Bullwinkle Lasagna
Tuesday, April 18, 2006 13:18So here’s something I never thought I would write or blog about ever… Moose. That’s right, moose.
About a month ago, a friend gave me some frozen moose meat. Apparently, his family went hunting and long story short, there was a very unfortunate moose that day. He had more than he could use and figured since I’m a foodie, I’d know what to do with it. I unabashedly admit, I didn’t have a clue. He told me to cook with it as I would with ground beef.
Over the weekend, I decided to make a lasagna out of it… and invited four guinea pigs friends over to try it with me. I started out by browning the moose meat. After it was cooked, I proceeded to drain the meat and was surprised to find significantly less oil to dump out than when using beef! I tried a bit of the cooked moose meat, and I never would have guessed it was something other than beef. With nothing more than salt, the moose meat was fairly flavorful. I had expected it to taste at least a bit gamey, but I was happy to be wrong. The rest of the lasagna recipe is as follows:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles, then drain. In a bowl, mix one egg with 24 oz of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of shredded parmasean, and 2 cups of mozarella. Spray or brush a casserole dish with olive oil. Coat the bottom of the dish with tomato sauce. Layer the dish with noodles, then the cheese blend, (moose) meat, and tomato sauce. Next add a new layer of noodles, cheese blend, meat and tomato sauce. Now top with final layer of noodles. Cover the top with tomato sauce and mozarella. Cover the whole thing with aluminum foil and place into the oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and lift up the foil. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then serve.
My guests were well aware that true to its name, Bullwinkle Lasagna was made with moose meat. Though a couple participants had their doubts, their reaction to the taste of the meat was the same as mine. They couldn’t tell the difference between moose meat from beef. In the event this dinner would have turned out disasterous, salad and garlic bread were also available, but fortunately, the lasagna turned out to be a hit. I’m not sure I would ever go out and seek moose meat - not even sure where in Los Angeles to find moose meat - but if you ever see it on a menu, don’t shy away from it. Be adventurous.
See you all next month.
By Pauline (see more of her posts).
Zteve says:
April 18th, 2006 at 3:50 pm
Moose is pretty common in Canada, tasting remarkably like elk. The real difference between those (and venison) and beef is the leaner cuts because the animals get way more exercise. Wish there was a way outside of online provider to get some, I remember it being tender and flavorful…but I grew up with venison. Thanks for the recipe! Good sub: buffalo.
Pauline says:
April 19th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
Thanks for your comment, Zteve! I really was wondering why moose meat was so much leaner than regular beef.
Here’s the real tough question though: Which is harder to find - moose or buffalo?
Zteve says:
April 20th, 2006 at 10:39 am
Moose by far. Buffalo is now carried by premium retailers like Whole Foods, and there is a local provider that I wrote about on my site (can’t remember the name) that frequents the farmer’s markets..Linden Bison, I believe? You can also find buffalo at regular grocery stores in the special frozen meat section, usually next to frozen hamburger patties and duck (yeah, my Von’s carries it, but it’s pricey and limited). Whole Foods for fresh, reasonable price (OMG!!! ‘reasonable price’ and ‘Whole Foods’ in the same sentance)
Care'n says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 1:04 pm
I traveled in Alaska (drove the AL-CAN highway) and met up with a guy who GAVE us about 40 lbs. of moosemeat as a “good luck and don’t starve on the highway” gift. It was the BEST meat I have ever had. I can’t get it online (at least for now) but I would gladly pay for a 4 lb. moose roast that I can braise in strong coffee for about 1 1/2 hours at 350. MMMMM!
Sue says:
December 12th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
I was surprised to find so much about moose meat on the web…but then, as great as it tastes, maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised! I would dearly love for someone to contact me with a source to get hold of some moose meat, steaks preferred. It’s the best taste anyone can experience. My memory lingers from 1972!!!