99 & 100. Tempus Two Spring Rock Verdelho 2005 and Kangaroo Steaks

We had been looking for a George Foreman grill. When I say looking, I don’t mean that we’d had the odd cursory glance in a shop, I mean that we had been scouring the malls and high streets fruitlessly trying to get out hands on one. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to exist over here (although we were able to pick up some “George Foreman grill cleaning sponges!!!). Eventually, we gave up and opted for a similar Breville version of the grill.

We bought the grill in Chatswood Mall and on the way back to the train we passed a Bottle-O so stopped in to picked up something to have with dinner. We didn’t know what we were going to be eating yet but it would be grilled. It didn’t matter what there was available in the supermarket – I was going to grill it with our shiny new grilling machine thing. Even if there was no meat or veg in the shop something would get grilled, be it cornflakes, apples, washing powder or shoe polish. As we had no idea what was going to be on the menu we opted for a wine that would be tasty on it’s own and this one certainly was.

Isla was going to the pub later with a few friends from work and she said that this wine tasted like juice and was the perfect “before-going-out-on-the-town-and-getting-ready-wine”. It was very easily quaffable (as a previous consultant of mine used to say) and didn’t last much time at all.

Once we reached the local supermarket I headed straight to the meat section. Isla is not a red meat eater and in the last 2 years or so I’ve had almost no sirloin steaks, or roast beef, or lamb chops. I can’t say that I’ve missed them that much and I’m constantly surprised how versatile chicken and vegetables are. That said, I was feeling all manly they way that blokes do whenever they are about to barbeque something and so started perusing the red meat selection.

It all looked great but it didn’t take long before I saw some marinated kangaroo fillet steaks. There really was no other choice. I had to cross the century line of the Challenge with something truly Australian and eating one of the local marsupials seemed reasonably appropriate. I would have preferred to be holding a Koala with an Australian flag tied round my shoulders dressed as an Aboriginal tribesman running across the harbour bridge having just watched an opera in the Opera House and drinking a Fosters (although that might have been 2 or 3 new things) but chowing down on a ‘roo thigh would have to suffice.

I would definitely recommend kangaroo to anyone. It was a bit like beef but more “gamey” and a bit like lamb but tougher. It almost tasted the way I imagine a gourmet hamburger would taste. I guess you’ll just have to try it for yourselves. It certainly won’t be the last time I have ‘roo steak (especially since I bought a twin pack!).