Manatee
HOW TO HANDLE MANATEE MEAT
Manatee meat has a mild taste and readily adapts to recipes for beef. Choice cuts of meat, primarily the tail and peduncle, can be used in any recipe. The body and flipper meat, with just a little extra preparation and special recipes, can be just as tasty. I recommend cubing the less-tender cuts for extra tenderness or pounding steaks with a meat mallet.
Regardless of what cut of manatee meat you are using, all fat and sinew must be removed before freezing or preparing. Even the yellowish fat between the layers should be removed. When using flipper or body meat, we recommend removing the white tendons and vessels as well.
Manatee meat has been successfully frozen for over a year. This was done by removing all fat, wrapping well in cellophane and then again in freezer paper. Manatee meat can be tenderized in several different ways. Some restaurants run each piece of meat through a cubing machine. Other restauranteurs recommend pounding each peice of manatee with a meat mallet until thin, usually about one inch. All restaurants recommend cutting manatee meat across the grain for a more tender piece of meat.
Body and flipper meat cuts are excellent choices for burgers, casseroles, ground meat, soups and stews. Peduncle and tail meat work well for roasts, steaks and barbecue.
Regardless of which cut of meat you use, you will find manatee to be a very delicious and versatile meat. It is also low in fat, making it a great item for the calorie conscious person.
Baked Manatee
6 manatee steaks
lemon juice
lemon slices
garlic powder
butter
chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Arrange manatee steaks in an ovenware dish large enough to place in a single layer, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over steaks. Cut a generous amount of butter into squares and place over the steaks. Arrange lemon slices over the steaks and then sprinkle generously with parsley. Bake in a 375 F oven until steaks are cooked. Serve with french bread.
