Fit For An Inuit King

I finally got the chance to sample the seal meat I acquired at the NTI community feast in late August.  I had wanted to try seal ever since I arrived in the north in 2012 but the opportunity somehow evaded me until now.

            

Seals, also known as pinnipeds, are a diverse clade of semiaquatic marine mammals that live and breed in the colder regions of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.  Seals have been hunted by humans for their meat and blubber for hundreds of years.  The Inuit use the fur coats of seals to make waterproof jackets & boots.  The clothing also provides protection against the harsh Arctic winters. 

            

The harvesting of seals has been controversial for many years and in fact, it is illegal to hunt and sell seal products in many countries.  For a time, I was leaning towards the outlawing of hunting seals but after living in the north for some time, I'm more neutral in the matter.  The Inuit live in the Arctic tundra, a geographic climate that is way above the tree line and too cold to grow crops (ie. wheat, fruits, vegetables), and to graze southern farm animals.  In order to survive, one must take what the land offers.  Yes, today it is possible to airlift food, clothing, and other supplies from the south, but that is very expensive.  The consumption of Arctic wildlife, aka 'country foods', and the use of their furs, bones, and blubber, saves the Inuit money and time.  When you really get down to it, every ethnicity has a controversial culinary dish.

            

On Sunday, September 8, I removed the seal meat from the freezer and let it thaw for a good 30 minutes.  Looking over the large piece, I saw that there was a fair amount of meat and fat for me to consume.  I pondered on various preparation methods but settled on the use of a slow cooker.  Regarding the amount, I originally wanted to cook the entire chunk of meat and save the leftovers for another day.  But since I was only cooking for myself, I decided to prepare a small piece instead.

            

Cutting the chunk of seal meat in half proved to be a challenge because of the large bone that was holding all the meat together.  Despite running the meat through hot water, my butcher knife couldn't cut through the bone.  Normally, I would have resorted to cutting off small pieces of meat but I had one more trick up my sleeve.  Using the saw segment of my machete, I was able to cut cleanly through the bone.  I'll spare you the aftermath photo.  There was a little seal blood here and there on the cutting board.

            

I put the large piece back in the freezer and prepared to fry the smaller piece on a frying pan.  I cooked all sides of the meat, watching it turn from red to brown.  Feeding my curiosity, I cut off a small piece and tasted it.  The meat tasted like . . . beef.  Sort of.  I set the meat aside and filled the slow cooker with water.  I tossed in some onions and celery before carefully placing the meat inside.  While adding salt to the concoction, I felt like a mad scientist trying out a new crazy experiment.  I hope you know what you're doing, my mind queried as I closed the lid and set the cooker on its lowest setting.  "I hope so too," I said out loud.

            

Fast forward seven hours and my residence was drenched in the aroma of slow cooked seal.  I expected a bad smell but thankfully that wasn't the case.  I turned off the slow cooker and removed the thoroughly cooked meat.  My first seal meat dinner was a simple affair with a side of salad and slow cooked vegetables.  The seal meat had a distinct taste, different from caribou and chicken.  If I had to describe it, the taste was similar to beef but with a strange aftertaste.  Regardless, I ate most of the meat and threw out the excess fat.  Definitely a good meal.

            

My second chance came a week later on Sunday, September 15th.  This time I chose to cook the remaining piece rather than hacking off another small piece with my machete.  I followed the same procedures, frying all sides on a frying pan before putting it into the water filled slow cooker.  The only changes I made were adding oregano and sliced carrots, on top of the onions and celery.  After seven hours, the meat was ready and I helped myself to large pieces of seal meat.  It was good that my stomach was getting used to the taste.

            

Despite preparing seal meat twice, I'm not yet ready to host a dinner party where it is the main course.  I'll need to experiment a few more times before I gain the needed experience and confidence.  If you come across the opportunity to try seal meat, go for it.  Go in with an open mind and sample what the Inuit have been eating for many generations.

A meal fit for an Inuit King.