and roll in the reserved breadcrumbs.
Brown the meatballs on all sides in a skillet with a little olive oil, or a lowfat cooking spray. Add them to the sauce about two minutes before the sauce is done to your taste (it should be thick and pasty), and allow them to heat through. Serve immediately with pasta, and garnish with the sauteed fennel slices.
Bon appetit,
Tanith Tyrr
Bay Gourmet
