Home > News & Updates > All > TCC News > Native American Cultural Heritage Month

Native American Cultural Heritage Month

By Victoria Campbell, Suicide Prevention Project Coordinator

November is Native American Cultural Heritage Month and with multiple holidays around the corner, this means gathering with friends and family and cooking food creates the perfect opportunity to pass along your favorite subsistence food or traditional recipes. If your freezer is full of game meat and fish, foraged berries, and preserved garden veggies, why not choose to create something reminiscent of our time in this beautiful land surrounded by generations of knowledge and history? Add your own flair or keep it simple; just be sure to enjoy! Here are some of my favorite tried and true recipes for Alaska harvested foods.

Moose Roast Barbacoa Tacos

This one is SO good and you can use old frozen moose because the slow roast process makes it very tender.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 pounds moose roast cut into 1-2 inch chunks
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • ½ cup broth
  • 4 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat in a large heavy bottomed oven-safe pot. Add the moose and brown on all sides (about 10-15 minutes) before setting aside.
  2. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes, before adding the garlic, cumin and oregano and cooking for a further minute.
  3. Add the broth, chipotle chilies, lime juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, cloves, and bay leaves. Then:
    Bring the broth to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered until the meat is pull apart tender, about 3-4 hours.
    OR transfer the pot to a preheated 275F/140C oven and braise until the meat is pull apart tender, about 3-4 hours.
    OR transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
  4. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
  5. Remove the roast, shred, and place back in the pot.
  6. Assemble the tacos in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings!

Salmon Wellington

An easy, great way to change up baked salmon. The puff pastry, salmon, and spinach can all come from frozen too!

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces spinach
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup shredded
  • parmesan
  • 1 pound skinless salmon fillet
  • 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed
  • 1 beaten egg

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Combine spinach, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Mix until fully combined.
  3. Season salmon with a little bit of salt and pepper. Lay puff pastry on flat surface and roll until smooth. In the center of the pastry, add half of the spinach mixture, then lay salmon on top. Add remaining spinach mixture on top.
  4. Fold over sides of puff pastry to enclose spinach and salmon inside the pastry. Flip the pastry over and place on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Score the pastry with a paring knife and brush egg over the pastry.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top is nice and golden.

Moose Meatloaf

I’ve had so many people who don’t care for meatloaf try this and go “Oh, actually, I like meatloaf!” This recipe is not too dense or dry and you can change which fruit preserve you use. Also, try mixing half and half with different ground meats such as ground caribou, chicken, beef, or turkey.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground moose
  • 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¾ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup fruit preserves (Apricot is really good with this!)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Coat a 5×9 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, crackers, egg, milk, 1/2 cup ketchup, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix together with your hands until thoroughly combined.
  3. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours.
  4. In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup ketchup, brown sugar, apricot preserves, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Spread half of the mixture evenly over the meatloaf halfway through baking. Reserve the remainder of the sauce for dipping/topping. Let meatloaf sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.