Caribou meat available on the market is always frozen or vacuum-packed. By law, it can be marketed only by the Inuit.

With no disrespect to this very flavorful meat, caribou cannot be approached like a fresh product… unless you happen to have a friend who is a hunter.

Choose steaks from the haunch. Allow 150 g (5 oz.) per person.

Check the “best before” date on the packaging.

Let the meat rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking it to reduce the thermal shock. Season with pepper only.

Since caribou meat has almost no intramuscular fat, it should be cooked rare or medium-rare in order to not dry it out.

As steaks
In an oiled ridged grill pan, or in a mixture of butter and oil, sear the bison steaks for 30 seconds on both sides. Finish cooking in a 175° C (350° F) oven for 4-5 minutes. Serve rare with potatoes mashed with butter and some game stock reduced to a sauce to which you can add a little cloudberry (bakeapple) liqueur and a clove. Whisk some butter into the sauce just before serving.

As a rack
Sear the meat in a skillet and finish cooking in a 150° C (300° F) oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the desired doneness. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes on a rack before carving. For the sauce, sweat a few shallots in butter without letting them color. Deglaze the pan with red currant vinegar. Add some game stock and reduce by half. Add some red berries (such as red currants, blackberries or raspberries) to the sauce and heat through.

Still as a rack…
Sear the caribou in a skillet in clarified butter. Pour 50 ml (3 tbsp.) maple syrup over the rack; cover with breadcrumbs and finish cooking in a 150° C (300° F) oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the desired doneness. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes on a rack before carving. For the sauce: sweat some mirepoix (finely diced onion, carrot and celery) in butter without letting it color. Deglaze with red wine and reduce until the liquid has evaporated. Add some game stock and reduce by half. Add to the sauce 100 ml (6 tbsp.) cranberries poached in 100 ml (6 tbsp.) maple syrup with the juice of a lemon and heat through.

Imagine tender spareribs, given a leisurely marinade in a sauce of West Indians flavors such as molasses, rum and garlic, then grilled over high heat.

Caribous are herbivores. They graze on grass, buds and willow leaves. They love mushrooms… so a side dish of sautéed mushrooms would make a perfect accompaniment.