by Millie Bentley
Greetings. How time flies! I was searching for a moose stew recipe when I came across a recipe my grandson Ryan made in 1998. 1998!! That was twenty years ago. My son Greg, his wife Nancy and two sons Ryan and Kyle came to Bethel in 1997 to help out here in the B & B. What a wonderful year – wish we could do it all over. Anyway, Nancy’s mom and dad, Chuck and Shirley, came up for a memorable visit. Ryan made them a real Alaskan meal – caribou stew – it was great. I think we could use the same recipe for moose, so here goes.
Ryan’s Moose/Caribou Stew
3 pounds moose (or caribou) steak or rump
6 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 brown onion, cut into eighths lengthwise
6 to 8 potatoes, peeled and cut into walnut-sized pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Paul Prudhomme Barbecue Magic or seasoned salt
¼ cup Worchestershire sauce
Wash and dry meat, removing any hair. Trim away fat and gristle. Cutting across the grain, cut meat into 1 ½ inch chunks. Heat oil in a very large skillet. Add meat, stir and fry until meat is lightly browned on all surfaces, adding more oil if necessary. Sprinkle flour, pepper and seasoning over meat. Saute and stir about a minute more. Put onions on top of meat and pour Worchestershire sauce over. Stir about 1 minute. Add water to cover meat. Stir. Add carrots and potatoes. Stir and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer about one hour or until meat is tender.
If meat you use is not a tender cut, cook meat until it is tender and then add carrots and potatoes. When meat and vegetables are done to your liking, remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving juice in pan. Keep warm while you heat up some brown ‘n serve rolls and make some gravy or thicken your stew. To do this, place 3 tablespoons flour and ½ teaspoon salt (if needed, taste juice) in a mixing cup. Add ½ cup water and stir until a smooth paste is made. Now, increasing heat under skillet to medium, stir the liquid using a wire whip and slowly pour in paste. Keep stirring, and when gravy begins to thicken, remove from heat and pour over meat and vegetables in the bowl. Serve immediately with rolls and a green salad or coleslaw. Yummm!!
Until next week, dear Reader, vaya con Dios.
