Jellied moose nose is a Canadian delicacy made from the snout of a moose, cooked and cooled in a brothy liquid. This forms a block of jelly which can be sliced and served to guests.
Among many weird yet delicious foods eaten around the world, jellied moose nose is certainly up there! Similar to European head cheese consisting of both white and dark meat, jellied moose nose is considered a delicacy of northern Canada and Alaska.
It may seem unusual to many, but it certainly removes the need to throw the moose’s snout when it could be much better used to make a delicious dish!
How Did Jellied Moose Nose Originate?
In 1834, indigenous people of northern communities used to hunt moose for food, and every part of it was used. It was the time when wives were dependent on what their husbands brought after the hunt and couldn’t let anything go to waste.
Then those wilderness wives started experimenting and came up with jellied moose nose. This dish was also included in the Northern Cookbook, in 1967, a publication by the Canadian government.
Before cooking, the hair inside the moose nose should be removed. This can be done by heating it on a stick over a fire for 30 to 60 minutes, depending upon the heat.
Then you use a knife to remove the burnt hair and skin. Here you get smooth meat, which is now ready to cook. Or they can be removed after boiling when they are looser.
Jellied Moose Nose Recipe
Jellied moose nose is a Canadian delicacy made from the nose of a moose!
Ingredients
- 1 upper jawbone of moose
- 1 sliced onion
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vinegar
Instructions
- Cut the upper jaw bone of moose just below the eyes.
- Boil it in a large kettle of scalding water for 45 minutes.
- Remove the boiled moose and chill it in cold water.
- Pull out all the hair because boiling has loosened them, and now they can easily be removed. - --Wash it thoroughly so that no hair left behind.
- Fill a kettle with freshwater and place the nose in it.
- Now also add onion, garlic, spices, and vinegar in it.
- Bring it to a boil, then cook it on a reduced flame till tender.
- Let it cool overnight in the liquid.
- When cool, take the moose nose out of the broth. Now remove and discard the bones and the cartilage.
- You have two kinds of meat now, white meat from the bulb of nose and dark meat from the along with the bones and jowls.
- Now it is the time to slice the meat thinly and in alternative layers of dark and white meat in a loaf pan.
- Reheat the broth to boiling and then pour broth over the meat in the loaf pan.
- Let it cool until the jelly has set.
- Slice and serve the meat cold.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 49Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 547mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g
It has a gelatinous texture and likening the flavor of corned beef, as described by Chef Andrew Zimmern.
There are different ways to eat jellied moose nose. You can cut into slices, soak in salty water, cook it on a slow fire and then serve as a stew. You can also stew it in its own juice, chop up and then serve in gelatin. What an amazing culinary experience!
Eating jellied moose nose is mysterious to many, so you must solve this mystery and try this chewy nose cartilage and tender cheek meat.