Grilled Camel Ribeye Steak

The Torah or Hebrew Bible prohibits the Jews from eating camel. In Deuteronomy 14:4,6-7, it states: "These are the beasts which ye shall eat...every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat. Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel...they are unclean unto you."  Camel meat is eaten in Islam and is traditional in places such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Kazakhstan. The most preferred part of the camel is the brisket, ribs and loin, and the hump is considered a delicacy. Camel meat is low in fat and can be dry, so it is best prepared through slow cooking. 

I recently found an 8 oz. camel ribeye steak.

Unlike the description above, it was quite fatty.

I wanted to experience the real taste of camel, not masked by sauces or unusual seasonings.

When I had sweet and sour camel in Beijing, all I really tasted was the seasoning. So for this ribeye, I rubbed on a little olive oil and salt and placed it on a hot grill

and made sure not to over-cook it. I pulled it off the grill while it was still nice and rare. 

Judy came home just as I had pulled it off the grill and I gave her a bite of the meat without telling her what it was.

She responded, "that is really good." The meat is very mild, more so than even buffalo, and the ribeye was moist and juicy.

There was a tad bit of gristle, but for the most part it was a really nice steak, one I would not hesitate to eat. In fact, I would prefer it to a beef ribeye. I would love to try some other camel cuts, particularly the hump.