I have seen the steak, heard all about the mince even seen the hats with the feathers but no one talks about the neck. So here I am sticking my neck out and hoping for the best.
I like to use my slow cooker for this dish, but if you haven't come over to the easy life, and still like spending hours standing over a hot stove it works just as well. The best thing about the slow cooker is you do not even have to defrost the meat before you start cooking. Put it all together, go to work, return 8 hours later to a meal that your family will think you spent the day cooking.
Ostrich Neck Stew
1kg Ostrich Neck
2 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Large Onion sliced
2 Chillis chopped
2 teaspoons Dry Chilli
1 Cup Small White Beans
1 Cup Pearl Wheat (Crushed Wheat / Stampkoring)
15ml Dried Thyme
15ml Dried Origanum
1 large sprig Fresh Rosemary
Salt (Only add after the beans are soft)
Lots of Black Pepper
Place everything in the slow-pot, fill with water and leave to cook on low for 8 hours or 5 hours on high.
If you are using the stove, fry the onions, carrots and meat until browned.
Add the other ingredients and cook on low for about 3-4 hours until the meat is tender.
Serve with steamed white rice and a good chutney.
Rosemary Gough
10 comments:
It DID catch my attention! :)
Really? Everybody's using it? I don't know if I can find ostrich neck in the States where I live, but there's a saying in the South: "It's on like a pot of neck bones" and your bones are definitely on.
Here, beef neck bones are more common. It's a very Southern thing to cook.
Maryann - Good to hear. Hope you like the content too!
Nikki - Ostrich is very fashionable with health conscience people, but only the mince and the steak seems to have caught on. The neck is a very cheap cut of meat, but with the right cooking it is very tasty!
Rose - I am one of the people who DON'T like ostrich, but it is a mind over matter thing. I can't think past the childhood memories of visiting the ostrich farms in Oudtshoorn and the man sticking his hand halfway down the ostrich's neck.....bleghhhh!!! If you serve it to me without knowing, I will most probably eat it. Great flavors though.
Nina - I didn't fall in love with the mince either, but the neck is very good. Makes a good substitute for oxtail and at a quarter of the price!
Rosemary, thanks for your comments. Your ostrich stew looks yummy. I would use roasted butternut, or roasted beetroot with the beetroot pasta, maybe a little garlc butter. Or perhaps a spinach and ricotta sauce.
We used to do a great ostrich neck potjie - like oxtail, longh & slow is definitely the way to go with ostrich neck! And I love the fact that you are using an unloved piece of a bird that is one of the most efficient farmed animals in the world - almost every little bit of the ostrich is used! Sounds delicious. There is an ostrich farm here in the UK and you can definitely get the burgers and steaks - must ask them if they supply the neck too. Now all we need is a potjie :(
Of course it caught my eye...never hear of it before! No chance in the world that we would find it here!! Lamb bones are more the thing here...but how interesting this is!!
I know there are ostrich farms around here, but i don't know of anyone selling the meat. now i'll have to find out!
African vanielje - Thank you. I can't wait to try that pasta.
Jeanne - This is perfect for a potjie.
Passionate - Glad you liked it. You never know when an ostrich will fly into town!
Kazari - If they got birds, they have to have lots of necks! Good luck.
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