BENEFITS OF EATING VIANDE
What People Are Saying...
If you love the taste of red meat, but have been told to watch your cholesterol...or you are on a high protein/low fat diet, look no further! Alpacas have been a main source of nutrition not only in South America, but all around the world.
Alpaca meat is the byproduct of culling the herd – but it’s a tasty byproduct. Each mature alpaca harvested equates to about 60 pounds of meat – roughly the same amount of meat you can get from a deer.
Lean, tender and almost sweet, alpaca meat is nutritionally superior to many of its red meat counterparts.
Lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol, this high-protein, exotic meat is beginning to appeal to those seeking out alternatives to domesticated meat like beef or pork, and even wild meat, like venison.
Ground alpaca is versatile enough to be substituted in place of ground turkey or beef in most recipes.
- Kristen Schmitt of Modern Farmer (May 2014)
"Alpaca meat is very low in fat, high in protein and iron, and is believed to have the lowest cholesterol level of any meat. It is lean, tender and almost sweet - a mild tasting meat that will take on the flavors of whatever it is mixed with, with no fatty after taste.
We have a great affection for our alpacas. They are intelligent, easy to manage and have a light environmental footprint. We farm alpacas because we like them or we wouldn’t be doing it. But at the end of the day, they are animals and we are farmers and farmers are in business to profit from their farming activities.
One aspect of alpaca farming that has great potential is alpaca meat.
The natural order is that animals and plants yield more than they need to reproduce themselves; there is redundancy built into the system to ensure its survival. For example, too much grass grows in spring and summer so we cut and store it as hay or silage in order to have sufficient feed in the winter. Farmers are people who manage the surplus production of plants and animals to make a living.
Alpacas are fundamentally no different in this respect from any other farm animal. They are intelligent. They are beautiful animals. But their over-production of fibre and offspring is what enables us to make an income from them."
- The Alpaca Association of New Zealand
Celebrate! Abundant Living in Central Oregon | Winter 2019-2020
Magazine Presented by The Nugget Newspaper
Published on Oct 7, 2019
By Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief | Recipes and Photos By Vicki Curlett
https://issuu.com/nuggetnewspaper/docs/celebrate2019
Alpaca meat is an alternative to beef – and it is catching on in the food world.
“Alpaca meat is one of the healthiest and most flavorful meats in the world,” Sierra Meats reports. It is described as a mild meat which takes on the flavor of the dish. It is slightly salty, tender and lean, high in protein with no fatty aftertaste. Alpaca meat also has the lowest level of cholesterol of any meat.”
Art Izer and Nancy Chapel-Izer can testify to the qualities of alpaca meat – and not just because they own and operate an alpaca ranch in Central Oregon.
“Art had a heart attack three years ago,” Nancy told Celebrate!
He had high cholesterol, and required stents to open blockages. A cardiologist consulted with him on his diet.
“They said, ‘You know, you’ve got the natural thing right there.’” Nancy recalled. “’You should be eating alpaca meat because it’s so lean.’”
Art began eating alpaca instead of beef on a regular basis and, Nancy reports, within a year, his cholesterol had hit normal levels.
“We have it a lot,” Nancy said. “We don’t buy beef now. We use it for spaghetti; we use it for hamburgers; we have round steak we use for fajitas. Tonight, we’re having a roast from the neck.”
Much as is the case with game meat, preparation is the key.
“The flavor is wonderful,” Nancy said. “The big secret is, you can’t over-cook it. You can’t have it well-done”
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