Game Meats

If I had to classify my way of eating it would be flexatarian – meat a couple times per week with other protein sources like beans and lentils filling in the rest of the time. Hands down, one of the best ways you can slash your carbon footprint is by consuming less meat. But when you need a red meat fix, consider game meats like elk, bison, venison and emu.

Some of the many benefits of these wonderful meats over the conventional, factory farm stuff include:

• Superior flavor
• Less heart-hampering saturated fat and more heart-chummy omega fats
• Much lower risk of food poisoning
• Lower impact on the environment
• Support for small-scale livestock farmers

If you want to learn more about the perks of game meats, here is a link to an article I wrote on the subject:
http://www.alive.com/4346a12a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=450

One of the most common responses when I tell people to try game meats is something along the lines of: “No way man, that’s too weird for me.”

Which is crazy. If most people had any clue about how their steaks are being raised these days (i.e. cows living in a pile of manure and stuffed with genetically modified corn and soy that their digestive systems were never meant for) there would be an unprecedented run on tofu.

Here’s an excellent article from the New York Times about the ridiculous way in which ground beef is being produced: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hp

Here in Waterloo, Ontario we are blessed to have a local emu farmer. His excellent ground dinosaur meat is the star of the show in this flavor-packed chili. Of course, you can use other ground meats, but I implore you to avoid the bland shrink-wrapped Franken-meat at the megamart.

Emu Chocolate Chili













1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pound emu or other ground meat
1 carrot, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dark beer
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 5.5 oz can tomato paste
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 19 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 19 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook onions until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add meat and cook until browned throughout. Add carrot, red pepper and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chili, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Add dark beer and simmer for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes plus juices, tomato paste, cocoa powder, kidney beans and black beans; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.