Moose "Barrenland". Tender moose braised in blueberry-partridgeberry wine with moose stock and aromatic vegetables.

Before my recent vacation back home to Newfoundland, I was very excited to eat as many local products as I could, as well as try a few restaurants, both new places and old favorites. I was not disappointed as I was able to get my hands on lots of fresh seafood, berries, local wines and beers in addition to trying some creative restaurant fare. One of the things I was most excited about on my trip was a rare opportunity to cook with moose. While I do get to use "bottled moose" occasionally down here in the Boston States, as followers of this blog may know, actually cooking with raw moose is something I haven't done in years. Thanks to my generous uncle, there was a large bone-in roast and a pack of short ribs from a central Newfoundland moose waiting for me at my parents house upon my arrival in Trinity Bay.

For some time now I knew what I wanted to do with the moose. I am a big fan of braised meat, a one of my favorite ways to eat it is slow cooked with lots of onions in some beef stock until it is extremely tender. Playing along those lines,  I really wanted to put my own Newfoundland spin on it, to make the meal a truly wicked scoff. Part of our vacation took my wife and I to New World Island off Newfoundland's north-central coast. Known for its scenic fishing villages, great hiking and its prominent location in "Iceberg Alley", this little part of Newfoundland can also boast excellent wine.

Auk Island Winery in Durrell's Arm, South Twillingate Island, features a large variety of wines featuring local Newfoundland berries and fruit, such as blueberries, partridgeberries bakeapples and rhubarb. In addition to offering sweet dessert wines, and semi-dry fruit/berry wines, Auk Island also paris the above mentioned native berries with varieties of grapes to make blended wines that are a litter drier than typical berry wines, thus making them great wines for all occasions, including pairing with food (for example try the blueberry-shiraz) and for cooking. While we were there we couldn't decide which few to buy, wanting a couple to bring back into the States, so we bought a whole case, having lots to sample with family and friends during our stay. The one that caught my eye for both drinking and cooking with was their Moose Joose, a blend of blueberries and partridgeberries, and presumably summer grazing food for Newfoundland moose.

So, back to the moose. With the Moose Joose wine, my dish planning was in order. Since blueberries and partridgeberries grow on Newfoundland marshes and barrens, I decided to called my braised dish "moose barrenland"...sort of a play on "Boeuf Bouruignon". Now that I had selected the wine to cook the moose with, I needed some other ingredients. Using classic braising vegetables I combined browned moose pieces (seared in small batches a little oil) with onions, carrots, celery and garlic, a whole bottle of Moose Joose, three cups of moose stock, a little tomato paste for body, some flour to thicken the sauce, and some salt and pepper. Cooked low and slow for 3 1/2 hours and I ended up with succulent morsels of moose with a rich, flavorful sauce. Paired with some buttery mashed potatoes, carmalized onions and mushrooms and steamed vegetable and my family and I were well fed with a dish to remember. Here's how I put it together. Remember if you don;t have moose, any wild game would be great paired with the wine, as would beef.

Moose Barrenland


Ingredients:

• one 4-6 pound bone-in moose roast, bone removed and meat cut into stewing pieces
• 3 large yellow onions
• 6 large carrots, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 3 cups moose stock (or beef stock)
• 1 750ml bottle of blueberry-partridgeberry wine
• 1 tsp dried summer savory
• salt and pepper
• vegetable oil for searing moose
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

• The first job is to remove the meat from the bone. This is best done ahead a time so you can make the stock.Working carefully with a sharp knife, follow the individual muscles and remove them from the roast. Be sure to trip off excess fat and silver skin which can be tough to eat. Once all the meat has been removed, cut the moose into stew pieces, about 1 inch in size. Set aside as you'll use the bone to make a rich moose stock.
• In a 325 oven, add the meaty moose bone, along with 1 chopped onion and about 3 cups of water and a bay leaf to a small roaster and cook for about 90 minutes. Remove from oven and strain liquid, which should yield about 3 cups of stock.
• In a heavy bottom Dutch Oven or cast iron skillet, heat about 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Dry the moose pieces with a paper towel and season them well with salt and pepper. Sear and brown the moose in small batches and set each batch aside until all the moose has been browned. You may have to add more oil between batches. It is very important to keep the batches small (3-4 batches for this amount of meat) as overcrowding the pan will lower the temperature and you won't get a good sear. What will happen is the meat will give off moisture and you'll end up with steamed meat with no browning. Browning equals flavor!
• After the moose has been browned, the chopped onions and carrots to the pan, along with a pinch of salt. Lower the heat to medium. Stir the veggies around the pan with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape off the "fond", the browned bits of flavor stuck to the bottom. The veggies will absorb and release the fond, and the salt will help with this process.
• Next add the butter, garlic, flour and tomato paste and stir well with the veggies. Cook for a bout one minute.
• If you cooked the moose and veggies in a Dutch oven, and the vessel you plan to braise in add the moose. If you browned the moose and veggies in a cast iron skillet transfer everything to a roasting pan. 
• Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the wine and beef stock, add the dried savory, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients and place covered in a 325 oven for 3 to 3.5 hours. The moose will be fall apart tender and the liquid will have thickened into a rich, velvety sauce. 
• Served the Moose Barrenland over garlic smashed potatoes, with sauteed onions and mushrooms and some seasonal vegetables.

 Enjoy!

Moose and Partridgeberry Panini

Here at A Wicked Scoff I'm always thinking about how I can take traditional Newfoundland or New England ingredients and use them in a new and unique way. Living here in the Boston States I do not have a full arsenal of Newfoundland fare at my disposal but I do have special products that let me get my creative culinary juices flowing.

Down to my last couple pint sized Mason jars of my Uncle's bottled moose (from central Newfoundland), I decided to try something special. I wanted to build off my last bottled moose creation, the moosewich dip, and go more outside the box. I know that red meat, and especially game go great with tart berries, wine and port so I utilized a couple other Newfoundland ingredients and came up with a tasty moose panini sandwich.I paired the tender morsels of moose with some tart partridgeberry jam (aka lingonberries in other parts of the world, notably in Scandinavia or at IKEA stores) and sharp aged cheddar cheese. I made these grilled sandwiches on some wonderful, locally made rustic sourdough bread, for even extra tang and a great chew. Any kind of good quality bread would be great though. Not wanting to throw away and waste all the moose bottling liquid (referred to as moose liquor from this point forward), I paired it with some Newman's Port. I drizzled the port moose liquor reduction around the plated panini and dipped some of the bites into it for an extra fruity, salty burst of flavor. Here are some pictures and how I put it all together.

Moose and Partridgeberry Panini with Port Reduction (2 large sandwiches)


Ingredients:

• 1 pint of bottled moose (can use slow cooked braised game or red meat)
• 4 large slices of quality bread such as sourdough, 
• sharp cheddar cheese, sliced (brie cheese would also be nice I imagine)
• 2 Tbsp partridgeberry jam/preserves (or lingdonberry, may substitute with red current jelly, etc)
• 1/4 cup of port
• non stick cooking spray

Directions:

First off, I you do not have a panini press, don't sweat it. These sandwiches can be made in a skillet just as you would a grilled cheese or even on a cast iron griddle. If you want the panini effect of the sandwich getting pressed add a heavy pan to the top of the sandwich to press it a bit.

To start, place the contents of your bottled moose in a small skillet (I use a skillet as opposed to a sauce pan as this will help with the reduction later). Heat the moose and liquor through over a medium heat. I like to have the moose warm on the sandwich instead of putting it on there cold. Next, plug in your panini press and let it get hot. Lay out your four slices of bread and begin to assemble the sandwiches. Spread 1 Tbsp of the jam on two slices and cover the other two slices with thinly sliced sharp cheddar cheese.Next divide the tender moose meat atop the slices with the cheese. There should be enough moose to sneak a couple pieces into your mouth as a little snack. Lay the jammed slice of bread onto the moose/cheese slice and you're all set. Open your panini press and spray both sides with nonstick spray or oil. Lay on the sandwiches and press down. Cook according to your machines directions or until browned, crispy and heated through.

I let the paninis rest for a couple of minutes (they're too hot too eat) while I make the reduction. Bring the reserved moose liquor to a boil and add a 1/4 cup of port. Stir together and let reduce until it becomes syrupy and coats a spoon. Use this reduction to drizzle around your plated panini for dipping. This sandwich was a huge hit at home the other night and I'm sure it will be for you and your friends and family too. Paired with a nice glass of Rodrigues wine or cold glass of beer and you'll have a great combination. So here you have it, two of Newfoundland's best ingredients, moose and partridgeberries together again, just as they are in nature out on the barrens.

Moosewich Dip...a new use for bottled moose

Bottled moose is a Newfoundland delicacy, and for an expatriate such as myself, is worth more to me than gold. For those who do not know what bottled moose is, it is technically "canned moose", but since it is typically can preserved in mason jars, we call it bottled moose. We also bottle rabbit and seal but that is another story.

 While different people have different methods and ingredient quantities, there are typically three key ingredients....cubed moose meat, a little onion, and a little fat back or salt pork. The concoction gets stuffed into mason jars, seasoned with some salt, and water canned for a long time. These days people seem to be starting to pressure can their bottled moose, which is a good thing since pressure canning is the only truly safe way to preserve meat.

Anyways, I mostly get my bottled moose from my Uncle Harold who is a seasoned pro at it. He lives in central Newfoundland, and I have always thought of central Newfoundland moose are the best tasting. When you are lucky enough to get it bottled, you simply can't beat it. The bottling processes makes even the toughest cut of meat incredibly tender, and the flavor is distinctly rich, savory, and just slightly gamy (in a good way). As many of you can attest to, bottled moose rules, and whether is up at the cabin, or having a boil up out on the pond in the middle of winter, nobody will ever screw their nose up to the stuff.

So, as I looked at my unopened box of bottled moose the other day I got to thinking what a nice feast it would make for my birthday supper. A real treat you know. Then, as my creative culinary juices began to flow I envisioned ways to mix it up, and began thinking about other red meat sandwiches. What came to mind was the classic French Dip, and behold, the birth of the Moosewich Dip! Here it is.

Ingredients (makes two 6 inch sandwiches):
- 1 Pint "bottled"  Moose
- 1 12" Ciabatta loaf or baguette, halved, and cut lengthwise
- mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 TBSP chili sauce (or ketchup)
- cold bottle of your favorite beer

Directions:
Empty pint jar of bottled moose into a small sauce pan (aka dipper) and warm through over a light simmer for 10 minutes or so. Cut onion in thin slices and saute in a little oil over a medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and let onions brown and begin to carmalize for another 10-15 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cut a baguette or narrow ciabatta loaf in half so you have 2 6" pieces, and slice each in half lengthwise. Place a layer of grated cheese on each cut side of bread and melt in the oven or under the broiler. Once the moose meat has heated through, remove from the sauce pan and set aside, leaving the moose liquor, or au jus in the pan over the heat. To make a dipping sauce add the chili sauce or ketchup. Open your bottle of beer and a drop to the sauce. Arrange the moose meat on a piece of the bread, top with fried onions and add the second piece of cheesy bread. Serve warm with a side of savory and garlic roasted chips and dip the sandwich in the au jus as you go. It is awesome! Enjoy.