Barbarry sheep as table fare.
Wild Sheep
I know they make a great mount but how do they compare to other game meats?
do you consider possum a game meat.
if so exotic sheep are only a tad worse.
I have had a roast that tasted as close as you can come to beef. I couldn't believe it, but it was good. Made it in a crock pot and it was tender. The backstraps were a bit tough but the taste was good.
We killed a corsican and a dall on a hunt one time in Texas. Butchered it all up and packaged neatly. Once home, thawed out a package and couldn't get over the smell when raw. Couldn't make myself cook it so I chunked all of it.
Go for a blackbuck, they taste good.
There are posts about this - none, if any, are very positive.
It's one of the first game animal threads I have read where 90+% said it was inedible.
Most folks I know who've taken an Auodad have either donated them to a food bank, or had them ground up into burger. We tried cooking it several ways after Millie took her Ram -we werent too pleased with flavor/texture and ended up donating the meat.
What a shame. There was a time when meat was food...period. Now, game meat is largely considered a second-rate ration. Meanwhile, artificially inciminated cattle, hyped up on growth hormones and synthetic appetite enhancers have become the standard by which all other meats are judged.
Most "meats" we consume now have an ingredient label that discloses "up to xx% of total weight comprised of sodium soultion injected into meat for tenderness, flavor and..." Our tastebuds have been tainted by our society. Nutrition no longer has any flavor in our society. The anti's will artificially flavor the tofu they manufacture in such a way that it mimics beef. Then, soy-loafs will be more demanded by our youth than a wild sheep or goat or bird.
Enjoy your next meal no matter what it is. Just remember, what it is defines what you value.
Arctic: I don't think we are saying all game meat is bad.
Matter a fact that's all my children have ever eaten. Antelope, hogs, deer, moose, etc.
However, when it comes to rams they are nasty.
I consider myself a fairly good cook, took my Auodad home and tried several methods of preparation. Some were better than others but end of the day it was/is NOT one of my favorite meats. If I shoot another one I'll donate.
I would rather inject a sodium solution into my old catchers mit.
I've eaten several Rams including Auodad, Texas Dall, Black Hawaiian, Muflon, etc. If they're taken care of, I think they taste fine. I had a Blackbuck that was inedible, and I've had a several deer Whitetail and Muley and Antelope that were inedible. I think a lot depends on what they're eating, and I do all my own butchering. I've had meat processors screw up meat. I had one in Canada make elk inedible.
So if it is donated it is edible????? Just asking.
"However, when it comes to rams they are nasty."
Sage,
That's your opinion. I have never eaten one, but if I did I am hopeful that I could appreciate the "flavor" instead of shunning it. Some people think moldy blue cheese is disgusting? To some it may be, but others can appreciate the flavor and it's complexities.
I do my very best to appreciate all natural food which I can take a personal approach to harvesting. I eat wild plants and animals at every opportunity. There's something about finding or killing food myself that provides a certain satisfaction for me that supercedes the superfifical flavor [often wrongfully] interpreted by tastebuds.
Humans can adapt quickly. Artifical flavors and colors have impacted how we perceive our rations. Most meats we buy at the store are "injected with a solution of....". Over the last few generations I think we have accepted a new standard in food flavor. To me, that is a shame.
So, to your point I understand that you are not "saying all game meat is bad." What I think you are saying is that game meats that taste "gamey" or game meats that present foreign flavors are nasty. "Nasty" is simply the description of an opinion and when it comes to describing the flavor of wild and natural meat, I think it's an unfortunate choice of adjectives. Regardless, we like what we like and I get that. I am just asking the question, why is it that we like what we like???
Hummingbirds like the color red, because it represents a blossom rich in sugary nectar...an ingredient [glucose] which their overactive metabolism desperately needs.
Humans need good, clean protein and iron and vitamin B12 and.... Unfortunately, we are more attracted to the flavor of a deeply marbalized, feedlot-fattened [fatty...mostly saturated] slice of prime rib than a lean and rich audad tenderloin.
I'm not blaming anyone or suggesting anyone's ideas are wrong or unjustified. I'm simply saying that it's worth noting that humans have adapted beyond the point that we recognize and/or appreciate foods for their nutrition value. Instead, we place a greater emphasis on the emotional affect those foods will have one us. Emotions do not sustain a species...the overall health of the species does.
The Earth and most of it's inhabitants would likely be better off without humans anyway, so I just chalk this up to "the natural cycle".
Back in the eighties, I had access to a ranch in West Texas that was loaded with Barbary Sheep and after shooting a medium size ram with a rifle went back a few weeks later to hunt with my bow.
That medium size ram was given to the local food bank in Ft Stockton.
I killed a big old ram with my bow and should have had an idea it going to be just a little tough sharpening my knife twice just to cape it and then twice more to bone out the meat for the pack out.
I cut or sawed through the backstrap to make a couple nice big steaks for the grille that night, wrapped 'em in bacon and cooked to medium rare.
Well that was about the tastiest piece of rubber I have ever tried to gnaw on....talk about making dinner last....it took about five minutes per bite to gnash that meat into something that would go down. It tasted just fine, a bit wild, but tasty. After three successivley smaller and smaller bites my jaw was tired.
Ground up the hindquarters and let me tell you eating a burger with that was like ground rubber bands. Tried making tamales and even they were so chewy there was no way to enjoy it...but it tasted just fine.
Garo
Wow Arctichill you put way too much thought into it. I pretty much hack a chunk off the grilled steak and take a bite, if its good (flavor, texture etc.) then I continue eating. If it tastes horrible to me, I stop eating and eat something else. Sorry, but I'm just simple that way. Oatmeal is really good for you too, but I hate that stuff and will NOT eat it...unless I was starving...which I am not LOL!
Do all hummingbirds like the color red or just the ruby throated subspecies?
Arctic-
Is there any food that you won't eat simply because your senses object?
Have YOU tasted Aoudad? Just a question, don't read anything into it, please.
-Steve
our family has taken several Aoudads thru the years. back wehn i was a kid you could kill 2 in a years time adn the season was all year. That was a long time ago.... anyways, the younger rams and ewes were fine for the most part. We did eat the larger rams as well but they just had to be prepared differently. They all tasted fine. maybe it was just the way my dad cooked the older rams that made them the way they were. Not saying everyone here is wrong in saying they are "nasty" or "rubbery" or whatever. just saying that my opinion and experiance with them is very different. Also, on a side note. id never donate a food to anyone that i would not eat myself. Not hating im just saying if its not good enough for me to eat then why would i pass it to someone else?
I'd echo Mike: donating meat that you wouldn't eat yourself seems pretty rude if you ask me.
With regards to eating sheep, I'm not sure why everybody says it tastes so bad. I'm a VERY picky eater and don't like most seasonings, spicy foods, etc. I'm always reading that folks say Barbary, Javelina & even Pronghorn are terrible to eat. But every single one I've had has been great.
I'll admit Barbary is tough: even tenderloin was too tough for steak and I ground it into burger. But as ground meat I'll say the 3 Barbary's I've been blessed to take (one very large/old ewe, 1 medium ewe and 1 large/old ram) as well as the half dozen sheep close friends have gotten have all tasted excellent when ground into burger.
For those who say it's bad, are you butchering/deboning immediately to get the meat cool?
I always use the gutless method, which results in the meat beginning to cool off very quickly and the results have always been great.
I also believe that some guys convince themselves that the meat is less than stellar table fare as an excuse to not pack it all out.
My friend said he broke his favorite knife trying to cut through the backstrap. I'll "donate" some to anyone once I kill one of them.
+1 Arctichill.
My brother in law shot 5 deer this year. Ya know how many he ate... 0, that's right zero. He does give them to less fortunate friends though. His wife won't let it be cooked in the house. She likes her heart attack in a sack burger. I have not shot a barbarry sheep but if I did I would sure eat it if i did.
Also I WOULD NOT donate an animal I would not eat myself.
i choked down a corsican ram breakfast sausage patty 2 years ago, that was a week into eating nothing but red hot dogs.
Summer sausage is what I do with all of the real gamey stuff.
Well for one thing Aoudad is not a sheep, nor a goat, and comes from Africa. They are like a pronghorn, they are their own species. I took a mature Aoudad ewe and butchered her completely and it was pretty good. Couldn't tell much difference from most whitetail. If you are hunting for meat, then your better tasting are Axis and Blackbuck. Meat from sheep is edible, and is just like all game. If it's warm you want to cool it down quick, either by hanging it in a walkin cooler or skinning and quartering it withing several hours. I wouldn't say sheep meat has a bad flavor, it's just tough, even the loins. Also, just like all game meat, to improve flaver and tenderness, remove all fat and silver skin and never cut into the bone with a saw.
make sheep into sauage and jerky spicey it kills the musty taste
Aoudad (Barbary sheep) is not a true sheep, and does not have the same flavor. Those posting about corsicans are off base - they are different families of animals and taste completely different. Aoudad tastes fine, but can be very tough meat on old males or old ewes. Young ewes and rams are fine in both flavor and tenderness. Is it my favorite exotic, no, but it's nowhere near as bad as the feral rams (corsican, tx dall, hawaiian, etc). If you let it sit in the hot sun, or skin on in the back of the truck, of course it's going to be tough on the palate, but that applies to any game.
The packout was a bit intense!
The packout was a bit intense!
The taste and texture of the meat though is simply wonderful!
The taste and texture of the meat though is simply wonderful!
It's taken me a number of years to be able to chime back in on this subject. I've never drawn a Barbary Sheep tag. I ate some Barb [a 3-year old ewe] that a friend of mine killed and had professionally processed. It was awesome. I finally was able to harvest a young ram with an OTC tag. Unfortunately, I shot this animal late in the day and it fell off a treacherous cliff. Despite my best intentions, I could not access the animal until the following morning. Luckily, the temps were cold. In any case, the quality of meat from this particular animal is literally spectacular!
My experience has been that Barbary sheep/aoudad are really good. Have eaten both rams and ewes. I get them skinned and cooled as fast as possible and do my own butchering. It's better than oryx, in my opinion.
Have also had good luck with muflon and other sheep crosses if you skin them right and cool them quickly.
Several years for a see I told you so. Impressive indeed.
Perhaps one of the things missing from responses is what area the animal was shot and what is the main food source?
I have heard from people that antelope are horrible. When I ask them where they hunted, they told me New Mexico. I have killed antelope in Wyoming several times and the meat is excellent!
Where I kill them in Wyoming they are eating on winter wheat primarily. Possibly in New Mexico they are eating off of sage brush?
I think regional influences can have an impact on the good vs bad aspect of the meat.
They have Barbary Sheep in Wyoming?
I've eaten it a few times....one was inedible. It depends on age, what they eat and the rut. An old ram in the rut has everything working against him.
I can't remember some of the hunts I went on many years ago but I will never forget the Hawaiian sheep I ate at a buddies home 20+ yrs ago on the big island. OMG, TERRIBLE.....the smell alone triggered my gag reflex...and the flavor...lets just say its "An acquired taste". It took everything I had just to keep it down.
I usually have my kids go through their toys every Christmas and give all the broken toys and stuff they don't want to the needy. ;) Some of you guys are amazing.
Great! Tough, but great! Tasted just like mooo cow steak but milder.
LMBO LINK! : ) But in their defense.............................................most people that get their meat from a food bank are not too picky! ;-)
Somehow Barbary Goat doesn't sound as sexy, even if it is more accurate. When I think of goat, I think of...chorizo, pulled meat, stew, etc. Agree with posters that you shouldn't expect all meat to taste the same. We've all eaten mutton, right? Wouldn't want to eat it every day, but every once in a while it's ok. Toughness and strong flavor demand seasoning and cooking approaches that are appropriate for the animal and cut. There are probably hunters/chefs on this site that would have you coming back for seconds on goat. Now the flavor of a big old stinky boar, that might get through almost everything but sausage. And even Alaska makes an exception for Brownies for the rule about not 'wasting' any meat, correct? Plus how you kill and what you do (or don't) from then on are probably almost as important to the food quality as what kind of animal. Though probably the best meat I've eaten from any particular wild animal species is relatively young 'uns.
Stickflicker.....I was referring to Antelope from Wyoming....
The New Mexico pronghorn I had last nite was excellent. I have also ate one from Oklahoma. Also excellent.
I have killed 2 in Texas (Mouflan mix & a Corsican). I made arrangements ahead of time to give the meat away if I shot "any" sheep. I've had tastes of sheep b/4 & it is NOT FOR ME nor is Goat or Lamb. (I would not survive in the middle east). I love ham but not fond of a Pork Roast either.. I have no intentions of ever shooting a Sheep again but if I did, It would be given away. The people I gave these to had big families & I asked how they prepared. They said "TACO Meat".... They were happy & I was glad to help.. That is the only animal I have ever taken that I did not eat.. I've had friends that have taken sheep in Tx. & "none" have cared for the meat & said "never again"..
Shot a 3 or 4 year old Barbary ewe this year. I had pretty low expectations, but I grilled up some backstrap steaks just to see and they were pretty good. A couple bites tasted a little sheepy, but most of it tasted just like deer. Hopefully I'll get a ram in the next couple years to compare. If it tastes like most people say it will, it'll end up as jerky.
"Stickflicker.....I was referring to Antelope from Wyoming...."
Sorry, I had missed that you had changed the topic from Barbary Sheep to Antelope. I've had the exact opposite experience with Antelope. I've killed a dozen from AZ and NM, most were taken in near 100 degree heat eating desert plants, and all have been delicious. I've taken a number of them in WY in very cold temperatures, some with instant deaths due to firearms and even eating alfalfa, and it was the only inedible meat I've ever had.
As far as wild sheep/goats, my desert bighorn was the only one I've ever eaten, and it is delicious. Haven't had the opportunity to try Barbary Sheep yet.
A lot of folks don't like mutton. I shot a mature Barbados ram and was told they weren't any good. I did cut some of the loin out and brought it home. My wife and I liked it but we love lamb. It was stronger flavored. I shot a very old feral Spanish goat where I live. It was vial smelling in the outside. I skinned it out cleaned it and washed it in my garage. I had a young friend from El Salvador that I gave it too. A bunch of Hispanic friends were having a camp out and he took it there. After a month of not hearing from him I called about the meat. He said he was the hero of the camp out. He said the women made all kinds of great dishes with the meat. He said it was fantastic. Sometimes if someone else cooks something and sets it down in front of you instead of you cooking it helps.
Many might cringe at the thought, but I actually ate some small cuts from this recent Barbary Sheep raw. It was terrific. Despite the natural tendency to assume raw meat is likely to make one sick, I put some thought/research into it prior to the first bite. Obviously it would be reckless to consume pork or bear [which might contain trichinosis] raw, or even under-cooked. What's the risk with consuming raw, fresh, wild game meat from any other healthy, free-ranging ungulate though?
I don't mean to get off-topic, but regarding barbs I've now eaten meat off two different animals [one ewe and one young ram] and both have been fantastic. I've eaten heavily seasoned tacos/burgers, lightly seasoned steaks and even raw meat with absolutely no seasoning.
As far as the comment pertaining to the "rut", Barbary Sheep breed year round. There really is no "rut". Females of the species are sexually mature and able to be impregnated at 6 months of age. Mature males breed year-round at every opportunity. The gestation period of a Barbary Sheep is only 4 months. Theoretically, a female could give birth three times in one year.
I know that bighorns are the real prized sheep for most hunters, but these Barbary Sheep are really impressive. They occupy some brutal terrain. They are extremely resilient [very unlike bighorn sheep who practically die if they make visual contact with a domestic sheep]. They require no access to standing, liquid water for their survival. They'll eat anything.
To those who will attack my praise of this species....you are correct that they are not native. These animals were introduced from the Barbary Coast of Africa. I'm not saying barbs are "better" than other species, but they certainly deserve some respect as elusive survivors.
Barbary Souvlaki, a little tough but not any tougher then some elk that I have eaten, still delicous.
Barbary Souvlaki, a little tough but not any tougher then some elk that I have eaten, still delicous.
I have only had Barbary ewe meat and for the most part it was pretty good although I do admit some pieces were fairly tough but some were very tender. IMO the flavor was far from intolerable, in the last week I have eaten barb at least 4 times, burritos, souvlaki, grilled burgers, I even ate the heart which was actually really good, I woofed it down like a starving dog. I imagine a Ram is in my future and can't wait to give it a try, for sure the grinder will take care of most of it.
Green chile cheese Barb burgers off the grill
Green chile cheese Barb burgers off the grill
Sautéed Barb heart with cous cous, nothing special but I suprised my self with this dish.
Sautéed Barb heart with cous cous, nothing special but I suprised my self with this dish.
barbary ewes are great,however rams are rank. Most trophy hunters and guides take only cape and horns.
Was on an Elk hunt in NM a few years back and my guide/cook made spaghetti with a meat sauce the first night out. He sais the meat was from a Barbary ram he'd killed earlier in the year...tasted great to me.
Damn Hammer Swinger those are some great looking plates for food photos!!!!
People say antelope sucks it is GREAT and I have eaten off of 50 of them....My Big ole mountain Billy goat was a little tough but had a GREAT flavor and was sorry when it was gone I like it all ...nothing beats Oryx had it tonight.... least favorite is deer BUUUUT will eat it with relish....... your eating wild game...relish it all..... Artichill has a great tenderizer technique and plans to shoot for a 500 foot cliff crash...
Was on an Elk hunt in NM a few years back and my guide/cook made spaghetti with a meat sauce the first night out. He sais the meat was from a Barbary ram he'd killed earlier in the year...tasted great to me.
Dave Kaden: that would be illegal here in NM, although I have no doubt that there are "trophy hunters & guides" who only take the cape and horns.
For the record between me and daughter we've killed and eaten: 28", 24" & 23" rams and 21", 18", 15" & 14" ewes. All delicious table fare. Tough, so we have all the meat ground into burger. We have senstive taste buds and use very little seasoning, so it's not like we're drowning the flavor and choking it down. A little salt & a dash of seasoning and it's great. I have a handful of close friends who have killed 8-10 between them who also found the meat to be delicious.
I have no doubt that if the meat isn't taken care of properly - cooled down and kept clean - that it might not be good, but that goes for any other game animal.
Barbary and elk are two meats that I have no worries about giving to my non-hunting friends to try. Without exception I've received rave reviews as to how good it tastes.
A question was raised why someone would donate meat they would not eat.
I would not eat bell pepper unless very hungry and nothing else at hand. I would donate bell pepper and the bell pepper would be nutritious and safe to consume.
What am I missing and why would I be rude to donate what I would have no desire to eat?
"What am I missing and why would I be rude to donate what I would have no desire to eat?"
Some people cannot comprehend the need of others.
If someone doesn't want to eat the meat I think donating the meat is an awesome gesture, one would hope that the field care of the donated meat remains at a high level so that the less fortunate isn't trying to consume meat that the hunter wouldn't eat themselves.
lol thanks to the posts above. There are people begging for food out there. Donating it if you don't like it, trust me someone is happy to get it. That being said, only thing meat I ever gave the whole thing away of was a goat from hawaii. I tried the backstraps and gave the rest away. I'm one of those that think sheep and goats taste like a woolly sweater that's been laying at the farm.
Nothing wrong with donating something you won't eat, just as there is nothing wrong with donating something that you consider edible.
