Caribou Roast in Gin
Submitted by robijg
Caribou roast marinated 48 hours in gin, apple cider vinegar, and beef stock, then draped with bacon and slow-roasted. Gin’s juniper notes are a natural match for wild game.
YIELD
1 roastPREP
30 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
51 hrsGin in a roast? Trust the process on this one.
Gin is essentially juniper-flavored spirit, and juniper has been paired with wild game for centuries. So this recipe just takes the old tradition and gives it a clever shortcut.
The caribou soaks for a full 48 hours in a marinade of gin, apple cider vinegar, beef stock, onion, garlic, peppercorns, parsnips, and celery. Two days of that transforms even a tough roast into something remarkably tender.
Bacon draped over the top bastes the lean meat as it roasts, and the strained marinade becomes a rich, aromatic gravy you’ll want to pour over everything on the plate.
Kitchen Tips
- The 48-hour marinade is essential for caribou. The acid from the vinegar and the botanicals in the gin break down the tough fibers and pull out any gamey notes.
- Remove the bacon for the last 30 minutes of roasting to let the surface brown and develop a crust.
- Let the roast rest at least 10 minutes after carving. Lean game meat loses all its moisture if you slice too soon.
- No juniper berries on hand? That’s exactly the point of using gin here. It delivers the same piney, herbal flavor with no extra shopping.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine all the marinade ingredients except the gin.
Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes, remove from the heat, add gin and cool.
Place roast in marinade to cover.
Let stand refrigerated for 48 hours or more.
Remove from the marinade; place on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan and drape with bacon.
Roast uncovered in a preheated 350℉ (180℃) F oven for 15 min per pound.
Remove the bacon for the last 30 minutes of cooking and baste roast with the strained marinade and pan drippings.
Remove the roast and let sit 5 to 10 min before carving.
With a little butter and flour make a gravy from the pan drippings and balance of the marinade.
The gin is juniper flavored alcohol and juniper is a traditional game flavoring.
The gin works quite well if you don’t have any whole juniper berries available.
Comments