Goanna

As a nature lover, I would never hunt and kill a goanna unless threatened with starvation when stranded in the outback.  However my good friend and companion Des sees the goanna in a different light, rightly viewing it as legitimate tucker that his people have hunted for 60,000 years. So far, they are not endangered.  Des also tells me that he hunts only specific species.  He tells me it is the best meat. Better, even, than emu or roo.  Which are, he says, superior to beef, lamb and pork. 

I have been looking forward to trying the meat and finally had the opportunity.  Quite good! It has the texture of chicken and flavour hints of pork and baked tuna. 

goanna tail meat

    
I did feel a little guilty eating it. 

wary goanna

How to cook it:

First, catch your goanna. 

Kill it. 

Remove the guts; the traditional way is to pull them partially out of the bum with a forked stick, cut them off and tie a knot.  Then you cut the throat, and pull the guts and contents through.  This leaves the liver, lights and fat behind.  

The alternative way is to split the belly open from the vent and clean the goanna as we do a fish. 

Singe the skin in the flames of a fire.

The goanna is then cooked in or over hot coals. The fat diffuses through the meat to produce a mouthwatering treat.  

Peel off the skin. Serve with damper. 

I think Des cooked this one on his wood-fired barbecue.  I wasn’t there so I borrowed a picture from the Internet.  

cooking goanna