Who has ever heard about how nasty and inedible Aoudad sheep are? That didn’t scare off my gorgeous girlfriend from making her first ever kill on our hunt this past weekend! She made a perfect 120yd shot with my 7mm mag and this gorgeous Aoudad ewe was toast! I can’t wait to post about her first bow kill in the months to come.
Anywho, I’m here to dispel the rumors – Aoudad is delicious! However, like all things, the devil is in the details. Some animals – like nilgai – can go straight to the plate after being killed, and be both tender and delicious. Others require more nuanced preparation.
Like all quadrupeds, the shanks of an Aoudad are extremely tough, and so we must braise them in a flavorful cocktail of delicious spices and liquids to melt the gristle between the muscles and thusly infuse the meat with gelatin and flavor packed goodness that will rival any $50 lamb shank plate at a high end restaurant.
Braised Aoudad Shanks
Ingredients
Shanks
- 2 Aoudad hindshanks
- 4 tbsp Olive Oil (or other healthy fat)
- 1 Red Onion
- 4 Bay Leaves dry
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 2 tbsp Rosemary Leaves dry
- 2 tbsp Thyme Leaves
- 1 tbsp Salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp Coarse Ground Pepper or to taste
- 4 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 6 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 cups Stock (Chicken/Beef/Homemade)
- 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
- 12 Kalamata Olives
- 2 tbsp Kalamata Olive Brine
- 1 box Corn Starch (see instructions)
Orzo
- 1 tbsp Sea Salt
- 1 tbsp Fine Ground Black Pepper
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- Start out with a pair of Aoudad hindshanks, cleaned and patted dry. Brown the shanks thoroughly in a skillet and hot oil (tallow, olive, or whatever else you prefer – I used olive this time)
- Chop one whole red onion and add it to your clean, empty braising pot.
- Place the browned shanks atop the onions on the braising pot, and add four bay leaves, one large tablespoon of minced garlic (seriously, this stuff beats the hell out of mincing your own garlic), two tablespoons of rosemary leaves and two tablespoons of thyme leaves.
- Add four tablespoons of soy sauce, six of Worcestershire sauce, two cups of chicken/beef stock, and one cup of Cabernet Sauvignon. Also add a dozen kalamata olives and two tablespoons of brine from the olive jar!
- Bring pot to a boil, then lower heat and braise (basically just simmer it) for five hours.
- Use tongs to remove shanks from pot, and set them aside for a moment. Using a measuring cup, add a third of a cup of water into the measuring cup and start adding/whisking corn starch to the water until the two look like very thick syrup – almost like Elmer’s Glue.
- Slowly start whisking this glue-like starch solution into your braising pot. Remember that the thickening effect of both starch and flour takes a little time to fully manifest, so don’t expect the results to be instant. After about five minutes of whisking and slowly adding more and more, you will see your liquids in the pot start to take on a beautiful gravy consistency. Return shanks to the pot and allow to rest for ten minutes before plating.
- I used orzo seasoned with butter, sea salt, cracked pepper and garlic powder for my bed, but feel free to use polenta, risotto or any of your other favorite carbs. 🙂When preparing the orzo, simply follow the instructions on the packaging, then season as noted above, or go your own direction with it.Enjoy your five star meal made out of an “inedible” animal, and please let me know any questions you might have in the comments below!
