KANGAROO TAIL STEW (OR OXTAIL FOR SOMETHING LESS SCARY)
Here’s something I never thought someone would say to me: “Sweetie, I’ve got some kangaroo tail for you in the fridge.” …For me? I don’t recall wanting kangaroo tail, or asking for it. Some men give their girlfriends and wives flowers or chocolates, but I should have known by now that The Roommate is not your stereotypical romantic. I was half expecting a macabre sight, a dismembered roo tail with the fur still on it, shoved unceremoniously onto one of the shelves in the fridge like some kind of weird taxidermy precursor. Please, please, please don’t let there still be fur on it, I said to myself. Thankfully, it was already skinned and cut up into chunks - if I hadn’t already been told, I wouldn’t even have known it was kangaroo meat. It really just looked like pieces of oxtail. At which point I immediately changed my mind about it and thought, “I can’t wait to cook this.” So I guess The Roommate does know what I like after all.
Unsurprisingly, there weren’t that many recipes online for kangaroo tail stew - none that looked appetizing anyway. So my next resort, since I know nothing about kangaroo meat other than that it’s extremely lean and not heavily flavoured, was to substitute it for oxtail, for which there are an abundance of recipes online. Maybe even too many recipes. So I did what I normally do when faced with too many variations - mash up a couple of different recipes and hope for the best.
Kangaroo tail: not as scary as you might think.
As with any other lean meats, the key to achieving that fall-off-the-bone texture is cooking it slowly for a long time over low heat. Otherwise you’ll end up chewing on what essentially feels like a boiled leather shoe and end up with lockjaw. Okay maybe not lockjaw since that’s technically tetanus, but you get the gist.
The other thing about kangaroo tail is that there is a LOT of sinew covering the meat. Unless your butcher has done so already, you’re going to want to pick these bits off (yes, with your hands), otherwise it’ll be too chewy/tough/generally unpleasant to eat. And yes, the idea of picking off strings of sinew from a kangaroo tail is probably hugely unappealing to many, but if you’re going to cook the meat, you’re going to have to handle the meat, okay? Touching it won’t kill or harm you unless you stick your finger in your eye/mouth/other orifice without washing it first for some reason.
Another must-do step is to flour then brown the meat before doing anything else. Browning the meat creates a nice seal to lock all the moisture in, and let’s face it, makes it look nicer than grey boiled meat. Rolling the meat in flour before browning not only adds extra colour, but the flour goes a long way in helping to thicken the sauce/gravy later on so you don’t end up with a watery stew. Other than that, the method is extremely straightforward and near impossible to mess up. Just make sure to check on it at regular intervals in case you need to add more liquid and to give things a gentle stir to prevent sticking.
Whenever I experiment with a completely new recipe, I make sure to set the bar LOW (basically aiming for “not revolting”) just to manage expectations. This is a necessary tactic not just because I personally don’t deal well with gastronomic failures (ask anyone who’s witnessed my multiple attempts at making croissants), but also because I live with someone who treats eating bad food like a personal insult to their very existence.
Thankfully, perhaps in part due to the very low bar I set for this, we were both genuinely astonished when we had our first taste. It was the perfect stew in both flavour and texture, and I’m not someone who normally likes stew at all. I mean I kind of wish I was able to make this in the winter instead of in the middle of a late-spring 30C degree heatwave (sweaty stew-eating is not a good look), but other than that minor detail it really hit the spot. First kangaroo dish, check. I feel more Aussie already.
Ingredients:
1.5-2kg kangaroo tail (or oxtail)
Roughly 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium brown onions, diced
1 leek, halved lengthwise and chopped
400g fresh ripe vine tomatoes, chopped
1 generous cup red wine
2-3 cups beef broth
Small bunch fresh parsley & thyme (you can tie them up with some cooking string/butchers twine)
3-4 bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
1. Remove strands of sinew from kangaroo tail if necessary. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, season the meat with salt and pepper, then roll in flour to coat lightly.
2. Once the oil is hot enough, sear the meat on all sides until nicely browned. Remove the meat using a slotted spoon or tongs and set aside.
3. In the same pot, add the onions, carrots and leek. Cook until golden, about 7-10 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook for another minute or two. Return the meat to the pot, then pour in the red wine and broth until the meat is barely covered. Add the bay leaves, parsley and thyme. Give everything a good stir, then once it comes to a rapid simmer, turn down heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for at least 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Check and stir every 30 minutes or so to prevent sticking. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or rice. Or whatever else you want!