Dear Reader,

Greetings friends. It’s the beginning of a long weekend here in Australia (and New Zealand). Monday, 25 April 2022, is a public holiday and represents Anzac Day.

The weather in Canberra started dull and dreary; however, I saw a blue sky as I looked out of my balcony window.

I’ve been reading J. Kenji López-Alt’s new book on the wok, which has inspired me to cook more Asian style meals. To give this meal an Australian flavour, I went with Kangaroo.

Ingredients

• Kangaroo steak. I picked up a packet of kangaroo steaks from the supermarket. I don’t know what cut of the kangaroo this meat is.
• Monosodium glutamate
• Sodium bicarbonate
• Hokkien noodles
• Sichuan peppercorns
• White peppercorns
• Black peppercorns
• Coriander seeds
• Coriander seeds
• Chilli powder
• Chillies
• Coriander roots
• Coriander stems
• Coriander leaves
• Broccolini
• Shallots
• Spring onions
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Daikon radish
• Carrot
• Peanut oil
• Sesame oil
• Dry sherry
• Soy sauce
• Corn flour

Instructions

1. On arriving home from the supermarket, season the kangaroo steaks with MSG and freshly cracked black pepper.
2. Vacuum seal the meat in bags and refrigerate for a few hours.
3. Prepare the Sichuan peppercorns by removing the black seeds and discarding them. Set the husks aside. For any whole peppercorns, crush them with your fingers and peel off the husk for use in the meal. Throw the black seeds away. This step reduces the unpleasant texture some people report when they purchase Sichuan peppercorns and add them from the container into a meal. Taking the time to do this and making an effort pays off.
4. Cook the meat at 57 °C for 100 minutes.
5. Once cooked, remove some of the meat and set it aside. Place the rest of the kangaroo into an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze for future use.
6. Cut the meat into thin strips and dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
7. With a pestle and mortar pound the peppercorns and coriander seeds. Pound them hard. Pound them until it hurts and you have a fine powder of spice.
8. Place the meat strips into a bowl and add the ground peppercorns, ground coriander seeds, and sodium bicarbonate.
9. Vigorously massage the meat with your fingers to coat the meat with the dry ingredients. You want to be quite physical with the meat and not delicate or gentle. The aim is to give the meat a good working over to ensure flavour and tenderness.
10. Place diced shallots, sliced spring onions (the white bit), minced fresh ginger, and minced fresh garlic into a container.
11. Slice the green part of the spring onions and put them into some iced water, and set them aside.
12. Julienne some carrot and daikon radish and place onto a plate.
13. Slice the stalks and heads of some broccoli and place them on the plate with the carrot and daikon radish.
14. Make a slurry with water, cornflour, and soy sauce and whisk with chopsticks (like an Asian).
15. Place the Hokkien noodles into a bowl and add boiling water. Soak the noodles for about 5 minutes. Separate the noodles with tongs and drain them with a colander or sieve.
16. Heat your wok and add some peanut oil and sesame oil.
17. Stir through the shallots, spring onion white bits, garlic, and minced ginger.
18. Cook these aromatic ingredients, so they become fragrant.
19. Move the aromatic ingredients to a dish.
20. Add a little more oil and stir fry the carrot, radish, and broccoli until these vegetables soften. Avoid overcooking. The aim is to have some bite in the vegetables; you don’t want them soggy or limp. You want them firm with a bit of stiffness.
21. Add some MSG and swirl some soy sauce around the sides of the wok and keep tossing the wok.
22. Place the stir-fried vegetables into a dish.
23. Add a bit of peanut oil and then stir-fry the meat strips.
24. Get some colour onto the meat.
25. Pour in some dry sherry, and add the aromatic ingredients and the vegetables.
26. Toss in the Sichuan peppercorn husks and give everything in the wok a good stir.
27. Thicken your juices with the slurry of cornflour and soy sauce.
28. Place the noodles into a bowl and transfer the contents of then wok atop the noodles.
29. Thank the Lord.
30. Eat with chopsticks and a spoon.

How was the meal?

I’ve eaten sous vide kangaroo before. I enjoyed it then and tonight’s meal was good too.

The Sichuan peppercorn husks and the ground pepper gave me a fizz in my mouth. I’m guessing that adding the MSG also helped enhance the flavours.

I made enough for two, so I’ve set aside half for tomorrow’s lunch, which I’ll enjoy after church.

Finals thoughts

• Have you tried kangaroo meat? What did you think?
• The last time I shared my kangaroo meat dinner on Twitter, some Tweeps protested and shared with their Tweeps that I was not respecting native Australian fauna. I’m not saying that what I do is correct or the best way to live. It’s how I live, and I respect that not everyone agrees.
• How do you feel about incorporating non-traditional ingredients into Asian style dishes? Macropods, i.e., kangaroos and wallabies, are not native to East Asia. Still, in my defence, Chinese people have traditionally been adventurous when eating things. Look at some of the interesting meat Chinese like to eat.
• Have you cooked with Sichuan pepper? Do you like the fizz it creates in your mouth and on your tongue and lips?