Since I’m doing the Ultimate Blog Challenge, I have to come up with something every day in January. So you might see some topics you’re not used to seeing.
Today I’m sharing the recipe for one of my all-time favourite foods. In my Swedish dialect, it’s called Tjalaknul, which literally means Ground Frost Lump. It’s a slow-roasted Moose steak, which is cooked from frozen overnight, and then soaked in a spiced brine for a couple of hours.
Tjalaknul
Ingredients
3 kg/6.6 lbs Moose steak straight from the freezer
2 l /0.5 gall of Water
1 dl/3.4 fl oz of Salt
0.5 dl/1.7 fl oz of Sugar
10 Black peppercorns
5 Juniper berries
2 Bay leaves
Heat the oven to 75 C/167 F. Take the steak out of the freezer, unwrap it, and put it into the lower part of the oven, on a grid with a pan underneath. Let it sit there until it thaws (6-7 hours), then add a meat thermometer into the center of it, and close the oven again.
Add the rest of the ingredients to a pan, and bring them to a boil. Let the brine cool. Leave the steak in the oven until the thermometer reads 65 C/149 F, then it’ll be pink inside. Leave until 72 C/161 F if you want it brown.
Take the steak out of the oven, and put it in a roasting bag. It might be a good idea to double up on the bags. Pour the brine into the bag, remove the air in the bag and close it. Leave the meat in the bag for 4-5 hours, turning it over on occasion. If you leave it for longer, it will get too salty.
Slice thinly and serve either hot or cold. A good companion is a Potato au gratin. This can also be made from less fine bits of beef, like the Chuck or the inner or outer part of the Rump Roast.
