strich looks and tastes like beef, but has less fat
By Catherine Kekoa Enomoto
Star-Bulletin

R. Field Wine Company has been selling frozen California ostrich for a year, and trendy Alan Wong's Restaurant started serving the avant-garde meat late last year.

Wong's culinary crew didn't realize the fillet they sampled last November was anything other than beef, according to sous chef Barbara Stange Wong.

"Most of us couldn't tell the difference," she said.

A recent tasting at Alan Wong's upscale eatery provided three different preparations:

An appetizer of ostrich sausage served on garlic jus, with German potato salad, fresh sauerkraut and a garnish of tatsoi, or baby Shanghai bok choy (cabbage).

A salad of togarashi (Japanese pepper mix) seared ostrich, corn relish, hearts of palm and li hing mui vinaigrette. Appetizers range in price from $7.50 to $10.50.

An entree of grilled ostrich tenderloin served on taro smashed potatoes and shiitake, with mango-star anise sauce drizzled with basil oil, and a garnish of crispy taro strips. Entrees - some pairing ostrich with veal or lobster - range from $26 to $32.

The most distinctive aspects of the fresh ostrich meat were that it looked and tasted like beef with a dense, finely textured flesh.

The salad offered seared ostrich that was reddish in the middle. Instead of gaminess, there was a hint of liver detectable in the rare meat.

The grilled ostrich was the most palatable - tender to cut and chewy.

Although the ostrich is a flightless bird, ostrich meat can fly as more than a fad if people are willing to pay premium prices for red meat that's lower in fat, cholesterol and calories.

A comparison of three-ounce portions shows beef has 7-1/2 times and chicken has 1-1/2 times more fat than ostrich meat:

Ostrich - 97 calories, 2 grams of fat, no saturated fat and 58 milligrams of cholesterol.

Chicken - 140 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat and 73 milligrams of cholesterol.

Beef - 240 calories, 15 grams of fat, 6.4 grams of saturated fat and 77 milligrams of cholesterol.

So, don't bury your head in the sand - sample that "other red meat" of the big bird.

The second recipe is a heart-healthy twist on beef tenderloin with red wine sauce. The dish incorporates dried tart cherries - "a bright note to balance the smooth, silky taste" of the ostrich, according to cookbook author and television actor Graham Kerr.

4 ounces ostrich fillet
1/4 teaspoon togarashi (Japanese pepper mix) or to taste
2 ounces assorted salad greens
1 ounce olive oil or to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste
1 ounce fresh hearts of palm, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, sauteed in 1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

Li hing mui vinaigrette:

4 pieces dried sweet-and-sour red ling hi mui (prune)
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 drops Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss greens with oil and pepper, add hearts of palm, corn kernels and parsley. Combine vinaigrette ingredients; drizzle over salad. Slice ostrich meat into medallions and arrange on top. Makes 3 servings.

1-1/4 pounds ostrich tenderloin
1 shallot, peeled and cut in thin strips
Salt and pepper
Olive oil pan spray

Sauce:

1 teaspoon light olive oil with a dash of toasted sesame oil
1/8 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup dried tart cherries
1 cup dealcoholized Cabernet Sauvignon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley plus 2 tablespoons extra for garnish
1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper

While the roast is cooking, make the sauce. Heat a small saucepan with the oil over medium heat. Fry the shallots until they soften. Add the cherries and wine. Simmer 6 minutes. Pour the sauce into a blender, process until smooth. Press through a sieve to remove the cherry skins and shallot pieces. Add parsley, salt and pepper. Reheat if needed.

To serve, slice the meat thinly and divide it among 6 hot plates. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serves 6.