What's the best and worst African tasting game meat?

[Heym 450/400]

Eland has always been my favorite....

 

[Slugs Away]

I'm on my way for supper, that looks great.

 

[Christina Nyczepir]

Wow! The results are all over the place. Just like the responses I hear when people talk about eating bear meat. As someone who loves to cook, I'm sure it all boils down mainly to the chef. And when in doubt, don't tell your guests what they are eating until after the meal is over. LOL!

Oh. My favorites, so far, are springbok and kudu biltong. Hopefully, I'll have more favorites to add to the list after this next hunt.

 

[dobber]

i love bear meat, absolutely one of the top 5 for me, just need to prep it and cut the fat off, canned bear meat is just awesome, best canned meat i have had out of many

 

[WildRose]

As many others have stated I think the most critical ingredient when cooking any type of wild meat is in the handling, prep, and cook.

We ate off of my kills for three weeks while I was there and not once did I not enjoy it thoroughly.

Fortunately my buddies there who hosted me have spent most of their lives eating primarily wild game and they do everything from the shot to the plate themselves.

We had Sable prepared many different ways and it was beyond fantastic whether fresh grilled, made into sausage, or dried into biltong, it just melts in your mouth and has a truly wonderful flavor.

The worst meal I had during the entire trip was wonderful.

 

[CAustin]

I failed to mention in my earlier post that I found the Blue Wildebeest meat to be very good also. One thing is for sure folks over there eat it all and they have found a lot of different ways to cook it!

 

[rookhawk]

Zebra certainly is sweet and quite peculiar, I really liked it.

Giraffe was good but tough from the old stinkbull. I think it needs aging.

Steinbok was very good.

Impala was amazing.

Kudu was great.

Warthog was good but weird as I was anticipating wild boar but it doesn't taste like swine.

If I had to eat one of them every day for a month, I'd go with Impala.

 

[lcq]

had a wonderful bushbuck stew, eland, gemsbok, impala were all great. I was teasing the outfitters brother and I fully expect him to feed me lion this May.

 

[rookhawk]

Question for the culinary minded:

Is waterbuck very good? I've heard if it is skinned properly so the hide does not touch the meat, it can be excellent.

Care to weigh in on whether that is true or myth?

 

[lcq]

Question for the culinary minded:

Is waterbuck very good? I've heard if it is skinned properly so the hide does not touch the meat, it can be excellent.

Care to weigh in on whether that is true or myth?

that is what my PH told me

 

[thriller]

I have always read its terrible, which makes me curious to try it prepared by someone who know what they are doing with it. They say the same about barbecued beaver, but its good too.

 

[Slugs Away]

Slow cookers are a hunter's friend.

 

[Erich]

I have always stayed away from hunting predators because the meat is inedible. I've only hunted in the states but I don't know anyone who eats coyote, fox, mountain lion etc. the only exception would be bear. I have been lead to believe big cats are inedible, is this false? I thought you could not eat lion/leopard/cheetah etc.

 

[Slugs Away]

I've eaton cougar it was delicious.

 

[Hank2211]

I have always stayed away from hunting predators because the meat is inedible. I've only hunted in the states but I don't know anyone who eats coyote, fox, mountain lion etc. the only exception would be bear. I have been lead to believe big cats are inedible, is this false? I thought you could not eat lion/leopard/cheetah etc.

You say you though you "could not" eat the cats. You certainly can eat them, and many (most?) Africans will eat them. When I shot a leopard in Zim, the meat did not go to waste . . . although I didn't try it.

Having said that, when I killed a hyena, no one in the camp would eat it, but they cut a large piece of the flesh and took it to the local police station, telling the police that it was something else. Apparently, that was very funny!

I think the difference is not "could not" eat, but rather "would not" eat.

 

[Erich]

You say you though you "could not" eat the cats. You certainly can eat them, and many (most?) Africans will eat them. When I shot a leopard in Zim, the meat did not go to waste . . . although I didn't try it.

Having said that, when I killed a hyena, no one in the camp would eat it, but they cut a large piece of the flesh and took it to the local police station, telling the police that it was something else. Apparently, that was very funny!

I think the difference is not "could not" eat, but rather "would not" eat.

That's fair enough. I was led to believe it had to do with parasites and such from scavenging.

 

[Hank2211]

That's fair enough. I was led to believe it had to do with parasites and such from scavenging.

You're certainly right about some animals, Erick, although I think it's more area rather than species specific.

I know, for example, that many like to eat bear meat, and some have posted on this thread. Here in Alberta, though, our black bears tend to be infested with trichinosis, to the extent that the Government has allowed the wastage of bear meat (though not the hide). You could cook it thoroughly, and kill the parasite, but if you get it wrong, it can kill you (as two French hunters found out a few years back). I take enough chances, so I don't think I need to add that one to the list!

The only other game meat we are allowed to waste is cougar (again, not the hide) - but that's for other reasons.

 

[PeteG]

Question for the culinary minded:

Is waterbuck very good? I've heard if it is skinned properly so the hide does not touch the meat, it can be excellent.

Care to weigh in on whether that is true or myth?

I've eaten waterbuck on several different occasions and it is as good as any other.

 

[spike.t]

...as for leopard the fillet is fine had it a couple of times but not something i would make a habit of, and lion once but wasnt too keen although my brother liked it. that was over 25 years ago and lion in some places have got diseases that make it not worth risking. i believe in some west african countries with french influence lion stew in red wine was quite popular ,but not sure these days.......

 

[Slugs Away]

72 C for two minutes kills all nastys.

FYI