Marinated Ostrich Steak

March 2022. Spring in Memphis, and I am 63, watching the azaleas and dogwoods bloom along my neighborhood walk, the annual resurrection that makes the winter worth surviving. The smoker wakes up in spring the way the whole city wakes up — slowly, with a stretch, then fully, with purpose.

Marcus and Angela in Whitehaven, building their family, their house full of the sounds I remember from our own early years — a baby's laugh, a spouse's voice, the daily music of people learning to live together. Naomi growing with the speed of childhood, each visit revealing a new word, a new capability, a new expression that catches my breath because it echoes someone I lost.

I smoked a pork shoulder this week — the king, the classic, fourteen hours over hickory. The bark was dark and the smoke ring deep and the meat fell apart in my hands with the familiar magic of something that has been loved patiently. I served it on white bread with coleslaw and vinegar sauce, the way Uncle Clyde taught me, the way I teach everyone who stands next to my smoker, because the serving is the tradition and the tradition is the point.

The week ended on the porch with Rosetta, the evening settling over Orange Mound, the smoker cooling in the backyard. The fire was banked but not out — it's never out, just resting between cooks, holding the heat the way I hold the tradition: carefully, permanently, with the understanding that what Uncle Clyde gave me is not mine to keep but mine to pass, and the passing is the purpose.

That pork shoulder reminded me, the way the best cooks always do, that mastery isn’t about repeating one thing forever — it’s about understanding heat and time and patience well enough to apply them to anything. A few days after that cook, I found some ostrich at a specialty butcher over on Summer Avenue, and I thought: this is what Uncle Clyde would have done, because he never stopped learning. The marinade does the same quiet work the smoke does — slow, deep, building something the meat couldn’t be on its own — and when you pull it off the grill you realize the tradition was never about the cut. It was always about the care.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 2 hr 27 min (includes 2 hr marinade) | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs ostrich fan fillet steaks (four 8-oz steaks, about 1 inch thick)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a bowl or large zip-top bag, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, kosher salt, and smoked paprika until fully combined.
Marinate the steaks. Add the ostrich steaks, turning to coat evenly. Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours. Do not marinate overnight — the vinegar will begin to break down the delicate fibers of this lean meat.
Bring to room temperature. Remove steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Pat lightly with paper towels to remove excess marinade, which can cause flare-ups on the grill.
Preheat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high (450—500°F). For a smoker, bring temperature to 275°F over hickory or pecan wood for a gentler cook with smoke flavor.
Grill the steaks. Place steaks on the hot grill and cook 5—6 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temperature 145°F). Ostrich is very lean and will dry out quickly if overcooked — pull it at 140°F and let carryover heat do the rest. For the smoker method, cook approximately 45 minutes to the same internal temperature.
Rest before slicing. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 5 minutes. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt and slice against the grain to serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Marinated Ostrich Steak — When the Smoker Teaches You Something New