Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
Ostrich:
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
- Salt
- ½ lemon, juice
- 2 4-ounce (113 g) ostrich loin pieces, 1 ½-inch (2.5 cm) thick
- Oil, for the grill
Pickled Cape Gooseberries:
- ½ cup (120 ml) white vinegar
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) Cape gooseberries, cut in half
Monkey Gland Sauce:
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Oil, for cooking
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine vinegar
- 1 cup (240 ml) prepared demi-glace
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150 ml) South African fruit chutney
- 1 cup (240 ml) Cape gooseberries, husks removed
- Salt and pepper
Rooibos Glazed Carrot:
- 4 rooibos tea bags
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) hot water
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter, cold and cubed
- 6 carrots, with the greens still on
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) parsley, chiffonade
Method:
For the Ostrich:
In a mortar and pestle, make a marinade by combining shallots, garlic, black pepper, salt, and lemon juice. Crush with pestle until smooth. Continue grinding with the pestle and slowly stream in olive oil to form an emulsified paste.
Rub the marinade all over ostrich steaks and marinate for 2 hours.
Heat grill over medium-high heat.
Oil the grill, add the marinated steaks, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until char marks start to form.
Flip the steaks and cook for 2 more minutes. Flip, turning the steaks 90 degrees from the first set of marks to make cross-hatch grill marks, cook for 1 minute.
Flip, turning again and cook for 2 more minutes, or until medium rare, or until a probe thermometer registers an internal temperature of 145 F (63 C). If needed, move to indirect heat to prevent excessive charring.
Let rest for 10 minutes.
For the Pickled Cape Gooseberries:
Warm vinegar, water and sugar in a small pot over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat and refrigerate until completely cool.
Pour over cape goose berries in a container and marinate for at least 2 hours.
For the Monkey Gland Sauce:
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and sweat until translucent.
Add the tomato paste and cook out the raw flavor, around 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with white wine vinegar and cook for 1 minute.
Add the demi-glace and fruit chutney, bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes to allow aromatics to infuse into the sauce.
Strain the sauce into a new clean saucepan and reduce to desired consistency.
Add the Cape gooseberries and warm through until tender. When tender, lightly crush half of them with a fork.
Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm for serving.
For the Rooibos Glazed Carrot:
Steep the teabags in the hot water for 30 minutes to infuse.
Discard tea bags and add the tea to a skillet over medium high heat. Add honey and reduce by half.
Prepare the carrots: Cut the greens of the carrots to 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths and cut the carrots to 2-inch (5 cm) lengths. Wash the greens well to make sure they are free of any dirt, then use a peeler to trim the carrot into a ‘turned’ shape, 2 inches (5 cm) long, and ¾-inch (18 mm) thick.
Blanch the trimmed carrots in boiling salted water for 3 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the blanched carrots to the skillet with the rooibos reduction and bring to a full boil for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter to glaze.
Season with salt and pepper and add parsley.
Keep warm.
Before serving, baste the carrots with the glaze.
To Serve:
Cut ostrich steaks into 3 medallions.
Place two spoonfuls of sauce on left and right of white plate.
Place a medallion of ostrich over both, grill marks at the top and exposing the red interior.
Place 3rd medallion in the middle, laid out flat to expose the medium rare color.
Spoon more sauce over top.
Place 2 carrots between the medallions and 1 behind the meat.
Add pickled goose berries in mounds where desired.