Ballsy Delights: Colorado’s Top Picks for Savory Rocky Mountain Oysters
Ah, Rocky Mountain Oysters, one of Colorado's most notorious delicacies. If you've never tried them, they're simply, well, deep-fried you-know-whats. Where will you find the best in Colorado?
A number of sites have shared their data pointing us all in the right direction for the best Rocky Mountain Oysters in Colorado. What is the distinction between one deep-fried-you-know-what and another? Let's find out.
What Is a Rocky Mountain Oyster, and Have You Encountered One Lately?
Despite the name, they are most definitely not seafood. According to What's Cooking America, Rocky Mountain Oysters are:
They are also known as prairie oysters, Montana tendergroins, cowboy caviar, swinging beef, and calf fries – are true Western delicacies.
If more clarification is required, What's Cooking America adds:
They are that part of the bull that is removed in his youth so that he may thereby be more tractable, grow meatier, and behave less masculine. When the calves are branded, the testicles are cut off and thrown in a bucket of water. They are then peeled, washed, rolled in flour and pepper, and fried in a pan.
A Few Things You May Not Know About Rocky Mountain Oysters
Here's a little info on the origins, preparation, and popularity of this delicacy, courtesy of Thrillist:
- Some of the very first ranchers to inhabit the West needed inexpensive sources of food, so they experimented with different cuts of meat. Because they didn’t waste any part of the animal, they began cooking testicles with branding coals.
- Rocky Mountain oysters can be sautéed, braised, broiled, and poached. They are most often peeled, pounded flat, coated in flour, salt and pepper, and fried.
- They are rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein.
- Ancient Romans believed that consuming the most fertile of animal organs would remedy ailments, particularly in the male nether regions.
- Although they're not particularly popular outside the American West, Rocky Mountain Oysters are sometimes appetizers at Western-themed restaurants.
- Rocky Mountain Oysters have a gamey quality, like breaded venison. Some claim they taste more like calamari.
- There are several Rocky Mountain Oyster festivals around the United States, but one of the most popular is Clinton, Montana's annual Testy Festy.
- There really is a Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout. After an incredibly enthusiastic response to an April Fools video spoofing the idea, Wynkoop Brewing Company actually brought this hand-canned stout to fruition.
Where To Find The Best In Colorado
Check out the gallery below, and you'll see ten Colorado restaurants recommended by the sites Out There Colorado and National Day Calendar. These ten restaurants are located in various corners of Colorado, many in smaller communities.