OK.  So, yes this label says “antelope.”  And, yes, I’m going to eat this meat and so is my family.

I got this from my sister-in-law’s brother (still with me?) who lives in Montana where hunting is akin to, well, it’s something a lot of folks do up there.

A few years ago the thought of eating Bambi’s father (yes, I know, technically not an antelope, but I’m making a point so just go with me here ….) would have saddened me.  Not so much today.  While I still have no desire to, like, put on an orange vest and pull the trigger on one of God’s beautiful creatures, the free-range-organic-meat-lover-on-a-budget in me can certainly find the beauty in accepting the gift laid before me.  Thank you, Jeffrey Johnson.

My freezer is currently stocked with approximately 20 lbs of various forms (burger, steaks, roast) of antelope and I’m pretty stoked about it. 

What does antelpe taste like?  Pretty much the same as beef, but with a slightly stronger flavor.  It’s not “gamey” like venison or other game meats I’ve eaten, although I can smell the difference when I’m handeling it raw.  Once it’s cooked, however, I dare your taste buds to even notice it’s not a more familiar form of red meat.  So far my family has happily consumed antelope in the form of cheeseburgers, fajitas and spaghetti sauce.  Really the only give away is that the antelope meat is so lean (read: really free range) that there is practically no fat after preparation, even from the ground burger.  Good stuff Maynard.

I originally got online to see about gamey-blogs for good recipes, but as this meat isn’t really a stress for my palet, I’ve resorted to just treating it like what I already know.  If you know a hunter or can get your hands on something like this, I reccomend it.  The animal led a natural life and now I can feed my family the healthiest meat possible.  Not a bad deal in the end.