Ostrich Steaks and Lots of Sauce

I feel a bit guilty this evening. I had intended, while my friend M was visiting, to cook some ostrich steaks that I got from the butcher in the next village, along with a nice red wine sauce and oodles of vegetables and creamy mash. As things turned out, I didn't feel too great and we spent so much time talking that I rather lost the plot and didn't manage to cook nearly as much as I had intended.

So, there were the ostrich steaks, sitting in the freezer, looking all forlorn and so I took them out to defrost and found a recipe that looked nice on the internet. I couldn't believe how easy it was. I prepared the veggies and then gathered the ingredients. Preparation is very quick and easy and in the time it took the potatoes to boil, I had cooked the steaks and whisked up a sauce that was nearly how the recipe described. We had drunk the last of the red wine so I substituted rose and the sauce came out very light and tangy - totally gorgeous.

The ostrich steaks we had were very substantial and after cooking them for just 2 minutes each side, which sealed them nicely, they were still pretty raw. I think that the recipe was meant for meat half as thick as our steaks, so I popped them into the oven while I made the sauce and they came out medium rare but perfect and tender.

So, without further ado, here's the recipe for ostrich steaks:

Ostrich Steak with coriander, red wine, orange and redcurrant jelly (Serves 4)

You will need....
4 Ostrich steaks
1 tablespoon light olive oil or vegetable oil
1 glass red wine
1 orange, grated rind and squeezed juice
1 teaspoon coriander seeds finely crushed
1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
salt & pepper
coriander leaves to garnish

Heat the oil in a pan to medium hot. Cook the steak for no more than 2 minutes each side. Take the Ostrich out of the pan and keep warm (or pop into the oven if you're not keen on rare meat). Pour in the glass of red wine and add the crushed coriander seeds, orange rind, orange juice and redcurrant jelly. Bring to the boil and reduce until the sauce becomes thick and syrupy. Season to taste. Serve the Ostrich with sauce poured around. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Easy-peasy. Having eaten incredibly lean meat and lots of healthy veg, we then undid all the good by tucking into home made apple crumble - oh woe is my waistband! So - the guilt I feel for not producing this masterpiece, if I say so myself, is somewhat mitigated by the knowledge that M wouldn't have wanted our stringy old cat to miss out on the plentiful titbits of big bird that found they way to his eager jaws. Tom says thank you to M for your ostrich steak. And now I know it works so well, I can do it next time she comes to visit.