Dances with Tenderloin
Anyone who’s a chef, who loves good food ultimately knows that all that matters is: ‘is it good? Does it give pleasure?’ -Anthony Bourdain
“Is it ready?” I asked. Pete was adjusting a few of the sticks on the fire beneath the grate. One of the bigger coals settled and a flurry of sparks spiraled through the checkered grill. I couldn’t believe he brought a metal cooking grate. It wasn’t dainty. It was a large foldable steel grate, the kind of project you would expect a high school welding student to complete.
The plan was to throw fresh moose tenderloin on a sizzling hot grill. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. My skepticism was two-fold; firstly I wasn’t sure we could produce a hot enough fire with the low quality firewood available. As it turns out wet, rotten willow snags don’t burn very well. My other thought was that the meat would dry out; there is hardly any fat in moose tenderloin.
“Yeah, I think it’s ready,” he said. I looked over at the metal grate situated over our campfire and it was glowing red. Game on!
I had cut the loin into thin steaks, rubbed them with olive oil followed by a light sprinkling of Chicago steak seasoning. I handed the plate of steaks to Pete. “Okay what do you want here?” he asked. I was the chef tonight.
“Give me 15 seconds per side.”
“You got it.” He said. I reached for my cocktail and watched the man do his thing.
Ahh... Life is good. As Pete danced around the fire trying to avoid burning himself, I couldn’t help but to reflect on the history of Harrison kill-night eats. We used to have liver and onions on kill night. We used my grandma June’s recipe that included fresh liver, onions, and stewed tomatoes. Ladled on top of rehydrated mashed potatoes, it was a hearty meal. Served along with several fingers of Wild Turkey 101 and voila!: kill night eats. Oh the memories!
At some point many years ago we decided to change it up. Why not eat the best the moose has to offer? Our quest for a better meal was quickly over; Enter the tenderloin.
Tucked high-and-tight below the ribs and along the inside of the backbone of the lower spine, the tenderloin requires delicate knife skills to remove. As with all quadrupeds, the tenderloin refers to a muscle called psoas major. This is typically the most tender part of any animal, because these muscles are used for posture, rather than locomotion. Translation: Good eats.
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| Access to the tenderloins is from the inside of the gut cavity. |
Our go-to recipe in the post liver era is a true gem it it’s own right. It is adapted from our friend Steve Davis who is one of the original pioneers of this particular hunt and a fantastic cook. Thin cut medallions of tenderloin join the party of sauteed onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper and bacon. The final step is to douse the whole thing in soy sauce. Served with potatoes or rice it never disappoints. We had all of the ingredients ready for this recipe but on this night we would play around with some fresh grilled loin as well.
Pete flipped them with care and before long they were back on the plate. We passed them around and tore small chunks for appetizers. The meat pulled apart easily; there was no need for a knife. The juicy steak fell apart in our mouths and filled our senses with the essence of moose... Heaven. On some visceral level, for me, it seemed to validated our efforts. So much planning and effort goes into our hunt each year and although we were not out-of-the-woods quite yet, I felt a sense of closure with each savory bite. “Wow” said Pete.
It had been a brilliant day both in weather and circumstance. We had both bulls down by noon and we found ourselves back in camp by five. As our evening played out with good food, drink, and family, I realized once again how lucky I am.
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| Brenton's first. |
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| Apparently a couple of grey wolves were watching as I stalked this big boy. |
