Reputable source for exotic meats

[goholistic]

It seems my Sebastian may have a genetic predisposition for developing food allergies, so I may need to get creative with rotating in various exotic/novel proteins on a regular basis to keep his body from reacting.

Does anyone know of a reputable, reliable, and affordable online source for purchasing exotic meats (preferably based on the US East Coast to lower shipping costs)?

I already know about Hare Today. I've purchased rabbit from them. I'm also interested in companies that sell kangaroo, ostrich, alligator, frogs legs, goose, etc. A couple of the websites I landed on in a search seemed shady. 

 

[denice]

I would think you could find alligator in the southeast.  They euthanize problem gators and the trappers payment is the hide and meat which they sell.  The rest I don't know.  I did just see kangaroo dog treats in the pet store today.  I know kangaroo is easy to find in Europe but not here.

Have you seen this one http://www.alligatormeats.com/?  They have seem to have an assortment of exotic meats that they don't sell ground, they are expensive though.

 

[goholistic]

 
I would think you could find alligator in the southeast.  They euthanize problem gators and the trappers payment is the hide and meat which they sell.  The rest I don't know.  I did just see kangaroo dog treats in the pet store today.  I know kangaroo is easy to find in Europe but not here.

Have you seen this one http://www.alligatormeats.com/?  They have seem to have an assortment of exotic meats that they don't sell ground, they are expensive though.

Thanks Denice. Actually, that is one of the sites I came across in my search (well, their parent site at www.buyexoticmeats.com). They offer such a wide array of exotic meats that it kind of made me skeptical. 

  And they are in California, which would probably make shipping crazy expensive for me.

 

[peaches08]

Oh no, has he developed a problem with rabbit??

 

[goholistic]

 
Oh no, has he developed a problem with rabbit??

Possibly. The TCM vet thinks so based on my observation of him doing so well since introducing pork, and nothing else had changed.

I'm headed to my local international market this weekend to see if they sell frogs legs or anything else novel I can grab my hands on. 

  However, I think my local options are limited in this regard. I was really hoping to find an online supplier on the East Coast. 

 

[jcat]

Are there any Middle Eastern markets in your area? Goat meat might be something you could try. The prescription line Mogli eats now includes that, and I've noticed some butcher shops in areas with a lot of people from the Middle East carry it.

 

[denice]

I know there is a good size Somali population here and they are able to get goat meat.  I know for them goat meat is used for special celebratory dinners and holiday dinners.

 

[ritz]

At the small international supermarket in New Carrollton, Maryland (commuting distance to Washington, DC), I can get goat on a regular basis, though they sell it bone in only, which raises the price per useable pound a lot. Goat meat is also occasionally available in one of the mainstream grocery stores, again bone-in. (The bone is too hard for Ritz to chew.)
You might try farmer's markets especially those, as someone pointed out, in an area where there is a high international population. Also, can you determine if Sebastian is allergic to the protein or what is fed to that protein? Farmer's markets can be really good sources of 'naturally' fed meat.
RodentPro might be another source.
Ritz has expensive tastes, and is a very adventurous eater, though she didn't know what to do with chicken feet. I regularly buy chicken and beef from a woman at the farmer's market, who saves unusual organs for me (like chicken lungs). Ask the butcher/farmer's market proprietor if they can get you some organ/protein. They may not be able to legally sell you the item (based on agricultural/ food ? laws), but they can give it to you (I buy chicken hearts or chicken heads from her, and throw in an extra dollar).

 

[goholistic]

I went to the international market today that is a few towns over. They had goat meat. It was frozen in cubes, but very "gristle-y". There was a lot of white. It looked like fat to me, but my bf said it's probably gristle. Either way, I don't want cubes of fat or gristle...I want meat. They had lots of seafood - octopus, sardines, salmon, oysters, clams, live conch, fish I've never heard of, etc. They had whole rabbit, beef tongue (they were HUGE), pig skin, chicken feet. They had lots of everything except what I wanted. 

 

[jcat]

That's a shame. I bought some fresh cubed goat at a butcher shop, and it was very lean. Mogli only had a couple of little pieces, but it seemed to agree with him.

 

[goholistic]

The chain grocery store down the street from me has lamb, but that's about as novel as they get.

 

[ritz]

I find lamb extremely fatty and rarely find it without bone. Not worth the money IMO.

 

[goholistic]

I find lamb extremely fatty and rarely find it without bone. Not worth the money IMO.

Like...you can see the fat?

Mind you, I am the least knowledgeable when it comes to cuts of meat. I never buy meat for myself. When I was at the chain grocery store, they had a cut of lamb that looked very lean. It just had a little fat around the edge that could be trimmed. I think they called it "lamb leg", but it was boneless. It had a hole in center (like there was a bone there) and pretty lean meat (no white except for the edge). 

  But, yes, it was expensive. They also had ground lamb, but I know ground meats are not good to get as they are more processed.

 

[ritz]

Yes, you can SEE the fat, and it was embedded in the meat.
In some cuts of meat the fat is on the border and I can easily cut it away; other cuts of meat, not so much.
I don't eat meat, only poultry, fat free, so I don't know the difference among cuts of meat. I read somewhere that the meat that has the most fat is also the most expensive, something to do with how tender it is.
I prefer stewing meat: it is already cut up and Ritz doesn't really care how chewy the food is--she usually swallows it whole (:
Interestingly, kidney often has a chunk of fat in the center which I have to cut away to get the precise amount I need.

 

[jcat]

Although some cuts are fairly lean, lamb is generally one of the fattiest meats. This isn't the best of sources, but gives a general idea: The good meat guide Lamb is the one meat I give Mogli mixed with another meat (rabbit) to cut down on the amount of fat.

 

[ritz]

Yes, that is a good idea, 1/2 serving of a fatty meat and 1/2 of a lean meat, like rabbit or fat free chicken breast.
My twin sister bought Ritz raw duck as a treat--that is certainly one meal I'll split in half.

 

[badcat]

Roaf kill is free. I'm serious. If you live in an area where deer and elk are hit by cars you can talk to Fish and Game about being notified when an animal is hit and the meat is salvageable. You'll have to be willing to process it yourself since a butcher won't but it's easy because the cats don't care how carefully it is cut up. Just a thought. We do it for our dogs. Wild game is as pure as it gets. If you can get it for free with a few bumps and bruises why not?

 

[ritz]

I believe truly wild game should be frozen for a few days before feeding to kill parasites, just a caution.

 

[goholistic]

Roaf kill is free. I'm serious. If you live in an area where deer and elk are hit by cars you can talk to Fish and Game about being notified when an animal is hit and the meat is salvageable. You'll have to be willing to process it yourself since a butcher won't but it's easy because the cats don't care how carefully it is cut up. Just a thought. We do it for our dogs. Wild game is as pure as it gets. If you can get it for free with a few bumps and bruises why not?

Well, I'm a pretty good sport about all this considering I don't eat much meat myself, but I don't think I'm at the point where I need to pick up the remains of roadkill and process it myself. LOL. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it get used...if someone can use it. And, actually, whoever picks up the roadkill around here is REALLY quick about it. It'll be gone within the hour.

 

[badcat]

To each their own Just wanted to put it out there as a free source of all natural meat. If it's picked up that quick it may be processed for human consumption. Ask around to hunters in your area for last years venison. Might be a little freezer burned but still good and you don't have to drag it home and cut it up