Eating Muskox

On our trip to Greenland I was really hoping to see wild muskox and to eat muskox meat. 

Muskox in Yukon at the Wildlife Preserve.

Three years ago in Alaska we saw muskox at a muskox farm in Palmer, at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center south of Anchorage, and at the Yukon Wildlife Reserve outside Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. They have been reintroduced into the wild in Alaska and Yukon, but of course we saw them behind fences in preserves and on a farm. 

At the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.

At the muskox farm in Palmer.

We visited Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and drove out to the ice sheet. There are wild muskox in the area we drove through, but we were not fortunate enough to see any. Those muskox were introduced there from eastern Greenland years ago and have really thrived in the less harsh environment. We'd scheduled a small plane flight through the area which would have given us an opportunity to see them from the air, but our flight was cancelled. 

Our first taste of muskox was at Hotel Icefiord in Ilulissat. It was smoked and on a platter with three other smoked meats: fin whale, cod and halibut. The smoked muskox was by far the best of the four smoked meats. It had a texture and taste of a thick cold-cut of beef. No gaminess whatsoever. 

Smoked muskox at Hotel Icefiord, with mayo and pickled carrot. 

A little better look.

Our next taste of muskox was at Restaurant Mammartut in Ilulissat and was my least favorite. The muskox was in its own gel and wrapped in a pastry. The pastry over-powered the taste of the muskox. 

Muskox at Restaurant Mammartut.

However, we went back to Restaurant Mammartut again and had a muskox burger and got a significant amount of muskox meat. The meat was cooked unevenly, some a bit too well-done. However, the less cooked bits and the ones with melted cheese were fabulous. I wouldn't have picked up on the fact it was anything other than beef if I hadn't known. 

Muskox burger with cheese and cabbage.

Finally, at Restaurant Rokluben outside Kangerlussuaq, I had muskox tartar (raw), raw muskox put through a grinder and covered with some mayo, dried tomatoes and some herb I can't identify. It was obviously fresh, and very mild, to the point that I would have liked more seasoning on it. 

Muskox tartar at Restaurant Rokluben.

A better view with the herbs removed. 

I was thrilled with the various tastes of muskox, but still harbor a desire to see some in the wild.