Big Game Pot Roast

A dear, sweet client of mine gave me my first moose roast to prepare earlier this month. I've never cooked any type of moose. Turns out it's much like beef and very delicious. Especially when you come across the right recipe.

I'm so glad I bought this book for my husband for Christmas. Hopefully he doesn't read this before the unwrapping and have another surprise ruined. He already ended up getting his wool coat early. Which ended up being a good thing. I believe I mentioned in my last post that we had some pretty frosty weather this month.

I adapted this recipe from "Dressing & Cooking Wild Game From Field to Table" The Complete Hunter. I say "adapted" because, of course, I didn't have all the ingredients it called for and once again, I wasn't driving all the way to town for some marjoram and french onion soup and whatever else. Glad I didn't. It ended up being the BEST roast I've ever had! And I've had some good ones.

This recipe is good for any big game...moose, venison, elk, bear, antelope, etc

Big Game Pot Roast

Use the shoulder roast, rump roast, or bottom round.

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1/2 tsp ground thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 1/2 to 3lb roast

3 T oil (I use safflower)

10 oz water 

2 tsp beef bullion paste

1 large yellow onion (thinly sliced)

2 T butter

1/2 cup red wine

1 bay leaf

1 turnip (peeled and cut into wedges)

1 large onion of choice (cut into wedges) (I used a sweet onion)

2 cups baby carrots

1 small bag of new potatoes (around 1 to 1.5lbs)

8 oz fresh button mushrooms (whole)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large plastic food-storage bag, combine flour, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper; shake to mix. Add meat and shake to coat.

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil and brown both sides of the meat (about 5 minutes each side).

While that is browning, in a heavy, medium sized saucepan, melt butter and saute the finely sliced onion in it, turning frequently, until golden. We're making a mock French Onion Soup here. Add the water and beef bullion paste, stirring to mix. Simmer about 5 min or until you beef is done browning.

Add what's left of the flour mixture, the mock French onion soup, wine and bay leaf to the meat. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat and cover. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Add the turnip and onion wedges, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. Recover and bake until meat and veggies are tender. This will take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

My roast was in the oven about 3 hours and 15 minutes total.

Serve with some hot biscuits and a green veggie and you're good to go! I cheated and popped open a can of trader joes biscuits and baked them. My husband asked, "No homemade biscuits?" I said, "Shush and eat your moose!" He's so spoiled!

As far as music goes...it started off as a Ben Folds kind of day

Not The Same

But then progressed to The Cure

A Forest (Deep Forest Mix)

Is this what happens when you get older? You start feeling nostalgic more often than not?