Rootail stoo

[eataust]

:) actually, it's more a variation on osso bucco, but using rootail, which I've found neatly jointed and packaged in the mind-blowingly-brilliant butcher at the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets (they also stock camel, bison, buffalo, croc, venison, wallaby, rabbit, hare, possum ... the list goes on ... ).

1. Toss bits in seasoned flour. I threw in ground pepperberries, lemon myrtle, wattleseed, and Murray river salt.

2. Brown seasoned bits in oil or butter (I used macadamia nut oil, to keep the theme consistent). The tail bits did have a "skin" over them so I snipped that with scissors to ensure the meat cooked.

3. Chop up veggies of your choice. I used carrots, onions, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, and celery, but any strong-flavoured veggies that stand a roasting will do.

4. Layer a bay leaf (and/or lemon/aniseed myrtle or pepperbush leaf if you've got it) and some carrots at the bottom of a good casserole dish for the oven, then add rootail, and layer the rest of the veggies on top. Mushies can go on a layer on top or interspersed throughout. I also added several crushed garlic cloves, dried sea parsley, and dried saltbush to the mix at this stage.

5. Deglaze the pan you cooked the meat in with red wine and throw that in, and then fling a LOT more red wine. Use decent stuff that you'd be willing to drink.

5. Pop in a tin of roma tomatoes. Use water to rinse out the tin and get the last of the liquid. Use water to bring the liquid level about a finger-level below the ingredients.

6. Put in a medium oven and cook for a solid couple of hours at least. Stir about halfway through to ensure the veggies on top are getting cooked. Four hours is not too many; cook at a lower heat.

Serve with potatoes, couscous, pasta, or whatever you fancy. And a large glass of red wine.

The rootail is all deliciously sticky and gelatinous. Any leftovers jelly fantastically. Better the next day.

I had enough to freeze and this is tonight's dinner. DAMN I like roo; I'm getting more and more fond of it the more I eat it. And am very chuffed to finally find rootail!!

Variations on this recipe would also work excellently in a crockpot; I might try that next.

[clare_b74]

Great recipe EA

I've made something similar, sprinkling gremolata (equal parts finely chopped parsley, garlic & lemon rind) over the top as it's served. Makes it *even* better (though my capacity for garlic makes some shudder )

Of course sea parsley would be an excellent substitute in the gremolata and my dream is to have some finger-lime rind to use instead of the lemon.

Mmm, mmm, when's dinner?!

C

[eataust]

Oh, YEAH. I've got parsley growing fresh, too. I might bung that on tonight's dinner! It's being served with leftover stuffing from turkey cooked over the weekend. A funny juice-absorber but actually I think it'll work.

I have an almost limitless capacity for garlic. And I'm starting to grow my own (inadvertantly, I should add; garlic gets old, starts shooting; I plant it. Same with potatoes and tomatoes these days).

[clare_b74]

Yep, I just eat other food as an excuse to consume garlic

A variant on the roo stoo I've recently tried was a "bones" soup. There wasn't any tail at the shop when I went so found myself with something that I think was more the spine than anything else. Same concept but, but fractionally less jelly-like so it worked well in the soup. Here's what I did:

Bought the roo bones/tail in fist-sized chunks, roasted these in hot oven till nicely browned.

Added the cooked bones to stock pot with water, whole unpeeled onion, whole carrots, something I found in the fridge which was most likely the butt end of a bunch of celery, pepper leaves and thyme (my idea was to use Prosanthera instead of the thyme, but I'm either overdoing it with the mintbush or mine just tastes really gross...). Boil/simmer for most of the day, until you run out of patience.

Strained off the stock, ditched the now-soggy veggies and left the bones to cool a bit. To the stock added chopped garlic, carrot, celery, swede ( my inner Nana comes to the fore) and parsnip. When these were cooked, removed the meat from the bones and added back to the stock with some ground pepperberries and fresh sea parsley.

My tip with this is that the bones can have some tiny little bits in there and it serves to really poke about to remove them before chucking the meat back into the soup.

Oh man, now I'm *really* hungry

[eataust]

*drool* so'm I.

btw, P. incisa has a really strong taste; P. ovifolia is much nicer and is the one which the Outback Chef calls "native thyme" (how confusing). maybe that's it?

I really love stuff with bones in it. I might try rootail stock instead of beefstock next time ...

[cherax]

whos the dude in belconnen that shifts all that stuff?
My Mum & Dad live in Barton and I would dearly like to get hold of some unusual meats.
Had Camel recently in Alice, like Kroo, keep it simple, quickly seared and serve med rare.
Andrew

[eataust]

Go to the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets and head to the butcher in the same row as the petshop and big organic store. They do organic "more traditional" meats as well.

The Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets have a butcher that also does a solid range of organic/interesting/game meats, but the range isn't as extensive as Belconnen.

[Scary]

If you want to try a good roo stew, try coke stew.
Dead simple; Dust a couple of pounds of chunky diced roo in seasoned flour, chop a couple of onions, and fry them up in a medium sized iron pot, then the roo. Add any veg you want (carrots, Sweet potato etc) and cook a bit more. Add 2 cans of coke, 2 tablespoons of Tomato Sauce, same of worchestershire, and simmer. A couple of nice herbed dumplings (maybe saltbush) in the top for the last half hour complete it.
The coke may seem a funny ingredient, but it caramelises beautifully, and goes great with roo.
Try it sometime,
Steve

[eataust]

Hmmm ... not a bad thought. Since finding Nigella Lawson using Coke for her ham glaze, I'm more willing to consider it as a cooking ingredient. Although I haven't actually _used_ it yet :)

Talking of roo, I'm eating spaghetti-with-meatballs. The meatballs are made with roo mince (and two freshly-laid eggs, and onion, and native parsley, and akadjura salt), and gently cooked in a very, very basic tomato sauce (three tins of tomatoes, garlic, finely chopped mushrooms, lots of dried oregano from my garden, reduced down. And then tossed through spaghetti and topped with booconcini.

Given I made it essentially knackered (new greenhouse gone up for my warrigal greens, yay!!!), I'm pretty pleased :)

[Bluetongue]

Sounds fantastic, EA

I heard someone on Radio National on the weekend talking about how we'd be better off farming kangaroos than beef, for the health and environmental benefits. Used the comparison of South Africans farming springboks. Was good to hear! He was a scientist I think.. if/when I find the link I'll post it, for the stats.

It still bothers me that I don't know what to say to people who are alarmed or disgusted by my eating kangaroo, when they're happy to eat factory farmed pig, chook etc. If you're going to eat meat (and I was vegie for over 20 years so understand if you don't want to), then wouldn't you prefer a humanely produced option with less fat and less impact on our fragile lands?

Going to the butcher this arvo for my Skippy fix

[eataust]

I'm starting to assemble a few arguments for people who find eating 'roo disgusting for some reason.

1. The "You can't eat the Coat of Arms!" alarmist:

"The chicken is the national animal of France". 'Nuff said.

2. "Ew! Dog food!".

It's a fair point; roomeat has been generally found as petmeat in the last few years, and I don't know whether "hygienic on-field processing of humanely slaughtered animals" is going to cut much slack :). Point out that Coles and Woolies now have nice vaccuum packs of roo cuts .. .

3. Why?

- Roos are not hooved mammals and so do not rip up the landscape like sheep, cattle and goats do.

- Roos are bred to survive in poor pasture and water situations that imported animals can't. Feed and water statistics appropriate to beef are NOT applicable to kangaroo (or emu or wallaby, for that matter).

- As a result of not being bred for fat, roomeat tastes like a lean rich version of beef. It is not gamey unless that's what you like.

- Kangaroo is not an endangered species, and, indeed, is thriving in these drought conditions where the exotics require increased use of limited and expensive resources to survive.

- So, in short, it's cheaper, more ecologically sound, just as tasty, and better for you, than lamb, beef or goat.

4. I tried it once and it was disgusting.

Well, try it again ... make sure it's not overcooked. It's brilliant in stir-fries, warm salads, kebabs, and other situations where small bits of meat get marinated and quickly cooked. Larger pieces of meat require slower cooking and must be basted. Try the pre-marinated cuts you can get from Coles.

[Bluetongue]

Good list, EA I'll print it out and keep it in my bag...
Haven't seen Skippy yet in my local Coles. Suppose I should actually open my mouth and ask.