Did you know that the elk is one of the largest land mammals
in the northern hemisphere?
Of course, this is not what was running through my mind when scavenging
through my freezer, trying to come up with a fantastically creative dinner—or really,
just something to eat—on a Monday night.
But I had bought some elk meat from a local farm at the co-op, and it
seemed like just the right thing for stew.
Thank goodness for microwave defrosting! After I started cleaning and halving
some small potatoes from the Moore’s farm (leaving the fiber-rich skin on), my
son joined in the act to peel and slice some of those ridiculously sweet
Blue Moon carrots. I lassoed in my
husband to mince three cloves of garlic while I chopped a couple of
onions. The potatoes and carrots
went into boiling water, and the garlic, onions and defrosted ground meat went
into my favorite cast iron pot (“the cauldron,” as I call it). I browned the meat and added a half a
cup of flour and made sure all the meat was coated; in went two cups of heated beef
broth, two cups of hot vegetable broth, and a half a cup of wine. After the carrots and potatoes were
mostly done, I drained them and added them in. A touch of salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of my favorite herb,
thyme, completed this simple stew.
I simmered the stew for another 20 minutes or so, stirring often. The elk meat wasn’t gamey, but added a deeper,
richer flavor than beef. Complemented
by a slice of my favorite sourdough bread, a chunk of Pont-L’Evèque cheese, and a glass
of a modest Côtes du Rhône, it was the perfect dinner for a snowy night.
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