I’ve been really enjoying Zebra steaks.
They’re lean, but not dry or tough, and from what I understand Zebra meat is healthier than beef, and more sustainable than raising cattle for consumption.
Love me some good Zebra tenderloin, but it’s hella expensive. Makes caviar seem like buying M&Ms.
That said, anyone else have favorites in terms of (what we consider) “exotic” meats?
Namibia is game meat paradise. I tried many, favourites were oryx and kudu. Also liked ostrich.
Alpaca (Peru). And other meats in Spitzbergen, Norway.
I’ve only ever tried ostrich and enjoyed it a lot. Very beefy, flavorful, lean. Have never seen it around these parts, but it’s not hard to find in Berlin supermarkets.
It’s not as exotic in Australia, but I used to work at a restaurant with kangaroo nachos on the menu. It was thinly sliced 'roo loin on a tortilla chip with some garnishes. It was really nice. We also had rabbit and rattlesnake sausages, but that always felt more gimmicky to me. Although more expensive, I’d prefer my rattlesnake without the rabbit or anything muddying the flavor. I’ve never eaten snake in a pure form of any kind, but I’d love to try it to get a better sense of its taste.
Zebra steaks sound wild. Where do you get them from?
Aside from wild game, such as deer, elk and moose, which I like, I’ve only had fried rattlesnake meat. Quite good, very white meat, with a mild flavor of chicken, and a touch of fish. I liked the texture and taste over frog’s legs. 
Does Muskrat count as exotic?? As a boy, my grandmother used to cook muskrat. She had an extended relative that trapped them for the fur/pelt. The meat was distributed (for free) to various relatives.
I don’t remember disliking it, so I guess it was OK.
I remember there being a Muskrat Skinning Festival not too far from where she lived, so I think it was fairly common to eat these rodents during trapping season.
I guess bear isn’t exotic to others, but I found it terribly greasy and
tasteless in bear bourguinon.
When I was in France, it was alway interesting to visit the supermarket at the holidays…there would be cases loaded with all kinds of exotic meats - zebra, lion, camel, kangaroo…and hilariously, reindeer.
My one experience with bear was a roast…ot was delicious, although similar to pork.
Over the years Ive had lots of different tastes of different creatures, and am glad to have had the experiences (because they were all tied to terrific events), but none stands out as something I would chase down.
Alligator is probably the one Ive eaten the most … its available at any supermarket around me, and does make a fun addition to chili, or marinated ans grilled as an appetizer
I’ve only had alligator once: the first time I visited this strange country in '97. FL, of course.
I was served as deep-fried chonks, and it reminded me of fatty pork.
I love Scottish Highland beef. Not parbled, like you’d think a great steak would be. It was the best steak.
Piranha is pretty good eating and fun to catch. Nutria and peccary SA rainforest delights, as well.
Interesting. I find it more tough-chicken-ish, both to eat and to cook with.
I laughed out loud when I saw a meme saying that it tastes like chicken because chicken and gator are both descended from dinosaurs. Tastes like dinosaur!
It’s so silly, but we can’t get kudu meat here in the US.
To clarify, I was not served as deep-fried chonks (but I could be!). Yeah, it wasn’t particularly tender or interesting. I’ve had no interest trying it again since.
I have enjoyed many kinds of birds, including pheasant, goose, dove, and duck. Except for dove, they have always been sauced, and that masks much of their flavor. Dove in Texas is breasted, marinated in buttermilk, wrapped in bacon, stuffed with jalapeño, and smoked, a lot of work for a fancy take on a jalapeño popper. The red meats like bison or horse weren’t that different from a hanger steak. I generally have not enjoyed the more gamey meats because I am mainly fed them by people who like them cooked bleu by sous vide and seared not that well. I just do not like that preparation. I am quite content to stuff myself on lamb, cabrito, and all manner of “parts” other than liver or kidneys, neither of which are very good in my experience.
Tastes like snapping turtle.
Bison is good; but, like with much game, is very lean.
I am amused when a restaurant touts bison burger. Chuck is infinitely more tasty, at least to me. Of course, it is a lot easier to clean up after cooking bison.
I think for most people who pick a bison burger it is more about the calorie count - about 1/3 compared to beef (100 vs 300 calories for 100g of meat)
Had gator back in the late 70s/early 80s at a short-lived venture by Ninfa Lorenzo who was already a culinary star locally after introducing tacos al carbon (and her famous green sauce) at her tiny restaurant on the east side, which led to the fajita-jization(?) of the whole universe. My response was ‘okay, I’ve tried that, what’s next?’ I was surprised at how tough it was. Never sought it again. The venture, Atchafalaya Cafe??, didn’t last.
Houston Pit Master Grant Pinkerton got a lot of attention with gator at a bbq festival a few years back. I think it’s on the menu occasionally. I’d be interested in sampling it.
Surely there must be someone in Louisiana making a sausage with alligator. Would be interested in trying that too.
Python - can’t call it a favorite since I’ve only had it once, python chili. Was very surprised at how firm the meat was. I expected it to be like a firm fish but the texture was closer to round steak. Surely there must be some python dishes on menus in Florida?
An unfortunately short-lived wild game grill here (Sammy’s, 2-3 years maybe) where I had the python was also where I had elk, wild boar, pheasant and I think one other fowl I can’t remember. They got lots of raves in the papers and on message boards, etc., over their camel burgers. It was never available when I went in but that’s the exotic meat I’m most interested in trying.
