Most African wild game are good to eat, as long as it is cooked properly. Some of the best are eland (as long as bulls are not in the rut) and their steaks rival the finest beef. Kudu is pretty first class as well. Also desert type game like gemsbok and hartebeest are excellent. Sable meat is good also. Of the smaller animals, most are good to eat… particularly impala & reedbuck. Nyala are also good. A lot depends on the condition of the animal, and if it is shot well and not wounded before killing (which tends to produce “Sour” tasting meat due to the release of adrenaline in the animal’s flesh). The marbling of giraffe steaks also makes them a delicacy fit for a king.
My non-Muslim family members & friends are perhaps the most fond of bush pigs which have been shot during their depredations in the corn fields & macadamia nut plantations. I have assisted in the butchering & cooking of countless of these animals. The meat is akin to Berkshire pork in terms of quality.
My favorite African wild game offal dish, is actually flame grilled Impala liver. Among game birds, I absolutely find a bowl of guinea fowl potjie to be heaven on earth.
The only African game which I absolutely disgust... are spurwing goose & waterbuck. A waterbuck, particularly an old one, has a very oily substance that gets in the hairs of the skin. When skinning the animal, great care must be taken to avoid getting the hair or oil on the meat. An old trophy bull does taste a bit strong, but a young waterbuck tastes quite fine. The only palatable way to prepare the meat, is to make a strongly spiced vindaloo out of it.
Cape buffalo is coarser than bison and tougher. However, the tenderloin (or fillet) are excellent when seasoned simply with coarse grained salt and grilled over the open camp fire to a maximum doneness of medium rare with a healthy squeeze of lemon juice on top. Especially with an ice cold African Castle Lager to wash it all down with. The underbelly of a hippopotamus is quite delectable when ground up and prepared as a ragout for use with pastas. Elephant trunk makes an excellent component in a stew if prepared correctly. Elephant fat is also excellent and may be spread over slices of bread, like butter. It is quite white and may be prepared like sheep tail fat. However, their meat is quite coarse & tough.
One observation about impala. The venison of a younger meat ram (with small horns) tastes absolutely first class (like baby camel). But the venison of an older trophy ram, can be rather tough.
