Fun Frank Friday- on Steriods...Part 1!

Everybody knows that I enjoy adventurous eating.  Although there may be many adventures that do not take you far from home, there are times where you need to venture out into the world and explore new places.  For the 20th anniversary of our wedding,  Patti and I took a wild trip to the frozen tundra.  This adventure was brought to you by Tennille Moore and James West.  It would not have been possible without their buddy passes and frequent flier miles.  Anchorage Alaska is a very picturesque coastal city with a background of large mountains and forests.  We landed at about 4 pm (Alaska time), got our rental car and headed north, up the highway to Palmer/Wasilla area.  The hour drive flew by quickly as we were enjoying the scenery and marveling at how green mountains can be.  Every now and again we would pass by a moose crossing sign and we kept our eyes peeled for our future four-legged dinner.  We arrived at the Anderton's house (Patti's sister) which was found only because they posted the "You are here" sign at the start of their dirt road and an "X" marks the spot at the end.

In a variety of restaurants the only food that can be served are those that are farmed either from the sea or from the land.  In this harsh environment, there are some staples of food that may be hunted but still are not allowed to be served in restaurants. One of these examples is the majestic moose.  This four legged massive beast seems peaceful from a distance but they harbor quite a temper and are dangerous when they attack.  Since moose is rarely found in Arizona, coming to Alaska provided me with a rare opportunity to try moose steak.  Lucky for us my brother-in-law, Dave, was given some moose meat by a co-worker and he offered to grill it up for us if we made it to Alaska.  No matter how many restaurants you go to there is something about a home-cooked meal with family that makes it special.  I got my first opportunity to see the meat before it was cooked. 

The meat is such a deep, dark red with little to no fat marble in it.  When most people see this type of meat it would be easily mistaken for an organ rather than muscle. Dave topped the meat off with an Alaskan seasoning that is commonly used up north.  He fired up the grill and laid the steaks on it.  I stood outside briefly and talked with him a bit as he grilled.  I didn't want to stay outside too long as my blood has thinned and I feared hypothermia in the nearly 60 degree weather.  As soon as the steaks were done, we sat down at the table and were joined by Sam and KC (Patti's nephews) as well as Linda (Patti's sister).   We explained to them that each Fun Frank Friday post has rules that accompany it.  The main one being that if they are eating with us their picture will be taken.   So Linda is holding the mashed potatoes.  KC has the mixed vegetables.  Sam had the honor of bringing the moose steaks to the table.

Moose are vegetarians and their diets are made of a variety of plants.  They are very strong and do a lot of walking.  All these contribute to the flavor of moose.  The flavor of the meat had at first a rich iron taste with a grassy aftertaste.  I was surprised that it wasn't as gamey as I had expected from my previous experiences with wild deer and elk.  I expected it to be extremely tough but I was surprised at how tender it turned out to be.  Once we completed our dinner, our evening was topped by dessert; a chocolate cake with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting, prepared especially for us by Sam. 

By this time, we had been awake for approximately 40 hours in our adventure to make it to Alaska.  Sleep deprivation and delirium was starting to set in.  The sun however was not setting and it is hard to sleep when it is continuously light outside.  Knowing that the summers are cool and the winters are rough, it is hard to imagine why someone would want to live here year round.  And then you take one step out in the back yard and are greeted by this majestic view, snow covered mountains and an endless forest that hides any neighbors you might have.  So make no "moose-steak" about it....if you haven't tried moose, try it now.