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01-09-2010, 03:55 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 65
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Tough moose meat
We took a cow moose in late November. She was about 3 years old. We thought she would be great eating but the steaks are tough as nails. She was standing there watching us and was hit in the spine about halfway across the back. She was down right away. We got to her 5 minutes later and shot her in the head. We took great care field dressing her and it was -10. After we had her in the truck she went straight to the butcher shop and hung right away for about 2 weeks.
Could the spine shot have done something? We can't figure what it could be. The meat should be prime eating. Thanks.
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01-09-2010, 04:01 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
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Simple. Your over cooking it.
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01-09-2010, 04:05 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 65
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I wish it was that but I cook my meat almost blue rare and the other two guys I split with are experiencing the same thing.
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01-09-2010, 04:09 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Iron River
Posts: 5,158
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Try piercing it with a fork and marinating it overnight in pineapple juice...seems to tendarize it a bit.
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01-09-2010, 04:13 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Slave Lake
Posts: 5,639
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Cook it in the slowcooker on low heat and it will be tender
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01-09-2010, 04:13 PM
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Gone Hunting
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Between Bodo and a hard place
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Which steaks and how are you cooking them.
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01-09-2010, 04:16 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Southern Alberta
Posts: 3,665
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The spine shot might have more to do with it than you think . I called in my Whitey buck ,zero stress and had no idea anyone was around and not an old buck either . I took the only shot I had, which unfortunatly was the base of the tail and could not finish him for a couple min and he is very tough also. You might want to invest in a meat hammer
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01-09-2010, 04:17 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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Well than I do not have an answer. I shot moose in warm weather, cold weather, froze and then thawed, In the head, heart shot etc. Mine were all fine. But I ain't an expert. But do find ya can't cook it like beef.
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01-09-2010, 04:19 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 176
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Tough moose meat
Could your moose carcass or portion of it been switched with an old animal at the butcher? Spine shots should not have an impact on meat quality.
wapiti11
Last edited by wapiti11; 01-09-2010 at 04:20 PM.
Reason: punctuation
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01-09-2010, 04:20 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 65
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Redfrog... Which steaks and how are you cooking them.
It's all cuts except possibly the tenderloins as I haven't tried them yet.
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01-09-2010, 04:24 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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Stress has nothing to do with it. Its a myth.
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01-09-2010, 04:28 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: grew up in Alberta moved to SK, sure miss Alberta
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are the steaks cut wth the meat grain or across the meat grain??? when yer cooking it do you seer it then flip it rt away and keep seering it flippin it??? that meat should be tender, enough to cut it wth a fork, invite me over I,ll test it out for ya evan cook it for if ya want
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01-09-2010, 05:09 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by u_cant_rope_the_wind
are the steaks cut wth the meat grain or across the meat grain??? when yer cooking it do you seer it then flip it rt away and keep seering it flippin it??? that meat should be tender, enough to cut it wth a fork, invite me over I,ll test it out for ya evan cook it for if ya want
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So you're saying to keep flipping it so as to not cook it too long on one side? I'm not sure about how it was cut with the grain or not
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01-09-2010, 05:13 PM
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It happens every now and then.
Most times it can be attributed to an animal running a long way after being hit, old age and other times improper handling but occasionally you just get one like that for no real reason.
I shot a cow one time that was so tough that you couldn't stick a fork in the gravy Funny but true.......
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01-09-2010, 07:57 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: grew up in Alberta moved to SK, sure miss Alberta
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Quote:
Originally Posted by atlas
So you're saying to keep flipping it so as to not cook it too long on one side? I'm not sure about how it was cut with the grain or not
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yes if you cook the moisture outa wild meat it goes tuff dont use as hot of heat as u would wth beef or pork,test it a few times when it looks rt to yer likeing it should be tender and juicey, and umm (trying to explain wth out showing you ) if its cut wth the grain instead of across the grain it will always be tuff not sure why but thats what alota people do and end up wth tuff cutts instead of tender cuts look at how meat is cut at safeway its cut across the the grain not wth it . like a log if you cut it length ways (wth the grain)u get a board if u cross cut it u get a block (steak) do that make sence?? I have taken steaks off an animal as we were dressing it out ( no cooling no hanging it 10 days )& always tender, once my sister took a roast and cut it length ways (wth the grain) so the steaks were bigger and those were the tuffest piece of meat i ever had, and the next time she cross cut the roast made like steakettes same animal & real tender and soft
Last edited by u_cant_rope_the_wind; 01-09-2010 at 08:05 PM.
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01-09-2010, 04:26 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Calgary
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honda450
how do you cook your moose steaks?
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01-09-2010, 04:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by atlas
honda450
how do you cook your moose steaks?
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I am a BBQ man. Otherwise it ain't steak. Honestly I do not follow any recipe just look what is in the fridge and cupboard and improvise.
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Last edited by honda450; 01-09-2010 at 04:44 PM.
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01-09-2010, 04:43 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Calgary
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One of the guys I split it with has been hunting moose for 20 yrs and figures it might have been the spine shot.
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01-09-2010, 04:48 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by atlas
One of the guys I split it with has been hunting moose for 20 yrs and figures it might have been the spine shot.
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Doubt it.
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01-09-2010, 04:58 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Peace Country
Posts: 1,087
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I thing you got your moose switched with someone elses moose.It use to happen to me all the time until i started to cut my own meat.I have been cutting my own moose,elk,deer now the last 5 years never have any problems.And as far as cooking steak I cook it on the BBQ. just like my beef medium rare,always tender.
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01-12-2010, 07:50 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: wouldn't you like to know
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Quote:
Originally Posted by atlas
We took a cow moose in late November. She was about 3 years old. We thought she would be great eating but the steaks are tough as nails. She was standing there watching us and was hit in the spine about halfway across the back. She was down right away. We got to her 5 minutes later and shot her in the head. We took great care field dressing her and it was -10. After we had her in the truck she went straight to the butcher shop and hung right away for about 2 weeks.
Could the spine shot have done something? We can't figure what it could be. The meat should be prime eating. Thanks.
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Put about a quarter inch of cooking oil in the bottom of a dish and your favorite bbq sauce and spices, pierce the steaks and put them in the oil and bbq sauce mixture. Let it marinate for about 6 to 8 hours.
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01-12-2010, 09:56 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,551
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The moose I shot was refered to by someone who knows what he is doing as "one of the best eating moose" he had ever had the pleasure of tasting. I, on the other hand, only succeeded in producing the toughest meat I have ever put between my teeth. So I'm sure cooking skill makes a difference. I took to using a pressure cooker. Makes everything tender. I prefer a nice steak from the barbeque, but with all that meat in the freezer that nobody wants to eat otherwise, what do you do?
We had some great stews, though!
Frans
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01-12-2010, 11:16 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,721
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moose
Frans that was a great moose, I don't know what you did to it?? LOL That's actually pretty funny.
I should do a steak cooking seminar sometime. the trick is to not over cook meat and let it rest for 10 minutes in a warm place after it's done. I cooked some elk last night (sirloin) and it was fantastic, just as tender as any beef I've had. Well except for that tenderloin we aged for 90 days...but that's another story. Do a search for salt aging steaks and try that method it's a great way to do in 20 minutes what 25 days of cooler aging will do.
Also remember that some cuts are tender and others are only good for long moist cooking because they are tough no matter what. I browned some elk shanks this afternoon and boiled them for soup, the broth is very nice and the meat is nice and tender-That's what to do with shanks you could never eat them any other way.
So the steak cuts on a moose are the sirloin,tenderloin, backstrap, top round (a bit tough sometimes). The top round, and bottom round are roasts and the rest is for braising (moist heat)or grinding.
I sympathize with you guys though and I've been lucky to have 20 years of daily practice. It's not easy to learn this stuff when you only cook occasionally.
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01-13-2010, 01:02 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 707
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its the way the meat was cut partner.. against the grain... only way to fix that is with a meat hammer
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01-13-2010, 09:50 AM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Jasper
Posts: 2,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by atlas
WAfter we had her in the truck she went straight to the butcher shop and hung right away for about 2 weeks.
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This should open up a can of worms, but
...wild game does not have the same enzymes in it that beef has to break down the tissue. AAA Alberta beef is aged for a minimum of 28 days. Personally, I prefer to butcher my game within a day or two of being shot. You will not improve the quality of wild game by aging it like it was beef.
Last edited by Big Bull; 01-13-2010 at 03:40 PM.
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01-13-2010, 11:22 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,168
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Korzy
I was under the impression high heat sears in the juices as well, until i watched a food show where they did an experiment on this. Turns out searing the meat damages more tissue and thus lettting the juices out. Low and slow for tender it would seem.
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High heat searing is for flavor and crust only. It does not "seal" in juices. I "sous vide" cuts of meat that are tougher (vac pack and cook in a low temp 135 degree to 140 degree water bath for 24-72 hours). Then you sear them really quickly after. You can have medium rare shanks that are literally falling off the bone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Bull
This should open up a can of worms, but
...wild game does not have the same enzymes in it that beef has to break down the tissue. AAA Alberta beef is aged for a minimum of 28 days. Personally, I prefer to butcher my game within a day or two of been shot. You will not improve the quality of wild game by aging it like it was beef.
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It most certainly does have similar enzymes. While you may not hang it like beef because it will have issues due to the lack of fat it has to protect it from over drying hanging does improve the quality -- especially of older animals. I hang with the hide on to prevent drying and hang for up to 3 weeks if temps permit.
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01-13-2010, 02:44 PM
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Info from experts
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01-13-2010, 06:06 PM
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Location: Westlock, Ab
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The bride marinates in soya sauce with a few spices. Timing is everything though, to long and the steaks are way too salty. Not enough time, and the marinating doesn't have any affect.
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01-13-2010, 06:33 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Jasper
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wind drift
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