Moose Meatballs

Anyone who hunts knows the moose-meat problem: pounds of lean, dark, almost gamey ground that needs help. Sweet and sour treatment is one of the smartest things you can do with it. The pineapple juice and vinegar cut the iron-rich flavor, the sugar and soy round it out, and suddenly that freezer cache is a glossy, tangy weeknight dinner.

Ground moose runs about 95% lean, way leaner than supermarket beef. That’s why the egg and cornstarch in the meatball mix matter so much: they’re the only thing keeping these from baking into hockey pucks. Don’t skip either.

Brown the meatballs hard first, then cover and finish on low heat. The covered cook traps steam and prevents the lean meat from drying out, since there’s almost no fat to keep it juicy on its own.

The sauce thickens fast once the cornstarch hits temperature. Whisk constantly through that minute or two, and pull it the second it coats the back of a spoon.

Kitchen Tips

• Mix the meatball ingredients with your hands just until combined. Overworking the lean meat makes it tough.
• No moose? Substitute ground elk, venison, or even lean ground beef. Adjust seasoning slightly upward for beef since it’s milder.
• Use pineapple chunks in juice, not heavy syrup. The recipe is already sweet enough.
• Leftovers reheat beautifully. The sauce tightens up in the fridge, so add a splash of water when warming.

Variations

• Add a small can of water chestnuts for crunch.
• Serve over steamed jasmine rice instead of egg noodles for a more straightforward Chinese-American feel.
• Stir in a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger and a clove of minced garlic with the green pepper for an aromatic upgrade.