BY KAREN BOSSICK

Alex McCoy fell in love with ostrich meat while training for an Iron Man Triathlon in South Africa.

“When I ate it, I realized how light yet strong I felt compared to when I ate beef,” he said. “I felt so invigorated, and I ran 16 miles faster than I had ever run before.”

The 2001 Sun Valley Community School graduate never forgot it and, when he returned from South Africa where he attended graduate school and worked in international finance, he created the American Ostrich Farm in Kuna where he raises a thousand of the big birds just outside Boise. McCoy, who divides his time between the Wood River Valley and the farm, is selling his meat at the Wood River Farmers Markets on Saturday and Tuesday this year and at Atkinsons’ Market and the Village Market. He also sells Bone Broth at Atkinsons in Bellevue.

And he recently stopped in to show Eye on Sun Valley’s Marie Gallo how easy it is to prepare in today’s video. “It’s the future of red meat. It can replace beef in your favorite beef recipes,” he said.

OSTRICH MARINADE

¼ cup lime juice

¼ cup orange juice

1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Whisk together all the ingredients and marinate 2 pounds of ostrich meat with it.

Set grill to medium high. Grill 5 minutes per side until the meat is cooked to 130-degrees internal temperature. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest 5 minutes and serve, slicing across the grain.