I Like Big Birds, I Can Not Lie: Getting Your Red Meat Fix from Poultry (Yes, Really!)

Emu, ostrich, and duck from Amaroo Hills Emu Farm

amaroohills.com

Cheesy I know, but seriously ya’ll – big birds are where its at! When I initially heard about emu and ostrich as an option, I figured the meat was similar to turkey. I do love roast turkey, but as as much as I have tried over the years, I can not bring myself to enjoy it ground. To me, both the texture and the flavor profile is…well..wrong.

Here I go, getting off track again. Sorry, this is not about turkey and if i’m being honest, emu and ostrich meat couldn’t be any further from it! These big birds are actually nutrient packed power houses, and did I mention; red meat! For those of you stressing over the fact that we cant east read meat, stress not my friends- AGS is NOT a red meat allergy, it is a mammalian meat allergy and big birds are not mamilian.

I was approximately 3 months sans beef when I placed my first emu/ostrich order. It wasn’t anything terribly special; I got some ground, a few patties, some stew cuts, and a package of pre-seasoned fajita strips. Holly Cow, no…scratch that…Holy Emu ya’ll, seriously! Amaroo Hills Farm was easy to order from and luckily I placed that first order at just the right time since they were well stocked (this has been an issue since).

No, its not cheap and shipping prices will have you second guessing your order size, but trust me when I say, placing the larger order is worth it if you can since that shipping cost wont change. If you are like me, you are immediately going to want to reach for those mouth watering read meat patties so maniy of us miss. Don’t do it! I know, I know, but hear me out. Emu and ostrich are literally a red meat, so unless you are craving a dry, well done, charred tasting patty – don’t start there. They are a bird, you are going to want to over cook them. Instead, if you are lucky enough to order fajita meat, get to slicing on those peppers and onions my friend; you will have to work hard to mess that one up.

Yes, I’m being a bit melodramatic, but do take the time to get your mindset right and just pretend you are cooking beef! Once the meal is over and have finished the oooh and ahhh’s, take a few minuets to head over to your journal and make sure to fill in your mood tracker. I’m curious, are you as giddy as I was? Perhaps it is just the overwhelming emotions of being able to mark another enjoyable on the calendar; or maybe it is your body’s way of thanking you for all those B vitamins, iron, protein, and so many more nutrients!

My personal favorites from Amaroo Hills:

Duck breakfast sausage – honestly, if I hadn’t opened the package and made the patties myself, I’d have grabbed my Benadryl after the first bite. However, if I didn’t have AGS, I’d sear it was the best pork sausage i’d ever had! I order this regularly and make patties out of the entire package. Cook, cool, slap a piece of parchment paper between them and freeze for single-use breakfast sandwiches!

Emu Fajita meat – Amaroo, whatever you are doing to season this meat, don’t change it! This was hands down the best pre-seasoned fajita meat I’ve ever cooked. I do combine it with some chicken that I season myself (maybe we need to talk them into selling the packaged seasoning) and cook separately to help insure we have leftovers and cut the cost.

Ostrich fan fillet – If you are looking for a good steak dinner replacement, this is your ticket! I was delighted by how tender this cut is! If i’m cutting cost or supply is low I use a single steak to cut up for stew, Korean rice, fajita’s, and more.

Other Options:

I have not been fortunate enough to try the pastrami yet (Amaroo, if you’re listening, that is a hint), but it must be good since it’s always sold out!

Duck bacon – Sadly, as hard as we continue to look for one, birds really don’t have a bacon spot. That being said, this cut makes a wonderful substitute when added to a pot of beans, or something similar to my dearly missed BLT.

Emu patties – If you are anything like me, you are missing that fat juicy burger with all the fixings. Personally, I find these a bit on the skinny side to fulfill that craving, so I prefer to make my own. I highly recommend playing with a few meat combinations and adding some duck fat. So far, my favorite has been 1 pound of ground emu to 1/2 pound of ground duck. However, if you are looking for a quick fix or something easy to toss on the grill – the premade patties are perfect.

In the future, I may be able to add more cuts to the mix, but for now – those are my go-to’s. Let me know if you have other suggestions to try or other farms you recommend. Amaroo Hills is not the only farm, but I was so impressed by the seasonings, its hard for me to want to chance ordering elsewhere without recommendations. Just to clarify, I am not an affiliate or connected to Amaroo Hills, just simply another satisfied customer!