How to Cook Horse

Horse may not seem like the most appetizing meat to cook, but it has been eaten all over the world for centuries. Horsemeat has been found to have up to 40 percent fewer calories and 50 percent more protein than the leanest beef. Though the taste is different than other meat, if you cook horse correctly you'll find a tender and delicate meat that is great to eat.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Keep the horsemeat in correct conditions. The properties of horsemeat make it much more susceptible than beef to spoiling quickly. Keep horsemeat refrigerated for up to a week and, for longer periods of time, keep the meat in the freezer so that it's ready and safe to cook.

2. Decide how you want the meet. Horse can be ground or chopped into steaks, like most other meats. Butcher the meat so you can cook the horse in a variety of ways to make the dining experience rich and diverse.

3. Cook ground horsemeat to the USDA's recommended temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit or until the juices of the meat are clear and unclouded. For steaks, cook the meat between 145 and 170 degrees depending on whether you want the meat medium rare or well done. For tougher cuts, you should braise the meat.

4. Use horsemeat recipes. There are many recipes designed specifically for horsemeat, from places as far flung as Italy and South America. Refer to recipes on websites like BackWoodsHome.com to find some excellent recipes that call for a medley of vegetables and spices to create a tasty dish of horse meat.

5. Inform all your dining guests of the meat. No one likes a food ambush, especially when it comes to exotic or less-frequently eaten meats. So before you cook or serve horse, make sure you let everyone at the table know what they're in for. This will save you a lot of trouble while allowing you to enjoy the meal.