What to cook with crocodile tail

[Shalem]

Forum admin: Not sure if this comes under Cooking section or Native Meats, please relocate if need.

Is croc classed as native meat?

This is a very expensive cut of meat. Don't want to mess it up. I've got Vic cherikoff's cookbook...I think there's a recipe there for a croc meat rolled in wattleseed.

Has anyone cooked croc tail with bushfoods? If so, what flavours go well with this meat? What sort of dishes have you cooked? What side dishes go well with it?

[Shalem]

I've got Mark Olive's "Outback Cafe" book and it's got a recipe for tandoori croc skewers seasoned with native pepperberry, served on rice.

"Dining Downunder" cookbook's got a recipe for croc meat covered in wattleseed then rolled.

A few years ago a distant neighbour cooked up a beaut croc dish with a really yummy sauce... I think it was a type of sweet Thai sauce dish when I asked what it was. It was served with rice, so it seems that maybe croc meat goes well with asian type ingredients mixed in with some native spices.

Wondering if anyone's made any others?

[eataust]

Excellent as kebabs, with a fruity olive oil, lemon juice, mintbush, and fennel marinade ...

[Shalem]

Good idea Eataust. Now I remember I did eat a croc kebab at a crocodile farm, recall tasted similar to chicken breast.

There's another idea for croc tempura in the "Dining Downunder" cookbook. That sounds interesting doesn't it, and once again confirms my conclusions that it seems to be a versatile meat that goes well with Asian & native recipes?

[eataust]

It's a white meat; simplest to think of it as gamey free-range chicken with a rich seafood overtaste, and use those sorts of recipes to cook it.

Emu is the reverse - it's actually a red meat, and goes well with lamb-based recipes.

Roo is the beef of the native tucker world :)

[Shalem]

Croc pizza recipe in "Counter Meals" book. It marinades the croc in lemongrass, coconut milk and sweet chilli sauce.

[Shalem]

I bought my first ever crocodile (croc tail).

Yet to be cooked. Thinking of doing a thai curry with native lemon flavours, served with rice. I'd also like to try the Croc pizza I saw in the Counter Meals book, but concerned whether there's anything tricky about cooking croc meat at such a high temp. Any ideas about anything I've mentioned?

Pics and info later.

[Shalem]

For those of you who live in Brisbane area, an online grocery store called www.fooddirect.com.au sell Croc tail, Kanga Loin, Kanga rump & Kangaroo proscuitto.

I've ordered groceries from them quite a number of times last few years, so they are recommended. Of natives, I've bought kanga proscuitto & rump so far.

Their croc tail seems more expensive, however, I've noticed they frequently have their native meats in stock whenever I've gone into their online store

[Not sure where else Fooddirect deliver, enquire website].

[eataust]

I made an (if I say so myself!) fantastic recipe with croc tail, by adapting a tune hollondaise recipe in a Marie Claire cookbook.

I dusted the croc bits with Barbushco's "Rainforest Blend", which is cinnamon myrtle, lemon myrtle, and ... er ... something else :), some Dorrigo pepper, and akadjura-infused salt. I let it infuse overnight, then grilled it on a George Foreman grill (the kind that cooks both sides).

Then sliced thickly and served with a lemon aspen hollondaise sauce.

SERIOUSLY good. The texture is solid and chewy, completely unlikely either fish or commercial chicken; but the "grain" is like the tail end of a fish. Flavour ... itself, really. About the intensity of a good free-range chicken, but its own excellent flavour.

[Shalem]

thanks for that, Eataust

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500g defrosted CROCODILE TAIL

Well this is my first ever crocodile meat.

When I took it out of the packet, I didn't realise it was a whole piece as the structure of the meat looked like it had been cut into kebab strips.



Now I've cut them into kebab strips!

quite easy to do....seems like the croc knew how I wanted to cook him!

As soon I'd cut them, it reminded me of raw swordfish kebabs I once bought, in terms of its texture, colour, grain and feel. Then I had to remind myself I was handling a croc (dead one thankfully!), and not a fish!

[Shalem]

CROCODILE PIZZA

more info and pics in Bush Tucker Pizza topic.

[Shalem]

CROCODILE TAIL KEBABS

with Rainforest Lime Confit.

Marinade: Croc marinating couples days in yoghurt and Lemon Myrtle Sprinkle (Cherikoff D'Under), hoping the croc would soften up a bit as I've experienced yoghurt to be a meat tenderiser. As I'd read croc soaks up whatever marinade, I decided not to try Tandoori croc kebabs in the Outback Cafe book as I wanted to detect the native spices.

I didn't feel croc soaked up much coconut milk or yoghurt marinades that I used, so tandoori's probably ok.

Pan-fried: Store's website from which I bought croc had cooking instructions (& a recipe that I might try another time), saying cook it medium-rare 2mins each side, which I followed.

Taste & Texture:Bit like chewy (only slightly) chicken breast, full of meat flavour, and not as chewy as the ones in croc pizza.

Meat Sauce: Yoghurt marinade & Rainforest Lime Splash (Cherikoff D'Under)

Rice: Ground Lemon myrtle & using small jelly mould.

End Result: An enjoyable kebab dish in hot weather, with hints of fruitiness.



CROCODILE TAIL KEBABS

with rainforest lime confit dished on top



Rainforest Lime Confit

from Cherikoff Dining Downunder store. Besides what I wrote about this under Fruitcake topic, there are couple bits of slightly bitter peel but generally sweet & soft.

[Shalem]

Commercial Crocodile Meat Products

I've seen the following available from my local bushfood store. I am unsure if there's any other cuts of meat or meat products on the market.

Crocodile chipolotas (small sausages)
Crocodile mince
Crocodile tail fillet
Crocodile Jerky
Crocodile pate in a tin

[Cherikoff]

My recipe for Wattled Croc has been well received at many functions so I'd recommend it if you need a little croc to go a long way. See the recipe here.

However, I have been playing with my new Bar-B Skews and there are lots of flavours of these which work with croc meat - Rainforest lime, coconut, chilli, garlic, Thai basil, Wild pepper and Paperbark smoke. They all work. A tip om using the Skew with croc meat, which is best cooked to medium is to skewer the meat close to the edge so that the heat can reach the Skew and activate the flavour better. If you skewer the meat in the centre it doesn't get the heat it needs to really pump in the flavour.

The Bar-B Skews launch this month so watch out for them!