Zebra Meat Should Be On The Braai, Say Stellenbosch Animal Scientists

[Just Gina]

Just to get ya hungry !




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Wow. I have killed 2 Zebra and this is the first time I have ever seen it cooked. Not sure what I expected it to look like…

 

[R.M.C.]

Same!
Just as there was no alcohol in camp. You could buy your own and bring it, they would not. This did not bother anybody in camp and there was no alcohol. We were all more concerned with coffee. We knew this ahead of time.
Funny thing…Bob told them I did not eat meat. So, they made me chicken or some bird the guys shot. Bob told the camp manager that I did not eat meat again, and he replied, “that is not meat.” Bob agreed that it was not meat.
So then they said, oh! Vegetarian! Ok. No problem! I had clear veggie soup and fresh veggies every day and it was the best I have ever had on a hunting trip!
I am not opposed to eating meat. I cannot properly digest animal protein. I have enzymes I have to take to eat and that helps, does not fix the issue. Especially when I travel, I eat a vegetarian diet. It was funny that the bird was not considered “meat” to most

That's cool, and wow I thought for sure birds were made out of meat hahaha. I never thought about being in a camp that was alcohol free, I'd be fine with it because I rarely drink. I wish I could travel more and see different things.

 

[outwestidaho]

Wow. I have killed 2 Zebra and this is the first time I have ever seen it cooked. Not sure what I expected it to look like…

That was from last July in the cape.
Our PH Jaco cooked it over the open fire with Acacia wood. He likes zebra meat , but doesn't like to cook it as he says all the yellow fat has to be removed before cooking. I have talked with some people who say they didn't like Zebra meat. Maybe it had the yellow fat still on it .

 

[R.M.C.]

Just to get ya hungry !




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Man, that looks exactly like the zebra I had. Lunch time can't come soon enough lol

 

[Aaron N]

I seem to remember reading on here at some point that zebra is nearly inedible unless the “yellow fat” is completely trimmed off the meat? Or did I dream this up?

 

[Nyati]

I am glad you brought this up, Joe! I was just trying to remember what it was called that they did after an animal was killed. They cut a slit in the bottom of the throat and say a prayer. In our group, our PH could perform the halal, and we had one other person in our group that could. This was because the others were not “practicing Muslim” in the group. Bob said there were some trackers who would eat any of the meat that was killed.

That is correct, if the animal is correctly bled just after being shot, then it becomes "halal"

 

[Goose Cracker]

We ate zebra on my first safari and I really enjoyed it. Over wood coals on the braai as has been described.

People are weird about zebras - the first timers I'm taking to Limpopo in 2024 don't want to hunt or eat zebra but they are fine with all the other animals. To each his/her own!

 

[R.M.C.]

We ate zebra on my first safari and I really enjoyed it. Over wood coals on the braai as has been described.

People are weird about zebras - the first timers I'm taking to Limpopo in 2024 don't want to hunt or eat zebra but they are fine with all the other animals. To each his/her own!

People are definitely funny about zebra, my wife wasn't thrilled about me hunting one and my boss asked me why I shot one. Blue wildebeest? Nobody cares. Impala? Nobody cares. There's definitely some stigma around zebra, maybe something to do with them resembling horses.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

People are definitely funny about zebra, my wife wasn't thrilled about me hunting one and my boss asked me why I shot one. Blue wildebeest? Nobody cares. Impala? Nobody cares. There's definitely some stigma around zebra, maybe something to do with them resembling horses.

If those horse lovers ever got close to a zebra they would develop a fear and perhaps start to hate them. Zebra put their heads down and look between their legs to land accurate hooves into lions. Kicking the heck out out of a person would be child's play!

I don't know if I read it on AH of the times people tried to domesticate zebra. They had NO luck doing so. Zebra are wild animals that are weary and deserve our respect. As game they are darn hard to stalk!!! Plus they are tasty when prepared correctly!

 

[R.M.C.]

Is those horse lovers ever got close to a zebra they would develop a fear and perhaps start to hate them. Zebra put their heads down and look between their legs to land accurate hooves into lions. Kicking the heck out out of a person would be child's play!

I don't know if I read it on AH of the times people tried to domesticate zebra. They had NO luck doing so. Zebra are wild animals that are weary and deserve our respect. As game they are darn hurt to stalk!!! Plus they are tasty when prepared correctly!

I agree!! I was kinda worried about wounding a zebra because of how tough I've read they can be, luckily mine didn't make it far. They are definitely fun to hunt and stalk. My whole family (except for me) raises and trains horses so they all had comments to make lol. They're definitely not horses lol

 

[dneaster3]

I’m looking forward to trying zebra. All accounts, including those above, are that the meat is fantastic.

Regarding the religious prohibition against horse/zebra, it starts with the Torah / Old Testament laws in Leviticus 11:

“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. “ ‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Leviticus 11:1-8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. | New International Version (NIV

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud.

bible.com

Practicing Jews and many Christians still adhere to some or all of these food restrictions. This is a large part of why horse meat is not consumed in the United States even today, despite the fact that is lean, safe, nutritious, and plentiful. (That and horses are “pretty” while cows are “ugly” )

The Halal meat preparation requirements in Islam share a lot of similarities with the ancient Biblical and the modern Kosher requirements in Judaism.

Not trying to turn this into a comparative religious study…. Just pointing out the fact that those three religions share a common origin and many similar structures, and that they cover much of the world geographically, so it’s no surprise to find many people not wanting to partake in zebra steaks. Or bacon.

 

[Sue Tidwell]

https://www.businessinsider.co.za/z...aai-say-stellenbosch-animal-scientists-2023-1

• South Africans hunt zebras mainly for their skin and most of their flesh is exported to horse-eating countries, study says.
• When 20 stallions were butchered in the Western Cape, scientists reported a good yield of lean, nutritious meat and plentiful offal.
• Zebras are a valuable protein source that can boost food security, especially in rural areas.

Nine out of 10 South Africans are meat eaters, so there’s a good chance they enjoyed a braai over the holidays. But there’s very little chance they ate zebra. That may soon change, though, because new evidence from animal scientists at Stellenbosch University shows zebras are an ideal species for meat production.

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I never thought I would eat zebra. After all, I was opposed to my husband hunting one....but then....long story short....I took my first bite. It ended up being my favorite meat on safari.

 

[Ryan]

A big goal on my first hunt was to hunt zebra and have a ZLT sandwich. Zebra was my last animal and I had the ZLT the next day for lunch along with steak that evening. Both were great.

 

[rookhawk]

Absolutely one of the best meats. I think there are only three reasons people scoff at it:

1.) Religious reasons. A number of the staff were from tribes where their totem was the zebra so they refused to eat it. That mentality infected the thinking of others even outside that tribe.

2.) Western notions. Westerners (minus the glorious Germans) do not eat horse. Thus, a hesitance to eat anything horse-like.

3.) It tastes weird. Not bad at all, but it is as different as lamb is to beef. If you've never tasted anything other than pork, chicken, and beef, it would be strange.

The very best meal consistently in Africa is a zebra fillet pounded thin, breaded, and cooked as a schnitzel. I make a steak sauce 50% piri-piri and 50% ketchup that compliments it really well. A strong lemon caper butter sauce would be even better.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I seem to remember reading on here at some point that zebra is nearly inedible unless the “yellow fat” is completely trimmed off the meat? Or did I dream this up?

Yes I have read that many times. I have never eaten a zebra steak, but someone brought zebra biltong to the club recently: about five of us who had some declared it foul, one person loved it. To me it was like carrion.

 

[Dee S]

In August I hope to take down a Crawshay's zebra in Zambia and then have some on the fire afterwards. Have had Hartmann's and Burchell's so far.

 

[Edster]

Ok you folks have convinced me that zebra need to be on my list for 2024!!!!

 

[Buffalo1]

At first, I had apprehensions about eating zebra. All I could think about was the French eating horses hard times of WWII. After my first bite of zebra- may apprehensions disappeared and my appetite showed up.

Some of the finest meal I have ever eaten !!

 

[MarkB]

Never eaten a bad zebra, all were delicious, both Burchell's and mountain. Nice rare loin steaks to however cook prepared in camps, all were good. Horse tastes good also, purchased when I was young in the Toronto Kensington market and cooked at home or as Brasashi in Japan.

Cannot eat too much, its stealing from the cat baits.

MB

 

[Tra3]

This is the yellow fat of a burchell’s zebra.

correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the Hartman’s zebra have yellow fat. My son and I both agree that Hartman’s (mountain) zebra is the best african game meat we have eaten.