Suggest an exotic meat to smoke

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terry hesticles

Newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2013
11
10
Edmond, Oklahoma
I have acquired a gift card to The Meat House butcher shop and I'm wanting to pick up something different to throw on the smoker. I don't doubt that their pork, beef and poultry has the potential to be better than what I get at my local grocery store, so I'm not against picking up a higher quality meat of the same type and cut I'm familiar with, but I'd like to try something different.They mention that they have bison, venison, alligator, ostrich and boar as some of their exotic meats available, but you can have them order even more, apparently. I've had gator a few times and it was hit or miss, but some gator ribs might be okay. I'm really looking for something that was once inside a fluffy brown buffalo, as it's my favorite red meat. Elk would be a consideration, but I've never had any sort of smoked venison. I'm curious how much of a difference there is between a smoked [pulled] shoulder from a farm pig and a boar. Has anyone smoked a boar shoulder? I would love to try moose, but I'm not sure which cuts would be best for smoking.

I've looked at the wild game thread, the bison ribs look amazing.

Whichever meat and cuts I get, they must be able to fit on a 22.5" grate and go well smoked over the typical available woods for my area (apple, cherry, hickory, etc)
 
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I will say this one time only "Wild boar is the best meat God Ever put on this green earth!" When you try wild boar you will just shake your head when you go to a grocery store. All the other meats are very lean so any of those would be ok as long as you watch it carefully and not dry it out, bison brisket is pretty tasty! I have smoked an alligator before and I can tell you the best way to do it is to stuff it with crab meat, rice, stuffing, place some grilled fish in the alligators mouth after its done! Will be some good stuff! 
 
I'm really curious how pulled boar sandwiches would turn out.

I'm used to cooking bison and understand that lean meats need to be watched. However, I'm used to grilling bison burgers, sausages and ribeyes. I've never smoked it.
 
deer ribs have to be boiled a little bit first...they have a wax on them that will not rinse out your mouth if you eat it 
PDT_Armataz_01_32.gif


also if you smoke alligator its best to treat it like whole hog and get you a cajun microwave or something of that nature to do it on
 
yeah...you can make a temp one if you really wanted to....dig ya a hole in the ground and line it with tin then put your pig or gator or goat or whatever in the hole, put a thin piece of shit metal over the hole and put your charcoal or logs on top...it cooks like a champ

another way is to make you a open pit with some cinder blocks and just leave a opening to put your fuel in and just move your fresh hot coals around evenly
 
I had a freind in New Mexico got sucked into the Emu craze. Bought all those expensive eggs then couldn't give 'em away when he build up his flock. We had a huge BBQ, everyone got all the Emu's they wanted but had to bring 'em back cooked. Didn't have a single taste I would want to have again. Even low and slow, they were tuff and dry meat. There maybe a way to cook 'em, but I think none of us thought of it.

'Course Emu might be completely different than ostrich. Bunch of those ostrich farms between Weatherford Texas and Stephensville Texas. Figured they were for boot hides or fancy feathers.

Only way I ever liked alligator was in a Sauce Piquante, alligator has not always been so popular.
 
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Emu was something that we would shoot to feed to working dogs if they were doing poorly. Say a bitch that had pups.Just knock the legs off,singe the feathers chop it up rough. I never met a person who had eaten it until the whole farmed emu fiasco. People tried curing it or making jerky,couldnt get excited. about the taste myself. The eggs were good & bush cooks would make omelettes or even deserts.
 
 
deer ribs have to be boiled a little bit first...they have a wax on them that will not rinse out your mouth if you eat it 
PDT_Armataz_01_32.gif


also if you smoke alligator its best to treat it like whole hog and get you a cajun microwave or something of that nature to do it on
deer ribs have to be boiled a little bit first...they have a wax on them that will not rinse out your mouth if you eat it 
PDT_Armataz_01_32.gif


also if you smoke alligator its best to treat it like whole hog and get you a cajun microwave or something of that nature to do it on
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I believe that is fat not wax you are eating. Maybe you were eating a Christmas decoration. Here is a hint for you- don't eat deer that are found on the roof of a house.
 
Fat on Venison tends to coat the inside of your mouth and tongue when eaten. The fat on a mature Venison is that way younger ones are much better. I usually try to get as much fat off my deer when I butcher it. We use the rib meat for sausage or dog treats.
 
[h1]OMG!!!  I spent the entire summer of '98 working for an Emu and Ostrich Farm where the only Red Meat I had in the refer and freezer was used for Cooking, Demonstrating and Eating Emu and Ostrich! I made every cut from Burgers to Steaks and Roasts. I cooked it, Grilled, Roasted, Pan Fried, Deep Fried, Sauteed, Braised, Stewed and Smoked. Like any red meat there are cuts like the Fan Filet, a Super tender muscle on the Leg, that can't be cooked beyond Med/Rare to Shanks from the lower leg that were amazing Braised. Made fabulous Burgers. and the taste of both are Great, similar to Grass Fed Beef. They produce VERY Lean meat and anything you want well done needs to be cooked using Moist Heat like Braising and Stewing. If it wasn't 3-4X the price of Beef in PA  I would still be eating Emu and Ostrich to this day. I can't believe so many of you guys had bad experiences with such a awesome meat!...JJ[/h1]
 
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