Cooking elk

[dmw16]

Amongst my friends I am the cook in the group. But my friends uncle hunts and sent him back here with some elk steaks. I have never cooked wild game before. I was looking online for recipies and all of the ones I have found mention cooking slowly (2 hours around 350F in the oven). Is this pretty standard? As it is I dont get back from work till 6:45 so it'll be a late dinner. I guess I just wanted to confrim with anyone who knows, can you just not really cook game like you would other meats (that being oven for 30-45min)?
thanks,
-doug

 

[Lola]

i would be worried that if you cook them too fast that they would dry out on the outside and stillbe raw on the inside.
i would jsut season them and maybe marinate them then put them in the oven for the time suggested. Really, though, it depends on how thick they are. I would rather wait a little longer and have them done right then rushing and having them tough or chewy.
where have you been looking for recipes?? did you try foodtv.com? or marthastewart.com?

 

[dmw16]

So far I've just done a google search. I will probably end up putting some sort of simple rub on them, browning them in a frying pan and then sticking them in the oven. I can use the fat and stuff left in the pan and fry some onions and make a gravy. i just dont wanna mess up my friends elk steaks since he only get a few a year. It is a big resonsability I will check the sites you suggested.
thanks.

 

[KthxBye]

I think with any wild game, marination is your best friend. This isn't corn fed, aged black angus, its an animal thats been surviving by the skin of its teeth in the wild. It will be kinda tough and gamey, so either stew or marinate.

edit: thats just my experience with deer/rabbit/squirrel not firsthand knowledge of elk.

 

[gigapet]

if you screw up make jerky with it

 

[ScottyB]

Try this:

Cut the meat in small portions.
Pound meat with a meat hammer(spike side down) until it is very tender.
Put the meat in some milk to soak.
Coat the meat in a flour, pepper, and salt mixture (and whatever else you want).
Fry the meat in a hot pan with lots of oil.

 

[glen]

Generally the difference between wild animals and domestically raise animals for eating is the amount of fat and testosterone.

Wild animals have less fat, so it is easier to over cook them, and the meat is tougher.

Wild animals have more testosterone, and that makes the meat taste "gamey" as they say.
An old chef's trick to reduce the gamey flavor is to use an open flame all over the outside of the meat.
Sharp spices will also cut teh gamey flavor.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: dmw16
So far I've just done a google search. I will probably end up putting some sort of simple rub on them, browning them in a frying pan and then sticking them in the oven. I can use the fat and stuff left in the pan and fry some onions and make a gravy. i just dont wanna mess up my friends elk steaks since he only get a few a year. It is a big resonsability I will check the sites you suggested.
thanks.

Hate to break it to you...elk meat is so lean, there won't be any fat left in the pan... Use some oil or crisco or something with it.

BD

 

[Sundog]

Big Dan has it correct....Elk is very lean, so lean that you will have to add something to brown it.

To those of you that have stated that it will be tough and or gamey.....you really know nothing. Elk and deer can be absolutely great. To a degree it depends on what the animal has been eating (what area of the country it is from, Montana being my area), but the most important thing is how the meat was prepared...this includes the cleaning of the animal, the curing, the skining, the preparation and the storage of the meat.



Go to the used book store or library and look up the hard cover Fanny Farmer cookbook from back in the 30s or 40s (ours is from 1905). The beginning of the cookbook gives directions and terns for all types of game.

 

[dmw16]

The elk is, in fact, from Montana I believe. I would have liked to marinate it, but it didnt deforst as fast as I had hoped and I didnt have time to put it in to marinate before leaving for class/work today.

Sundog, Any suggestions on what I can do given that it sounds like you have some experience with this. I am cooking tonight and dont have access to a used book store anywhere around here.

thanks.

 

[FoBoT]

if you need a guest taste tester and can fly me out there, i am available


well, actually , i am not, i have a lot of work to do, maybe you can just send a sample?

 

[isekii]

I wanna taste buffalo

 

[glen]

Any meat can be good.
But, when cooking hunted game, remember the difference is about the fat and testosterone.

LOOK at meat, and SEE the lack of fat. COOK it LESS time.

TASTE the meat. IF it is GAMEY, use spices to cut it,a nd runa flame over the meat.

 

[Nyical]

Thats sounds about right for Elk, just to let you know though, Elk meat
has very little to no fat to it so theres not gonna be much grease but what you add.

 

[Sundog]

An excellent book also

GRILLED ELK STRIP STEAKS WITH MUSHROOM/WALNUT SAUCE

4 8 OZ. boneless strip, rib or sirloin elk steaks cut 3/4" thick

Mushroom/Walnut Sauce

½ pound mushrooms

1/4 cup walnuts

1 glove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

½ to 3/4 cup chicken stock (elk bone stock if available)

½ red wine

salt

pepper

Prepare Elk Steaks - Season with your favorite spices for added favor (lawry?s salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder) but to enjoy the true savory taste of the elk meat, little to no seasoning is suggested.

Prepare Mushroom/Walnut Sauce

Melt butter over low heat. Saute garlic in butter lightly, add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes or until soft. Add flour stirring over low heat until well blended. Stir in slowly chicken stock and wine and cook until slightly thickened. Add nuts, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare outdoor grill - Heap charcoal in center of grill by igniting charcoal (use hickory chips, if available). When coals have a light coating of gray ash (about 30 minutes) spread them one layer deep.

Grilling steaks - Place elk steaks on grill. Sear meats leaving cover off, one minute per side.

Continue to grill steaks 3 minutes, turn and grill 3 more minutes and remove. Steaks will be juicy with a pinkish center.

Serve steaks - Top each steak with Mushroom/Walnut Sauce. Serve with favorite potato and vegetable recipes.







I found this on the web, we have used a receipe very similar but I do not quite remember the grill times being that short, I remember longer grill times......but then again I do not eat rare meat much these days.





Elk Sirloin with Portobello Mushrooms and Soy-Lemon Marinade

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds trimmed Elk sirloins or tenderloins, cut into 2x1x1 strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, or regular soy sauce plus 1 teaspoon sugar
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crumbled whole dried thyme leaves
1 pound portobello mushrooms
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup rich beef stock
1 cup dry white French vermouth

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the elk, scallions, soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, garlic, pepper, and thyme. To marinate, cover and refrigerate 2 hours or longer.
Remove mushroom stems and save them for another use. Slice the caps about 1/2 inch thick. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and any liquid from the pan and set aside.
Place the pan over medium high heat and add about half the elk with any marinade that adheres to it. Separate the elk pieces, so they don?t steam as they cook. For rare or medium-rare, brown on all sides for about 2 minutes total. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat with remaining elk.
Pour off any fat remaining in the skillet, leaving any browned bits of meat. Add the beef stock and vermouth to the pan and return it to medium high heat. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge to browned bits, and boil until the liquid I s reduced and slightly thickened. Decrease the heat to medium or medium low. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few seconds, while stirring, then add the elk with any juices and cook briefly, continuing to stir, just until the meat is heated thoroughly. Serve immediately.

 

[Hoober]

SunDog's got some good ideas.

The best way I've found to cook elk steaks is to marinate and then grill them. I cook elk a lot as I generally have about 150lbs of elk meat every year from hunting. For steaks I usually let the meat sit most of the day in a teriyaki or garlic ginger marinade in the refrigerator. Then I grill them until they're medium to medium well. The one thing about elk is that you want to make sure it is cooked, but you don't want to dry it out and make jerky out of it. There's nothing worse than tough elk steak.

Elk is better for you than beef because of its lower fat content. I think it also tastes a lot better if prepared correctly.

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: Hoober
SunDog's got some good ideas.

The best way I've found to cook elk steaks is to marinate and then grill them. I cook elk a lot as I generally have about 150lbs of elk meat every year from hunting. For steaks I usually let the meat sit most of the day in a teriyaki or garlic ginger marinade in the refrigerator. Then I grill them until they're medium to medium well. The one thing about elk is that you want to make sure it is cooked, but you don't want to dry it out and make jerky out of it. There's nothing worse than tough elk steak.

Elk is better for you than beef because of its lower fat content. I think it also tastes a lot better if prepared correctly.

Exactly, if the prep of the meat from kill to freezer isn't good, there is nothing you can do to improve the taste.

I totally agree with the marinating ideas, but failed to mention them because it sounded like you had a time crunch. Also marinating in Italian dressing is very good.

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: Sundog

Originally posted by: Hoober
SunDog's got some good ideas.

The best way I've found to cook elk steaks is to marinate and then grill them. I cook elk a lot as I generally have about 150lbs of elk meat every year from hunting. For steaks I usually let the meat sit most of the day in a teriyaki or garlic ginger marinade in the refrigerator. Then I grill them until they're medium to medium well. The one thing about elk is that you want to make sure it is cooked, but you don't want to dry it out and make jerky out of it. There's nothing worse than tough elk steak.

Elk is better for you than beef because of its lower fat content. I think it also tastes a lot better if prepared correctly.

Exactly, if the prep of the meat from kill to freezer isn't good, there is nothing you can do to improve the taste.

I totally agree with the marinating ideas, but failed to mention them because it sounded like you had a time crunch. Also marinating in Italian dressing is very good.

Yep, and it completely depends on the hunter. If he/she cleans the kill well and quickly, then gets it to processing or cold storage quickly, there's nothing better.