It’s about six in the morning, and fall has shortened the days enough that the early mornings are dark. The dimly lit driveway illuminates the remaining pile of gear, coolers and last-minute items waiting on the porch for us to load into the pan of the truck. Once everything has been packed and goodbyes have been said, the truck’s taillights fade into the dawn, marking the start of another fall moose hunt.

But really, this is just the middle of the experience, bookended by preparation and processing. Despite not participating in the actual hunt, by preparing the meals in anticipation of the trip and then processing the meat when the hunters return, I feel as though I am still taking part in the overall hunting experience.

During a moose hunt, hearty, warm meals are essential for keeping spirits high and energy sustained during long, chilly days. The meal planning begins as soon as my husband and his brothers narrow down their exact hunting dates. They usually divide things evenly: six guys and six days, so each person brings three meals, including breakfast, a trail lunch and a filling supper. The off-grid cabin they stay at includes a propane stove, so cooking a good meal after a long day trekking through the cutovers is not an issue.   

Breakfasts are the easiest, but trail lunches must be portable since they are prepared “on the trail.” There is no better time to use up the last of the moose in the freezer to make heart-warming meals for the present year’s moose hunt, so of the many suggestions for a trail lunch, moose chili was my husband’s pick this year. The chili’s warmth in both spice and temperature will provide the necessary sustenance to keep them going.

The decision for my husband’s supper this year was moose osso buco, an excellent meal for a crowd. It is best to prepare it ahead of time. The meat, usually shanks cut in rounds to expose the marrow, is slow roasted with onions, a good stock, tomatoes and fresh herbs. The shredded meat with rich gravy is frozen to keep in a cooler until needed. The finely cubed root vegetables are frozen separately and added to the reheated meat to hold their shape and texture. I make these meals easy to assemble at the end of the day by packaging them so they can all be put in one pot and reheated.

Hunters experience a unique connection to nature when the meat on their plate is a result of their hunt, and sharing the meat becomes a celebration of the land’s provisions. When my husband arrives home and hangs up his quarter of meat for me to preserve, I take as much care as he and his brothers did to obtain it. For those family and friends who are not part of a hunting adventure, crafting delicious meals from moose meat is a way to share the experience and bring the essence of the wilderness to the table. 

Moose Osso Bucco

Moose meat often surprises people with its delicious flavour, tenderness and versatility. When prepared thoughtfully, you can transform this beautiful protein into a mouth-watering dish. Sharing moose-based creations can challenge stereotypes and open up a world of culinary possibilities. (I once had a colleague completely change their opinion of moose meat for the better after trying one of my moose dishes!) 

This particular moose recipe creates a robust meat sauce that is excellent on a steaming bowl of creamy mashed potatoes.

Make a bouquet garni: place rosemary, thyme and bay leaf in cheese cloth and tie with kitchen string.

Pat moose shank cuts with paper towel. Wrap kitchen string around each shank cut to keep them intact while cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour.

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add moose shanks to the pan and brown on both sides. Remove and set aside. In the same Dutch oven, add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add tomato paste and stir to coat onions.

Place moose shanks back into the pot. Add wine and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add bouquet garni, tin tomatoes and 3 cups of broth. 

Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for 1½ hours or until meat is tender, adding extra broth as needed.

When meat is tender, remove bouquet garni. You now have two choices: serve the whole pieces with strings removed or remove shanks, remove strings, shred meat, remove marrow and return meat and marrow to the sauce to coat. With either version, add the finely cubed vegetables to the sauce and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes that have been riced and mixed with a bit of butter, cream cheese and sour cream with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with orange zest. 🫎

Marsha Tulk is a photographer, recipe developer and award-winning author of Food Culture Place. 

foodcultureplace.ca  |  @foodofgenerations