Slow Cooker Moose Roast

I took a moose roast this past winter and cooked it in the slow cooker for approximately eight hours. However if you want to cook meat in the slow cooker initially brown the meat in the oven or sear the meat in a large pan. Browning the meat adds flavor and natural sweetness. The browned meat is what is referred to caramelized meat When you have finished browning the meat deglaze the pan with a flavorful liquid or with water. Deglazing loosens up those pieces of meat that add the intense flavors to your slow cooked roast. Red wine as a deglazer will do the trick but from my own personal preference, as wine is not reflective of Wabanaki culture, I use a fruit juice and water combination.
Once we have browned the meat and deglazed now it is time to cook the moose meat in the slow cooker. Usually the cooking time is anywhere from five hours to eight hours. This is for you own determination. Generally I cook the meat for 8 hours and this is because i like to have the meat so very tender. It pulls apart so much easier and it just melts in your mouth. But this comes later. When you apply the heat start off at high on your slow cooker and then eventually reduce when you start seeing a boil. From boil reduce to low heat for the duration of cooking time.
There are many ingredients that can be used and we will explore the many variations of herbs, spices and sauces in our journey of cooking moose meat as well as the different methods of cooking. For this particular slow cooked moose meat we can place in the slow cooker fresh fruit and vegetables. Apples and blueberries are my favorite. You may not prefer to use this combination and that's okay. Use any fruit that you would prefer. As a tip do not overwhelm the meat with one particular flavor just yet until you weighed in your other items. Basic vegetables that i would place in this are carrots, onions and celery. These in small proportion can be added very early in the cooking. later another batch of vegetables can be added because the original vegetables after about 8 hour usually disburse flavor. As well they do eventually soften and infuse with the newly created sauce.
Now for the seasoning. Salt and pepper are your basic condiments as well as worcestorshire sauce. I use only minimal amount for salt because salt can be applied after the meat has been plated and this can be seasoned to your preference. You can also add onion powder to boost the strength of the onions. Garlic is another item that can be added either a garlic clove or powder. Now if you apply garlic and fruit together. It may not be the most desired combination however it can still be done. If you are looking for a more fruit flavored moose meat use less garlic or if you want garlic to come out stronger and boost the flavors of vegetables and compliment the moose meat add less fruit. But remember wild berries are more akin to our traditional foods. Here are few more items you can place in the moose meat as it cooks. Green herbs, like parsley, sage, chives,tarragon and thyme to name just a few. It may be you want to add spices such as paprika or cumin. When you slow cook your moose meat add ingredients items that you prefer and how much you want to use is up to you. It is your taste buds so don't be shy about how much and what you put into your cooking. Have fun.