Ostrich chop suey

Ostrich meat is not common in the Philippines. I’m sure that cost is a significant factor. It used to sell at PhP 600.00+ per kilo and only Shopwise in Libis, Quezon City, had it. It was a surprise to find ostrich meat at the Antipolo branch of Shopwise. The price had gone down too to PhP 423.75 per kilo. Not bad since there’s hardly any wastage when cooking ostrich meat. No fat or bones to discard. And since ostrich meat cooks so fast, it doesn’t shrink so much either.

That’s about half a kilo of ostrich meat in the photo. Cooked with vegetables as a stir fry dish, it was more than enough for a family of four. I actually used less than half for my chop suey. I cooked the rest as mini steaks. Not a good idea. They turned dry and tough before they were fully cooked.

So, if I am to make a recommendation, I say cut the ostrich meat into very thin slices (like sukiyaki cut beef) and cook them fast in a little (very hot) oil.

To cook ostrich chop suey, you will need 200-250 g. of ostrich meat, cut into very thin slices (about 1/8 inch is fine). You will also need vegetables, of course. Choose vegetables with different colors and textures–they do create an appetizing appearance. I chose a head of cauliflower, baby carrots, a rather large red bell pepper and chicharo (snow peas), plus a couple of shallots that I sliced thinly and half a head of finely minced garlic. Use more or less vegetables depending on whether you want your chop suey to be primarily a meat or a vegetable dish.

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Peel the carrots and cut into sticks or into rings. Trim the ends and sides of the chicharo. Cut the bell pepper in half, discard the seeds and dice.

For a successful stir fry, you need to have everything ready before you start cooking. It won’t do to start sauteeing while still trimming and cutting the vegetables. Stir fry means cooking fast over very high heat. So, you’ll be adding the ingredients to the cooking pan one after the other.

If you want a slightly thickened sauce, mix together a cup of broth or water and 2 tsps. of tapioca or corn starch.

Other recommended condiments are oyster sauce, sesame seed oil and a little sugar. If you’re using the starch solution, better mix the oyster sauce, sugar and sesame seed oil into it.

Heat about 3-4 tablespoonfuls of vegetable cooking oil in a large shallow cooking pan (a wok is best). Add the cauliflower first because they will take the longest to cook. Stiry fry for about a minute then add the carrots. Stir fry for another minute before adding the chicharo and the bell pepper. Continue stir frying for about 30 seconds then transfer the vegetables to a plate.

In the remaining oil, add the ostrich meat, garlic and shallots. Cook just until the meat changes color. Return the vegetables to the cooking pan and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the starch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and clears.

Serve at once with hot rice or over cooked egg noodles.