Image via WikipediaMany years ago the principal of Robert Service School in Dawson City, Yukon quit a few days before school was to open in September.
While the search was on for a permanent replacement, the art and home economics teacher was appointed acting principal for six weeks and I was hired to fill her position.
The art I was qualified to teach.
The home economics, maybe not.
In those days I knew how to fry an egg and in a pinch had been known to open a box of frozen fish and chips.
But I was fresh out of Teacher's College and wanted desperately to land my first job so I
"What are the chances I'll have to cook anything in six weeks?" I thought.
"I'll teach table manners or something useful like that."
About half way through my first home economics class, which consisted of 8 sullen grade nine girls, a native man in hunting gear suddenly materialized in the doorway.
He strode over to the table where the girls were slouched and dumped a huge bleeding hunk of something in front of me.
Then without a word of explanation, he left.
It wasn't pretty.
The animal had been butchered where it fell and because it was wet with blood, lots of interesting things had stuck to it.
Things like dirt, twigs, leaves, bugs and probably some other stuff I didn't want to think or know about.
The sullen girls snickered, so I did the only teacherly thing I could think to do.
Once I was sure it wasn't moving, I ignored it.
"There's something bleeding in the home ec room and I don't know what to do with it," I said to the principal at recess.
"Oh good," she said, "he brought it in.
There's a meat grinder in the cupboard.
Show the girls how to grind it up and make moose chilli con carne."
Grind it up?
Moose chilli con carne?
"You mean you want me to cook it?
Jeesh! I was thinking more along the lines of calling in the priest and giving it a decent burial."
She just looked at me.
Anyway, I didn't keep the Yukon recipe I used that day, but I found this one on line.
So this is for all of you hunters and carnivores out there.
Just don't worry about saving any for me.
Moose Chilli Con Carne:
Ingredients:
• 1 pound Moose Mince
• 6 Cloves garlic (There’s no such thing as too much Garlic )
• 1 large onion, quartered and sliced
• 28 ounce (796ml) can of diced tomatoes
• 28 ounce (796ml) can of tomato sauce
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 14 ounce (398ml) Red Kidney Beans
• 14 ounce (398ml) Baked Beans
• 1 chopped green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red chillies (more or less to suit)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup Good Red Wine
Directions:
• In a skillet heat Olive oil and cook onion and garlic until soft.
• Add meat and brown.
• Add remaining ingredients.
• Simmer until fully cooked.
Serve Moose Chilli Con Carne with Fresh Bread
