Homebrewing - Beer, Mead, Wine, Cider

It is surprisingly decent, and you can control quite a lot of the taste by using a good amount of a sherry you like.

should the meat be thawed and cooked first?

You'll get the best taste (and quality) by cooking the meat as a whole without any additional broth (mine was cooked with some cabbage, so much of the fat was just dripping into that day's dinner), then skinning it (you won't want more fat than absolutely necessary in your beer).