Instructions
It has often been noted that Australia is the only country that eats its coat of arms. Not the shield bit in the middle, the emu and the kangaroo.
The Yanks wouldn’t touch a barbecued bald eagle, the Spaniards avoid roast lion, and as for the Poms? No way. Personally I’d be happy to try some deep-fried unicorn but the last place I saw one was in a tattoo on a hippie girl who smelled kind of like how I imagine a unicorn might taste.
Really, who wears patchouli without a deep sense of irony?
I don’t really go in for roo. I mean, I’ve eaten a whole bunch of it, but it’s powerfully gamey, and rarely tender. It’s just not great in my opinion.
Wallaby, however, is a whole different ball game. It’s delicious. In fact I’d go so far as to say it’s the best meat I’ve had in years. Tell that to your Wagyu cows!
From a zoological perspective this is hard to understand. After all, kangaroos are macropods, and the term ‘wallaby’ is simply a generic name for macropods that are smaller in size than described kangaroos and wallaroos.
In part, the answer lies in diet and distribution. For example, the best wallaby meat in Australia comes from Flinders Island in Bass Strait, an exposed and mountainous land-form with salt-brushed grasses, limited forest and no predators. The Bennet wallaby who inhabit the island are able to feast themselves on a mineral-rich diet while leading a stress-free life.
And this is the key to making most meats great. Stress in animals creates lactic acid in the muscle structure which renders the cooked meat tougher and slightly sour. Free-range meats will always taste better for exactly this reason.
By contrast kangaroos inhabit dingo-prone areas, human-intensive farmlands, and are often found in marginal habitats where food is less abundant.
As with kangaroo, wallaby meat can be lean. But the wallaby from Flinders Island challenges this stereotype. It has good marbling within the muscle, and becomes tender and rich when roasted. The porterhouse and fillets are the best cuts for grilling and roasting, although the tail makes an excellent soup, much like a traditional osso bucco.
Guess you better hop along to your butcher and ask for some, eh?
Barbecued wallaby with orange gremolata and capsicum puree