Grilled Moose Tenderloin with Asparagus
Have I mentioned that I'm an enthusiastic omnivore? My sister, brother-in-law and nephews flew from their home in Alaska to DC two weeks ago to hang with me for a few days before we headed up to my brother's wedding in PA. My brother-in-law bagged a moose a few months ago and I'd never eaten moose, so I asked them to bring me some. They happily obliged, bringing me a few pounds of several different cuts. I'm always game (pardon the pun) to try something new. My sister and her family don't suffer much from the Omnivore's Dilemma because they harvest nearly all of their protein from the wild—salmon, moose, goat, sheep, rabbits—and virtually everything else the Alaskan wilderness has to offer . . . no factory farms or animal cruelty, no hormones or antibiotics . . . no ethical issues whatsoever. I envy them in this respect. And I thank them for sharing their bounty!
I figured grilling would be a great, rustic, simple technique for cooking a premium cut of moose. But I don't have any outdoor space at my pad in DC, not even a balcony, so I do my grilling on a stove-top grill pan. I don't do it often because I don't have an exhaust hood over my range and grilling's smoky business. But, occasionally, I fire up the grill pan, open up my windows and turn on a window fan. I dried the tenderloin pieces with paper towels, rubbed them with a bit of olive oil and coated them liberally with fresh thyme, salt and pepper. I threw some asparagus on the grill pan alongside them. I cooked the tenderloin to medium (about 140°F) and it was delicious—tender and very mild tasting. It's perhaps the leanest meat I've ever eaten. I can't wait to try some of the other cuts. Anyone have any good moose recipes?
Hey FRM, I also have Alaskan relatives and have sampled moose meet -- delicious! I'll ask them about moose recipes. My uncle's game specialty is caribou sticks (think Slim Jims, but better, ala caribou). Moose sausage is great too. Hope your summer's going well!
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Cool . . . I look forward to some recipe ideas. How's summer in SLC treating you so far? Well, I hope!
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Moose!!
Wow I wanna give it a try too,
The weirdest thing I've ever had is probably bear or horse, moose sounds interesting!
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How cool!! Moose meat. I have never tried it or visited Alaska - I need to put both on my list of things to do.
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That sounds amazing, and it looks just like Lamb.
I can see these guys wandering up alongside the river, and I can't help but lust after something Maple-glazed.
Failing that, a Venison-inspired Chocolate sauce.
Chocolate Moose, anyone?
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Harrumph.
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we had a moose curry Saturday that was delish, beef burgudy a-la-moose is also good
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ay Dios mio!
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Finally! I remember the first night I met you that you told stories of upcoming culinary experiments involving moose! Glad to finally hear you've gotten a chance to do it . . . surprised to hear that the meat is so lean. I will look forward to trying it someday myself. Was it cured in any specific manner to make it lean or less gamey tasting . . . btw, 'gaminess' doesn't bother me, I suspect it's a learned behavior of modern folk to want to get rid of it . . . Your take?
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