Canadian Ostrich Assoc.

Cooking Tips
main: Cooking Tips

Suggested Uses

Cooking Tips

Ostrich Retailers

Ostrich meat is very lean and high in moisture content. When cooking ostrich meat, use your favourite recipes for extra lean meat. Overcooking ostrich meat will dry it out and reduce its tenderness. Cooking only to medium or medium-rare produces the best results.

Frozen vacuum packaged ostrich meat maintains high quality for ninety days. Fresh vacuum packaged subprimals may be stored safely at refrigerated temperatures for up to fourteen days. Fresh vacuum packaged final cuts such as medallions or steaks have a three-day shelf life.
Thaw ostrich meat slowly under refrigeration to ensure top quality and maximize shelf life.

Due to the ostrich’s ideal pH balance, the meat does not attract harmful bacteria like E-coli or salmonella, unlike chicken and other meats.

Suggested Uses for Ostrich meat

Type of Cut	Suggested Uses	Suggested Cooking Methods
Tender Cuts
Inside Strip	Steak	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry
Back Tender	Steak	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry
Fan	Steak, Roast Broil	Grill, Pan Fry, Bake
Top Strip	Steak	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry
Oyster	Steak, Roast	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry, Bake
Outside Strip	Steak, Roast	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry, Bake
Medium Tender Cuts
Pearl	Steak	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry
Tip	Steak, Roast	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry, Bake
Inside Leg	Tenderized Steak, Roast	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry, Bake
Outside Leg	Tenderized Steak, Roast	Broil, Grill, Pan Fry, Bake
Outside Thigh	Tenderized Steak. Roast	Broil, Grill, Bake

NOTE: Low external and internal amounts of fat, along with higher moisture content of ostrich meat demands quicker and shorter cooking procedures. The degree of tenderness of each muscle cut and the size and shape demand thermometer temperature testing for proper cooking.

Cooking Tips for Ostrich Meat

Steaking

If muscle cuts are not large enough for steaking, make butterfly steaks or smaller medallions and fillets, using ends and pieces for stir fry, fajita, kabobs, skewers, etc.

Roasting

Muscle cuts have to be seared or sealed and cooked quite quickly, always checking the temperature for doneness.

Mincing

Leg trim and better muscle trimming blend well---leave some fat included.

Processing and Curing

Full muscles and trim are well suited for hams, pastrami, fresh and smoked sausages, pepperoni, jerky, etc.

Cooking Temperatures

Steaks should be cooked to the likeness of rare to med-rare beef appearance. Internal roasting temperature of 140 degree (F) or rare is when to remove roasts from the oven allowing for hold cooking temperature, cooked ostrich does not hold well for long periods of time.

Preparing this meat is not a mystical process. The only limitation is in the imagination of the chef.

This information has been assembled with the kind assistance and advice of
Chef Dennis Albrect of Shauney's Restaurant in Red Deer Alberta.

Where to buy Ostrich products:

There are a number of places you can buy Ostrich products: directly from the farmer/producers, through retailers, at Farmers' Markets, as well as prepared for you in restaurants.