Charred Moose Steak with Fire-Roasted Tomato-Maple Glaze

This dish was born on a late-summer portage when late-harvest tomatoes hung heavy beside the trail and the last of the maple syrup simmered over the f...

4
Boreal Canadian Cuisine
🟡Intermediate★★★☆☆
Aug 2, 2025
27 views

Ingredients

🌾

1 cup

Wild rice pilaf

cooked, for serving

🥛

2 tbsp

Cold-smoked butter

or regular unsalted butter plus 1/4 tsp smoked salt

🌶️

3 sprigs

Fresh thyme

leaves stripped

🥬

1.5 lbs

Late-harvest tomatoes

such as San Marzano or heirloom, vine-ripened

📦

2 pieces

Cedar planks

food-grade, soaked in water for 1 hour

📦

2 lbs

Moose back-strap

trimmed, silver skin removed, cut into 4 equal portions

📦

3 oz

Spruce-tip gin

or a pine-forward gin such as St. George Terroir

📦

1/2 cup

Maple syrup

dark Grade B for deeper flavor

📦

1 small

Shallot

minced

🥬

1 tsp

Black peppercorns

freshly cracked

🍎

1 tbsp

Juniper berries

lightly crushed with the flat of a knife

💧

1 tbsp

Red wine vinegar

🫒

2 tbsp

Extra-virgin olive oil

🌶️

2 tsp

Kosher salt

Categories:🥩protein🥬vegetable🍎fruit🌾grain🥛dairy🌶️spice🫒oil💧liquid📦other

Instructions

Step 1
Pat the moose back-strap portions dry with paper towels and place in a shallow dish. Scatter the crushed juniper berries and cracked black peppercorns over the meat, then pour the spruce-tip gin evenly across the surface. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning once halfway to ensure even absorption.
Step 2
Remove the moose from the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Lift out the meat and scrape off the juniper and pepper; pat dry again. Season generously on all sides with kosher salt. The meat should feel tacky—this helps the sear form.
Step 3
Preheat your grill to high (450 °F–500 °F). Place the soaked cedar planks over direct heat for 2–3 minutes until they begin to crackle and smoke; flip them to the cooler side of the grill. This initial toasting perfumes the planks and prevents flare-ups.
Step 4
Char the late-harvest tomatoes directly over the hottest part of the grill, turning every minute or so, until the skins blister and blacken in spots and the flesh softens, 6–8 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap for 5 minutes to steam, then slip off the skins and roughly chop.
Step 5
Set a heavy skillet or grill-safe pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and minced shallot; sweat for 2 minutes until translucent but not colored. Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme leaves, and red wine vinegar. Simmer 5 minutes, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to release their juices.
Step 6
Stir the maple syrup into the tomato mixture and continue to reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and has the sheen of molasses, 8–10 minutes. Swirl in the cold-smoked butter off-heat; taste and adjust with salt or an extra dash of vinegar for brightness.
Step 7
Place the seasoned moose back-strap portions on the cedar planks and return to the grill away from direct flame. Close the lid and roast 6–7 minutes per side for a final internal temperature of 130 °F (medium-rare). The cedar will smolder gently, imparting a resinous smoke.
Step 8
Transfer the moose to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil; rest 8 minutes. The fibers will relax and reabsorb juices, yielding a velvety texture.
Step 9
Slice the moose against the grain into 1/4-inch medallions. Spoon a pool of the fire-roasted tomato-maple glaze onto warmed plates, fan the slices over the sauce, and drizzle with a final thread of warm maple syrup. Serve alongside the wild rice pilaf, garnished with any remaining thyme leaves.

✨Chef's Tips

  • ★Temperature is everything: moose is leaner than beef and moves from rosy to gray in seconds. Pull at 125 °F if you like true medium-rare, as carry-over cooking will add another 5 °F while it rests.
  • ★No cedar planks? Use a cast-iron pan preheated in the grill; add a 2-inch sprig of fresh rosemary on the coals just before searing. The herb smoke replicates the evergreen note.
  • ★When reducing the tomato-molasses glaze, listen for the sound: gentle bubbling should resemble a soft sigh, not a hard boil. This prevents scorching and preserves the fresh fruit character.
  • ★For an extra layer of boreal perfume, steep 2 tbsp of pine needles in the gin while marinating the meat; strain before using. The resinous oils echo the cedar smoke beautifully.
moosecedar-plankwild-gamefire-roastedmapletomatoautumnback-country