Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Best safari steak?

I wanted to paralel this thread on the best steakk you've ever had.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11023888/Re:_Best_steak_you've_ever_had#Post11023888

Lord Derby eland filets in Cameroon.

Kudu liver, RSA

Eland for sure!

I'm a springbok guy myself. Wasn't smart enough to take pictures.

Zebra for me.

Unquestionably it was the Leopard....Best of ten species

Hands down Eland for me.

Mike

That is the cat in you! What does the dog lover like.


BTW at big +1 on Springbok. Had plenty of that on a proper braii.

Gemsbok 2nd choice.

I would have never thought so, but I have to agree with Ingwe.

Make mine Zebra please. A Iittle on the medium side!

dons70

Kudu for me.

Eland, for sure.

Never had eland, have heard it's fantastic. If it is any better than the gemsbok steaks I've eaten I'd have to taste it to believe it. The Hartman's zebra steaks were out of this world good too, followed closely by springbok and kudu steaks.

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Buffalo steak for dinner and impala liver with eggs for breakfast. I can also tell you what the worst I've ever had was...hippo. Tough, poor flavor, and fatty and greasy as hell.

I've had to Braie more meat in my life then I can count. There should be some type of culinary award for the PH's across the whole of Southern Africa that stand over a burning pile of coals in the evenings to sear the multitude of species we are required to prepare!

I've done Braie's with Elephant, Rhino, giraffe, for some of the more unusual and then the more typical species as well, of course!

Having eaten my fair share of game I think that the Black Wildebeest, eland, Cow Gemsbok, Nyala ewes, Springbok, Doves, and impala must rank near the top. At the other end of the scale is Waterbuck, Francolin, and old male Warthogs.

Some guys like different things for sure. I've had people that think Kudu and Gemsbok are the best meats on earth, and others that did not like the Kudu at all? Kudu falls someplace in the middle for me.

Funny thing about the Zebra, that fat they have is quite unique. It's as Yellow as a Crayola crayon. I think 100% of the hunters that see this for the first time comment on it. It's not a very tasty fat either. We are very meticulous to remove all of it from the meat when eaten. One reason we do not utilize the meat from the Zebra's very much.

Plus, shooting an eland a week before clients arrive is enough meat for the next month of hunting camp, no need to struggle when there is 700-1000lbs of meat hanging in the Locker!

Not being argumentative, as you have loads more experience than I have, but the plains zebras had this yellow fat as you describe, and no steaks were served from it either. The Hartman's Mtn zebras on the other hand did not have this yellow fat, and were very, very tasty.....after I was talked into eating it.

I've had steaks from a number of different African animals over the years, and would rate eland, springbok and black wildebeest as the best, with several others not far behind, including gemsbok, impala, kudu and zebra. Of course, like all game it depends on the individual animal and how they're prepared. Have had some of them "impaired" by over-cooking, and have eaten others not on the list that when prepared well were also good, such as hartebeest.

Black Wildebeest for me......tho we had some darn fine steaks at the Afton House!

Crocodile steaks at the Crocodilian Inn.

Eland, wildebeest, and other antelope were close runner ups.

Crocodile steaks at the Crocodilian Inn.

Eland, wildebeest, and other antelope were close runner ups.

Poorest safari faire?

Never found warthog palpable. I even tried to bbq is Southern style. Tough and tasteless. Maybe a young on would work but the old boars are nasty.

Eland followed by gemsbok for best steaks.

Not much better anywhere, IMO.

Another vote for eland steaks!

Eland for sure, with Oryx and Zebra a close second.
Glad I tried Leopard, but can't say I liked it.

Leopard, seriously??? Eland steaks for me, followed by kudu, but we did like the zebra tenderloin and mealie..

As a rule, I don't eat things that can eat me. Maybe I'm counting on professional courtesy if it every gets to that?

I don't do predators OR rodents

Lion wasn't bad but bushpig tenderloin was the best.

That was my favorite as well!

I figured it would be "sirlion".

Eland
Gemsbuck
Bushbuck

Zebra filet in mushroom sauce with carmelized baby onions.

Wildebeest and eland.

Best I ever had was back straps from a dagga boy. They marinated them for a day, in what I don't know, and they were tasty and tender. Never tried eland.

I had some Eland steaks and hamburger from a Texas killed Eland and it was very very good!

Hands down, giraffe.

Elk hunter, That's an interesting twist to this. I too have had eland from Texas and I could not tell a taste difference from the Africa fed animals. However Kudu is a more distinct taste. The Kudu steaks I've eaten from Texas were not exactly the same taste as those from Africa. I guess that is based on the diet they have in Texas. Kudu being browsers eating the leaves must be enough different then they have in Africa. Where the Eland being grazers utilizing the grasses the Steaks were identical.

Guess grass is grass but leaves are much different at developing the flavor?

Eland gets my vote.

Thick eland t-bones cooked rare on the braai for me!

Sitting around the grill chugging a couple beverages while the meat sizzles. Doesn't get any better than that!

Eland. absolutely Eland.

Impala was a fine second and Zebra fillet was definitely tastey!

I believe you are correct. I've eaten mule deer (not my favorite) that came from some high mountain meadows that was decent but the mule deer I've eaten that lived mostly in sage country was plain old nasty.
The Axis deer I hunt in the Texas hill country are as good eating as any wild game I've ever had and they are grazers as well as browsers and will and do eat nearly anything. This is the reason you will almost never kill an Axis that's not fat and slick no matter the range conditions. They out compete WT deer and are taking over many traditional WT ranges. Excellent eating animals though.

Zebra grilled by only John Sharp!

The image makes me yearn...

I thought the ellie wasn't too bad (it was a roast though), although is smelled like rotten meat, it had a nice tender flavor that melted in your mouth.

I have always heard eland is the best, but I have never tried it.

Buff - okay, but tough
Ostrich - ugh!

BH63

I like Hartebeest chops, Mountain Zebra schnitzel, Sticky Croc and elephant cheeks.
Game is good in Africa. Not a big fan of African beef.

I recognize that campfire. I will second JG Raider on the mountain zebra. It blew me away. But then Danie is pretty handy on the braai.

timeoff.....ain't it a great place to be, around the fire at Kowas? I'm going back for more in August.

I warned your azz before your first trip. This is what #4 since I last went to Africa. You're gonna O.D.!

MY favorite was a grilled mountain reedbuck that I'd shot a few days prior - that's in camp.

Our last night we went to dinner n PE and I had Ostrich - absolutely delicious!!

Cape Buff tail for me.

Yes you did, I will admit, but I thought I had more will power than that......wrong! My kids haven't had Christmas since 2012 as a result. You're akin to the drug lords in MX around my house......safari lord?

Sure must have a draw for some folks. I liken it to the extreme draw that AK has for the wife and I!

4 trips since 2012 is cool!

We've been lucky not to miss AK in a long enough time I can't remember and will hopefully be moving in a few years!

rost, I've never hunted Alaska, and really want to do so still to this day. However, in the 44 yrs I've been chasing big game, there's nothing like Africa I've every seen. The sheer numbers of game, the native trackers that have to be seen to be believed....it's amazing stuff that I really cannot describe. I felt just like you up until about 5 years ago though.


Anyone besides me already mention zebra steaks??????

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Figuring could be dangerous to me... I"d have the desire to move just like we are going to try to move to AK.

Dont' think it would be that easy to Africa or that I"d want to.

Alaska is simply a totally different thing IMHO. Just different tastes for different folks.

Dang those steaks look great!

Eland tenderloin. Possibly cause I arrowed it and we had it last night in camp

Please accept turbo suck award!

A new moniker is in order. El Chappedass maybe?

I try to get to Alaska and Africa equally as often. Right now Africa is ahead by one, so I guess next time it's Alaska!

Have had some excellent food in Alaska lodges, but in tent camps Africa's way ahead!

Me too.

Like most others, I'll put Eland right at the top. I also think sable is quite good, as well as Kudu and Gemsbok. One that not so many get to try that was nice was Red Lechwe and one that I ate so much because it was so good was Sharpe's Grysbok. Leopard backstraps are quite similar to pork but you still know you're eating a cat, lion is OK but you really know you're eating a cat. I did NOT like elephant trunk. In general elephant is just OK, in my opinion. I think waterbuck is better than most give it credit for.

As for Buffalo, 20,000 lions can't be wrong... 😉

I'll add Giraffe to the mix. I would never shoot one but the ribs were out of this world and I can only imagine what the tenderloins would be like. This cooked over a camel thorn fire.

I asked my Namibian hosts what they cooked this over being a BBQ geek and they said wood. They didn't get the idea that the wood added a unique flavor for me. For them it was the the norm.

On Warthog I grew quite fond of the back straps done as a schnitzel eating this up to twice a day was not a burden.

Eland is beyond compare right done to the tail as a stew or a sort of Osobuco.

Fact is it is all good especially in the bush, just hope I can go back.

My vote goes to Nyala. I had a fantastic steak seared in coconut oil, and roasted on a pan for 15 minutes, served with a brown onion sauce and mashies. Phenomenal!!

Eric

This is the best thread I've ever started!!

Soup like ox tail soup? I've had it and it is fantastic!

In my case it was slow roasted. Haven't found an Africa steak that can compare.

Anybody like moose better than eland or zebra?

I ate moose three to four times a day for several weeks and I still like it. Had it been grilled like the African fare I might rank it even higher. All I can say is they both are great and hope there is more in my future.

I like moose just as much.

But have also mentioned elsewhere that wild game meat varies far more than commercially raised meat, because the age and condition of individual animals varies considerably. Add to that the handling of the meat after it's killed, and the fact that game can more easily ruined by poor cooking than meat with more fat. Any call on what kind of game tastes bests depends far more on personal experiences with specific animals, and how the meat was treated before cooking and in the kitchen. I've had meat from both African and North American big game animals that were ruined by poor field care and/or cooking. Have had meat from animals that wouldn't rate very high among most hunters taste great when cared for and cooked correctly.

For those of you that have not had a reedbuck steak, let me tell you it is the best. Even when compared to eland, oryx, kudu and nyala.

Eland is still my favorite, although I really liked moose and bison very much as well. Axis is another good one, but one I don't really care for is venison as in whitetail... Also, I remember one night in Africa in Mururu Camp (Dande North), we were served buffalo tenderloin strips' lightly battered and sauteed in butter. Both my wife and I loved it and that is her favorite.

My first moose from AK really gives my NM elk a run for the money. Hmmm, now if I went back every other year.....................

We basically live on moose at home, and after enough years of that anything but moose starts looking pretty good. Calves are different, that's about as good as it gets. It used to be that our open season was for bulls and calves; but that's changed now. It takes a draw tag to get the best eating, cut your steak with a fork stuff now.

I find moose to be bland. Just me?

Anyody ever had warthog that was edible? I've taken a couple of them, and frankly was disappointed in the table fare. Sure isn't pork, I'll tell you that. Maybe mine were old boars and a young one might be better, but I found them tough and not particularly tasty.

I rank the warthog I sampled on the same level as aoudad.....it sucked big time.

I've had wart-hog loin that had been cured in a ham/bacon process. It was neither great nor bad; in fact if I hadn't been told about it I would have just piled it up beside the eggs and never given it another thought. At least it was cooked, which as you know isn't a given with African bacon.

I had warthog; old boar cooked in a poikie(spelling?) pot which I really enjoyed. This was in Namibia in 2009.

Best is Mountain Zebra. 2nd would probably be Black Wildebeest.

That's what I've heard. Can't wait. Looks like summer 2017 for my trip to RSA!

Had warthog meatballs as an appetizer during happy hour at base lodge. Damn good. I could have made those my dinner that night. No idea what seasoning/filler was in them.

We had eland roast. Excellent! Best steak was so the Brie and it was wildabeaste !

Me too. It was just cut about an inch thick and cooked outside on a grille.