Not only is mountain lion edible, it makes a healthy, fantastic dish.
by Tiffany Haugen
Mountain lion meat is very mild to the taste. It’s lean and firm and not at all tough. As with any wild game, the key to a quality result when preparing mountain lion is not overcooking it.
We’ve eaten mountain lion meat many times. I even cooked, and we ate a man-eating lion Scott once got in Africa and a lynx he trapped when we lived in Alaska’s high Arctic. It’s all good. No, it’s all great. We got many meals from this most recent cougar Scott shot, and this recipe is sure to make a hit.
What You Need
- 1 pound cougar backstrap
- 2 tablespoons za’atar or za’atar wild game rub
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
The Directions
Slice backstrap into 1/4- and 1/2-inchsteaks. Mix olive oil, garlic, vinegar, honey, turmeric, and black pepper in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Add cougar meat to the olive oil mixture and marinate; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Thread marinated cougar meat onto metal or wooden skewers. Grill on medium-high or bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 10-15 minutes until meat reaches desired doneness or an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Serve with fresh chopped herbs mixed with Greek yogurt if desired.
Note: For signed copies of Tiffany Haugen’s poHaugen’sok, Cooking Big Game, visit scotthaugen.com for this and other titles.
