South Africans and their meat, you really don’t want to come between the two.

Of course this is 2016, and most of us carnivores are up for trying something a little different when it comes to the food we consume.

You may not be entirely familiar with the taste of a good ostrich steak, or if you are maybe you haven’t really taken the reins when it comes to preparing it.

Well given that it’s winter and spending a night in is often the order of the day, how about a fresh take on ostrich that’s actually pretty easy to follow?

Peter Goffe-Wood, kitchen whizz and Masterchef judge, is letting us in on some of his secrets during the Weber Winter Braai Series. Next up is one that’s a little out the box – ostrich steaks with mango and tamarind curry.

Seriously, just take a look at that picture up top and try to pretend that you’re not salivating just a little.

Time to get stuck in…

Ingredients

One kilogram of ostrich steak at 250g each for four people
Two tablespoons of tamarind pulp (easier to locate than you think)
One tablespoon of cumin seeds
One onion chopped
Two cloves of carlic
Two red chillis
Two tablespoons of mustard seeds
Two tablespoons of turmeric
Two tablespoons of treacle sugar
Two cups of water
Two mangoes ( fresh or dried)

Method:

Dissolve tamarind pulp in a cup of hot water
Toast cumin seeds in the oven and pop in the blender
Add garlic, chilli, onions and turmeric and blend until smooth
Fry mustard seeds in some olive oil on the pan until they start to pop
Add in the garlic and tamarind mixture
Cook it into a smooth paste and add two cups of water, then add the sugar
Reduce the mixture down until its thick and chunky for around 20 minutes, but don’t add mango yet
Take it off the heat, and only then add the mango.
Leave it off the stove – the residual heat will warm the mango
Add salt and pepper to taste

For The Ostrich:

Use the direct coal method on the Weber
DON’T cook past medium, because the lack of fat in this meat will destroy the flavour.
Stick to medium rare for optimal taste
Remove from the coals and serve in individual portions with dollops of the mango and tamarind curry.

Got all that? Of course you do, but maybe you prefer to listen to someone running you through the process verbally. Over to Peter Goffe-Wood then, with this podcast part of the Weber Winter Braai Series.

Tune in to 2OV Radio every Wednesday between 14:00 and 15:15 to keep up to date with what the chef extraordinaire has in store for us.

Enjoy that tasty volstruis – life is good.