The hunting of wild-harvested
animals for commercial purposes is
also highly regulated as explained in
the ‘National Code of Practice for
the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos
and Wallabies’. Shooters must pass
a competency test and prove their
accuracy to obtain a licence. They are
required to make an ethical, instant
kill – one bullet to the brain – to
ensure the animals do not suffer.
Paperwork is strictly controlled
and Lang must keep records of each
product he receives, who and where
it came from, the date received, and
the temperature the product arrived
at. Farmed animals such as venison
and emu must be delivered live to
an abattoir and processed on the
premises in accordance with AS
4696-2007 Hygienic Production and
Transportation of Meat and Meat
Products for Human Consumption.
Rabbits, crocodiles and ratites
(f lightless birds) have their own
specific codes of conduct to be
adhered to.
The deer from Lang’s farm are sent
to an abattoir before being returned to
his PrimeSafe-registered establishment,
where he hangs the carcasses and then
breaks them up into relevant cuts.
Venison occasionally ends up as his
dinner. He says the dark red meat tastes
much the same as beef but the grain cuts
are finer being a smaller animal. He
recommends marinating it in red wine,
olive oil and pepper the night before,
then cooking it quickly on the barbecue
until it’s medium rare. “If you overcook
it, it will shrink up as there’s no fat in it.”Cooking with game
“Anyone can cook a piece of steak,
beef or pork, but serving up venison
or kangaroo [adds a] bit of a wow
factor. That’s what people are looking
for when they have dinner parties.,”
Riskas says. He eats capretto (goat)
curries regularly and likens the meat
to “really sweet lamb”. Rabbit he also
enjoys and admits that although it
has a distinctive f lavour, it’s not really
‘gamey’ and is beautiful in stews.He sells crocodile kebabs and
concedes the meat should be matched
with a sauce as it doesn’t have much
taste. Kangaroo meat f lavour is
dependent on gender, breed, age and
colour but Riskas describes it as tender
and silky with a very rich f lavour. He
recommends it be seared on a really
hot skillet and eaten as rare as possible,
accompanied with a port wine jus.
Or, for something super simple,
Lang sells sausages made with game
meat. Fanciful f lavour combinations
include venison and juniper berry, wild
boar with apple and sage, and camel
chorizo. He will throw them on the
barbecue when he is entertaining for
something a little different to present to
his guests.
For authentic paddock-to-plate
meals, a bush tucker tour is an
ideal option. If that’s not possible, a
successful dining experience is ensured
if exotic meats are cooked quick and
served medium rare to ensure moisture
is maintained – if you’re game enough
to try.