Chef Alex chose as his culinary theme, "the lion lies down with the lamb"...quite literally, I must add. In this case, the bed for the two animals was a Weber grill. The lamb roast was seasoned to perfection with a rub that contained mint, oregano, bay leaf, and other herbs/spices...the lion was ground and formed into patties--that's right, lion burgers--African lion. The source for the more exotic of the two: Czimers Game & Seafood (http://www.czimers.com/).
You are probably thinking:
Is it legal? Yes it is.
I bet it is tough, dry and gamey tasting. No, it was well marbled, moist and had a flavor somewhere between beef and pork sausage with a "seasoned" taste--yet all the chef added was salt and pepper--no sauces or cheese or other condiments.
I'd have to smother it in ketchup or mustard. Not really. We each ate an unadorned burger on a simple bun and it was flavorful by itself--allowing us to appreciate it on its own merits.
Didn't you have ethical/moral issues? Not particularly. I mean, would a lion have issues eating me if I happened to be too far off the path in the African savannah?
Would you eat it again? Perhaps--I won't go out of my way to get it, but if the chance presents itself, sure, I'm game! Live a little, I say.
After munching on lion, we got to savor exquisitely grilled lamb. At one point, I suggested placing a chunk of the lamb on top of one of the cucumber sandwiches on a nearby tray. Mmm, Mmm, good!
There you have it. Taking a risk, once in awhile, can be exciting and tasty too.
Any questions or concerns? Did I miss something? Let me know.
Chef G
You've covered it all! I must agree that as an attendee to the Festival of Proud Americans, I was as delighted as you were with the results of the lion and lamb tasting!
ReplyDelete