Moose came to Newfoundland in 1904, when a few animals were released near Howley, and the island’s forests turned out to be exactly what they needed. Within decades the moose population exploded, hunting licenses became a way of life, and the freezer of almost every Newfoundland family held a supply of wild meat for the winter. Moose stew is the classic way it gets used up — big chunks of lean, dark meat simmered until they’re fork-tender in a gravy that nobody can resist.
What makes it great is the deep, woodsy flavour of the meat, which is leaner than beef but richer in taste, and the way it transforms a pot of onions, carrots, turnip and potatoes into a proper feed. The secret is browning the meat hard before it ever sees the liquid — that’s where the colour and the flavour come from. Ladle it over a touton or a thick slice of bread, and you’ll understand why the hunting season is circled on every calendar.
