Exotic wild meat is the rave now in the culinary world. If you haven’t had any, you can add moose meat to your wishlist. Game meat has been underrated by many due to the simplicity that surrounds it. Game meat, in which moose meat is included, has proven to be a source of many mouth-watering portions of meat that has graced the culinary scene.
Moose meat is popular in the Northern American region and some other regions of the world. They are wild animals that are hunted down for both sport and sufficiency. Moose reportedly tastes better than elk and deer. Moose is commonly referred to as a swamp donkey in some parts and if you do manage to take one down, you might need a chainsaw.
What does moose meat taste like? Many people describe the taste of moose meat to be similar to that of chicken. But it doesn’t taste anything like chicken. Moose meat is dense because it has all its fat stored between its hide and muscles. Moose meat tastes a lot like what it feeds on. They have a strong gamey taste that is flavored by what they have been feeding on in their habitat.
The age and gender of the moose can also affect the taste. For example, a younger moose would have a milder flavor than an older moose.
Nutritional Benefits of Moose Meat
Moose meat has a very good store of nutritional value. In a standard 3-ounce serving, you have just 113 calories. It serves as a great source of protein and other nutrients that could be of some benefit to the body. In a standard serving of moose meat, you have 25 grams of protein, 0.8 grams of fat, and 0.0 grams of carbohydrates. It also contains substantial amounts of phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium, and vitamins B12 & B3 (Niacin).
Moose meat has a special fat profile because of its lifestyle in the wild. With meat, it is not all about the number of micronutrients that it has. All those nutrients can be rendered useless if the amount of fat in the meat is too overbearing. Even with the low amount of fat that moose has, the fat present there is classified as “functional fatty acids”. The special fat has a lot of targeted health benefits but is not found in high amounts in other foods.
Moose meat contains a type of fatty acids that are called FAHFAs, or fatty acid esters, hydroxy fatty acids. These fatty acids have been known to help improve the overall well-being of the body. These fatty acids have been linked to the improvement of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes. With people that have low levels of insulin, these fatty acids can increase the secretion of insulin in the body.
Moose meat also contains a particular type of fatty acid that is not usually found in animal meat. These fatty acids are called diglycerides and monoacetyl diglycerides or MAcDG. Diglycerides help to fight inflammation and other related diseases like autoimmune diseases, cancer, asthma, and diabetes.
Culinary Uses of Moose Meat
Moose meat is lean, leaner than the beef you buy at the butcher’s shop. This simply means that it doesn’t contain much fat. When cooking moose meat, you need to use liquid-based materials so that you can add moisture to the meat and prevent it from drying out and losing all of its natural juices.
You cannot overcook or undercook moose meat; undercooking puts you at risk of food poisoning while overcooking can dry the meat out and make it tough and chewy. The best way to prepare moose meat is by simmering it in a covered pot with a little bit of liquid, or by basting it with fat. These two methods serve to improve the flavor and texture of the meat.
Because of the lack of fat, cooking moose meat requires attention. There are several ways you can cook moose and there are countless dishes and recipes that you can integrate moose meat into. Moose meat works best when it is paired with foods that have a strong flavor. Pressure cooking moose meat with herbs and spices might be the best way to infuse flavors into the meat.
Moose bourguignon is a dish made with moose meat. The meat is tenderized with wine and combined with the strong flavors of the other items in the recipe. Moose meat can also be ground up and used for burgers or patties.
What is the Origin of Moose Meat? How to Procure It?
Moose meat comes from the animal known as “Moose” in North America. In Eurasia, this same animal is referred to as Elk. Moose has an obscure history because it goes by different names in many languages.
Moose is the largest and heaviest extant species from the deer family, that is why it is jokingly called the swamp donkey. The Moose preferred places of habitat are the boreal forests, temperate broadleaf forests, and mixed forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Human activities such as hunting and some others have caused a reduction in the size of land that the moose can inhabit over time.
The most common places where you can find moose are in Canada, New England, Alaska, New York State, Poland, Russia, Fennoscandia, and the Baltic States. If you crave moose meat, you can order online from an online purveyor, or go hunting legally in any of these places.
Which Tastes Better: Moose or Elk?
Moose meat has more flavor than elk meat. Moose meat is almost as flavored as Venison. It is lean and lacks fat so special care needs to be taken when preparing it for consumption.
Moose meat would taste better than elk meat if it is well prepared. But personal preferences might cloud that judgment.
Facts You Don’t Know About Moose Meat
- In North American English, Alces alces is called a Moose, but in British English, it is called Elk.
- In North America, the Moose population has gradually declined since the 1990s and the exact cause of the decline has not been determined. But in other regions like the Arctic and Subarctic, they are stable.