I’m slowly cooking my way through the moose we’ve got in the freezer. Though, the only way I can deal with this meat is by brining it first. It’s the smell that gets me every time and no matter what you braise it in, a brine is first needed to cut the scent and breakdown the lean muscle in order to render a more moist (er, moister) meat. I did a braised moose before, but was unhappy with the results. Sure it tasted great, but underneath the red wine, there was that subtle hint of gamey-ness that sort of turned my appetite.

Don’t fear, dear Readers! This recipe delivers.

What you’ll need

• 4 – 6 lbs of Moose (deboned)
• 20 oz Beer (I tried a red ale this time)
• 1 cup of Beef Stock
• 2 Onions
• 4 Carrots
• 4 cloves of Garlic
• 4 Bay Leaves
• a handful of Thyme
• a handful of Parsley
• Sea Salt
• freshly ground Black Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Olive Oil
• 1 Sweet Potato per person

For the Brine

• 1/2 cup Salt
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 tbsp ground Black Pepper
• 3 tbsp ground Ginger
• 2 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground Clove

What to do

The night before…

Brine your Moose: Add all the brine ingredients to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Place the meat in a plastic bag, pour brine over the moose and add 3-4 cups of cold water. Seal and let sit overnight, turning occasionally.

The day you cook…

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take out the meat. Drain and wash off the brine. Pat dry. Cut into 2″ chunks. Season with Sea Salt, Black Pepper, and Chili Powder.

 

Roughly chop the Onions and Carrots. You can leave the Garlic whole. Using kitchen twine, tie up the Parsley, Thyme, and Bay Leaves.

Heat Olive Oil in a dutch oven on medium high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, sear the meat. Work in batches, if you crowd the pot it lowers the temperature of the oil – not good. Sear on each side for 3-5 mins. Set aside.

 

Toss in the Onions, Carrots, and Garlic. Cook until onions become translucent. Deglaze with some of the Beer and rub off the burnt bits.

Add the Moose (on top of the veggies), Beer, and Beef Stock. Toss the herb bundle (it’s got some fancy French name – bouquet garni) on top. Cover and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hrs.

During the last 1 1/2 hrs in the oven…

Place each Sweet Potato on a square of foil. Drizzle with Olive Oil. Poke a few holes with a fork and wrap it up. Place them in a tray for in case they leak. Put them in the oven to cook alongside the pot roast.

 

Once the roast is done in the oven, take the meat out. Strain the braising liquid. Skim off any fat (there will hardly be any). Bring to a boil in a saucepan with 1-2 tbsp of flour to thicken. Once it’s at the desired consistency, pour it over the meat. Serve with the baked sweet potatoes.

 

Enjoy!