Moose fat

[diamond10x]

We mix our burger 10-15% beef fat. It's so lean that it won't hold together when you cook it otherwise. Use port fat when making brats and sausages. I'm going to start using the bone marrow more. Cut the knuckles off the femer bones and use them.
I would like to know who keeps the liver, tongue n such and how you prepare them.

I haven't been able to keep moose livers as it takes too long to get them back to cold storage where I hunt.

The tongue I'll boil with some aromatics (onions, shallots, scallions, celery, garlic, carrots, leeks), peel the outer layer. Cut cross grain into "chips" sear each side, season with a little steak seasoning or salt & pepper. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce as an appetizer. Funny watching people eat it that would be grossed out otherwise to then be informed on what they just ate after commenting how much they liked it.

 

[280rem]

Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I cook some elk, antelope and moose burgers on the grill, I add no fat. I sure don’t see any of the issues everyone claims about not holding together and such. If I did I would probably try adding an egg and maybe some bread crumbs (even heard one guy say oats) to the meat I was gonna make patties out of instead of fat to my entire burger inventory. Everybody has different tastes I guess but feel most people adding fat probably have never done otherwise and don’t realize how good it really is without. But that’s just my opinion I suppose

 

[Robinhood21]

All the moose I've eaten has been amazing. It's definitely my favorite game meat. I will say that I'm not a fan of the fat. It's fine if there's a little but there's enough off taste that I don't care for. When making grind for hamburgers I either add pork or beef fat/trimmings. I also make lean grind for making tacos or pasta meat sauce. The fat absolutely does help hold the meat together and I like a little fattier grind when making hamburgers anyways.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

difference between home-bound or near home moose kills and wilderness moose harvests in the way we hunters view the fat reserves on the carcass. Consider fat rancidity as one major concern of spoilage. Fat oxidation and subsequent spoiling flavors is an autolysis process initiated at 60F. For this reason, most wilderness hunters remove all the muscle fat and better preserve meat quality over a week or longer in the field.
Also, as mentioned the only fat to be rendered effectively is the visceral fat around the internal organs. The fat off the back and hind quarters doesn't boil down, nor does it freeze well (flavor wise).

Don't recommend keeping fat to add to burger grind for that reason, which is why pork fat is usually chosen (freezer longevity).

From my experience unless the temps are well below 40F in the field, visceral fat keeps for about days before it begins to taste "not right"

 

[Chumsnagger]

LB said it perfectly! We only keep the kidney fat if the moose is shot on our property. Rendering is done less than 24 after shot. We only keep hind quarter fat for the birds- woodpeckers and jays love it.