Exotic meats - any favorites?

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Bison burgers, bison chili, smoked bison burgers - all ok with me. Had a very tasty Colorado Corned Bison Reuben in Fort Collins a few years back. Yes, you do have to be able to tolerate the leanness without turning your nose up. Looked into getting bison brisket at a butcher shop here but the cost (special order) was more than I cared to risk.

The health benefit claims about bison are more than just the lower calories I think.

I’ve had bison so many times over the years I don’t consider it exotic. Likewise, goat - very common in TX because of the large Hispanic population and large Muslim communities. Local grocery chain Food Town always has goat in the regular meat cases (the 2 locations I’ve shopped at) and there are many more Halal grocers here than Kosher. Then there’s Brady.

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At this point, it’s hard for me to consider bison to be “exotic” anymore.

I mean, when a chain restaurant like Ted’s Montana Grill offers it, bison has sort of jumped the shark on being exotic.

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I haven’t seen any, but I wouldnt rule it out!

Iguana is also generating some interest, although most of that is still home prepared (another one that tastes like dinosaur)

Lionfish is on quite a few menus, though i havent managed to find it.

Florida and Louisiana will eat darned near anything we can catch.

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I’ve had iguana. I’ll try almost anything once. That was a “once.”

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25

I love Dove, and most other Game Birds other than Pheasant which seems better suited for Pate in my eyes.
Venison, Rabbit and Squirrel I like , bear nope.
Frogs, Snake, Snails and the like are all good to eat as well.

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Not meat, but has anyone tried fugu (puffer fish)?

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27

I like frogs and snails and puppy dog tails. JK about the tails. Chucker, quail, duck, elk, venison, wild boar. Are they really exotic any more? I have been gifted moose and bear, neither of which I cooked. They languished in the freezer for a decent amount of time before being chucked.

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I had fugu in Japan. Was fine…tasted like fish!

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Not since You Only Live Twice.

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I had rabbit once in a restaurant. I’m tempted to buy it locally and cook it, but the price holds me back. Pretty expensive experiment for a rank novice such as myself. I am aware of some homestead types who raise rabbits for meat instead of chickens, and claim they can utilize it in a very versatile manner.

In my hometown in PA , the local fishmonger always has house-made turtle soup in the freezer by the quart. I guess it used to be an extremely common menu item, recently enough that some old-timers still crave it from time to time.

I had elk, bison and other similar things in Colorado and liked them. Bison is now being raised on a ranch here in SE PA. I spoke to the rancher when they first appeared at a local farmers market. He said the bison that would’ve roamed North America before most of it was wiped out were not suited for this local climate, but a couple generations of intentional breeding have made it possible to raise them here.

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Not sure where you live but here in SF we tend to sometimes get rabbit (frozen) for good prices at Eastern European stores, e.g. whole rabbit for <$10 (so we haven’t bought one for 3-4 years and so don’t know how much the prices have gone up now)

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You were Bond in a past life?:face_with_monocle:

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Wild rabbit and wild ducks have nothing in common with their man raised counterparts. Shoot a duck on the Mississippi, and it’s got some mud.

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34

Yeah, I’m sure the rabbit I ate was domesticated, and certainly the folks raising rabbits for meat are producing the same product.

I find truly wild meat challenging to like, unfortunately.

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So do I. Wrapping a Mississippi duck breast in bacon just makes the bacon taste a little muddy. Wild rabbit, though I’ve eaten it many times, is meh at best.

Wild turkey breasts are great, so long as you bone them out . I like pheasant and snapping turtle, as well. Squirrel is pretty good. Just need like 10 of 'em. Easy to gut and skin and come with a free toothpick, too.

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Turtle tastes like mild fish, or something else…?

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I think it has its own flavor. gator would eb the closest likeness, IMHO.

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interesting. never having had gator, i’ll just have to try the soup and hope for the best :slight_smile:

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Whole domestic rabbit now goes for $40.00 in San Francisco. Otherwise it would be on my regular rotation. It’s close to my favorite meat.

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Fondly remember occasion when high school aged son dashed though the house after school en route to his job, snagging a piece of sliced meat on his way. “Great steak, Mom!” he called out. I replied, “Ir’s ostrich.” Silence but for front door closing.

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