Finding That Moose Meat in My Freezer
Okay, so digging through the deep freeze last weekend – you know how it is – I found this big ol’ pack of ground moose meat tucked way in the back behind the frozen peas and that questionable tub of ice cream. My buddy gave it to me after his hunt last fall, and honestly, I forgot it was there. Ground moose… figured I better use it up before it gets freezer-burned into oblivion. Thing is, ground moose is super lean. Like, zero fat. Which means if you just slap it in a pan like regular beef? Disaster. Tried that once, ended up with something that tasted like sad, dry leather. Not good.
Time for Some Kitchen Experiments
Not wanting a repeat of the Leather Incident, I started poking around. Had some basics on hand: onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, a few eggs, regular pantry stuff. Basic ground beef recipes need adjusting big time for moose. Gotta add moisture and fat, otherwise it just crumbles.
First attempt: Simple moose patties. I grabbed some of that moose meat, probably about a pound and a half, plopped it in a big bowl. Added:
- one small onion, chopped super fine (almost grated it!)
- two cloves garlic, crushed
- a big spoonful of mayonnaise (weird, but it works! adds fat and moisture)
- one egg (helps bind it together)
- a handful of plain breadcrumbs (soaks up juice, stops it drying out)
- salt, pepper, and some dried herbs I like (thyme this time)
Mixed it all up with my hands. Feels kinda gross, sure, but best way to get everything combined without overworking it. Shaped them into burger patties, medium size. Heated up my big cast iron skillet, medium-high heat, with just a tiny drizzle of oil (mush it around so it coats). Plopped the patties in. Let them cook good and brown on one side, maybe 4-5 minutes, resisting the urge to poke them constantly. Flipped ’em. Cooked the other side maybe 4 minutes. Poked the thickest one with my thermometer – gotta hit 160°F inside to be safe.
Result? Way better than last time! Actually juicy! Flavor was really good, clean and meaty but not too wild. Had them on toasted buns with cheese and mustard. Big win.
Then Tried Something Different: Sneaky Shepherd’s Pie
Had some leftover mashed potatoes from Tuesday – perfect! Time for a moose makeover on Shepherd’s Pie.
First, grabbed my big oven-safe skillet. Chopped another onion and a couple carrots pretty small. Heated a glug of oil in the skillet over medium heat, tossed in the onion and carrot. Let them cook down and soften, stirred ’em around now and then. Once they were kinda soft, pushed ’em to the edge.
Dumped another pound of that ground moose right in the middle. Broke it up with my wooden spoon like I was crumbling old bread. Stirred it all together with the veggies. Added salt, pepper, more thyme, maybe half a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (gives it a nice little kick). Let it cook until the moose wasn’t pink anymore, stirring occasionally. Sprinkled maybe a tablespoon of flour over everything, stirred it in real good for a minute to cook off that raw flour taste.
Poured in about a cup of whatever broth I had in the fridge (beef or chicken, doesn’t matter much). Let it bubble away until it thickened up a bit, like a gravy. Tasted it, needed more salt? Added it. Felt thick enough? Good.
Took my leftover mashed potatoes – cold and stiff – and spooned blobs all over the top of the moose mixture. Used a fork to gently spread it out to the edges, then ruffled it up a bit to make peaks. Those peaks get nice and brown!
Popped the whole skillet into a 400°F oven. Set a timer for maybe 25 minutes, but really just watched it. You know it’s done when those potato peaks are turning golden brown and the filling is bubbling up around the edges like a happy volcano.
Seriously, so comforting. You would NOT know it was moose. Tasted rich and hearty, perfect cold weather food.
The Big Takeaway?
Ground moose is totally doable if you remember it needs help! That fat and moisture thing is non-negotiable. Mayo or egg for moisture/fat/binding, breadcrumbs for absorbing liquid and texture, good flavorings. Used it like ground beef? Nah, you’ll be disappointed. Treated it like the super-lean meat it is? Works great in stuff like burgers and shepherd’s pie. My next target: maybe try it in a spaghetti sauce or a meatloaf experiment. That freezer meat stash just got way more interesting.
