cooking elk steak - help needed

[Pucky Freak]

I have a freezer full of elk, and I could use some help with general strategy in preparing and cooking the cuts of meat.

My first attempt was steaks seared blue then added sea salt, and the second was a seared roast, then baked until medium rare, rested, sliced, and seasoned. It has all been very juicy and tender, superb texture. However, I find the taste of the meat to be exceptionally bland. It has an appetizing aroma while cooking, and when tasted I cannot detect any off-notes. When I field-dressed the animal the cavity had the most pleasing aroma of any animal I have cut into. It smelled like food, ready to eat food, like it could be eaten raw.

Most domestic animals the fat flavors the meat, and most wild game the muscle itself has a rich flavor. This elk is a lot like domestic chicken in that the flavor is so mild it doesn't seem to hold up well on it's own, or with just light amounts of spice, heat, char, salt, acid, etc. I'm reluctant to approach it like I do chicken because it's red meat, but then again maybe that's the right idea. I like really strong, bold flavors, but I'm open to any preparation.

Maybe dry brine? Marinade? Chicken-fried? Pastrami? I'm happy to experiment, but I'd prefer to shorten the curve a bit before I get through too much of my premium meat.

Thanks!

 

[JoMo]

So long as you’re keeping it close to rare, the sky is the limit in my opinion. Simple stuff like only salt and pepper or marinades all seem to work well. If you’re just asking about grilling a steak, try it with just salt and have something like an Argentine chikichurri to serve with it. Start basic and then go out from there. I am a sucker for a solid char for the texture. Regardless, it should be good!

 

[Jason73]

I like to take a section of backstrap, butterfly and insert your preference of goodies, wrap in bacon and sear about 4 min per side then slide in the oven around 350 and remove at 130. Rest and enjoy. I also just like backstrap cut in slices grilled with only salt and pepper.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

My go to recipe is marinade for ~15 minutes in olive oil, soy sauce, and McCormick Onion, garlic, sea salt and black pepper seasoning. Sometimes I'll add minced garlic. Mix it all in a ziploc bag. Then grill on medium heat to rare to medium rare. Has great flavor. Use it on all types of big game, but especially elk (since that is mostly what we usually have).

 

[Hem]

I prefer tenderloin and backstrap and grind the rest. Round steaks just never thrilled me.
I marinade in olive oil with sea salt and obscene amounts of chopped garlic mashed in to both sides. Grill to just past red.

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

Kick your typical seasonings up 25%, season it, and seal in a vacuum bag. Then leave it in the fridge for a day or two before cooking. I find that really helps the flavor get into the meat of some boring whitetails, especially if you add some strong herbs carefully.

 

[Bambistew]

I have some dall sheep I'd trade you. If you're into flavor this one won't disappoint. Killed an chilled on ice in less than 24hrs, on the bone.

Have you tried a demi-glase with chicken or beef stock, spices, balsamic or a good white wine?

Roast in the oven, slather in butter, salt, pepper, spices, cook at 500 until internal makes 125.

Moose is pretty tasteless as well, but goes with about anything.

 

[TOGIE]

Maybe time to start playing with steak sauces. Bourbon-coffee glaze or some sort of berry glaze.

Or, look into Hank Shaws steak Diane recipe. Hank has a handful of those traditional saucy steak dishes.

Do you have a smoker? Do reverse sear method but use the low temp smoke to bring up to temp prior to searing (my absolute favorite way to cook any steak, wild game or not).

If nothing else, season and make sure to let sit in fridge for 24 hours before cooking.

 

[Shortbowshot]

We dry brine overnight if possible. Cabela's competition prime rib rub.
Sear then finish baking to 140°. Top with a cream cheese/bacon/onion. Top notch!

 

[Hunting Wife]

I think butter can help immensely with flavor if you are wanting to stick to simple preparations. Seared, melted butter, topped with caramelized onions and some Gorgonzola crumbles is so simple but fabulous.

My favorite basic marinade is just olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic, and rosemary overnight. The overnight is key for me…really infuses the flavors into the meat.

I will second Hank Shaw’s Steak Diane recipe. Sauces can be fun to experiment with on steaks.

Try corning some roasts, or go with the pastrami. I use Shaw’s recipes for both and either will be plenty flavorful.

I’ve been tempted to try a roulade, but never have. I bet that would punch things up a bit.

Sounds like you have a great excuse to try some new recipes. Should be fun

 

[tillicant]

I have a freezer full of elk, and I could use some help with

Not exactly sure what to tell you, I think you'd have to send a bunch up here, I'll see what I can do with it & let you know

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Instead of butterflying, I like to keep the backstrap in a big chunk,
that way there is more forgiveness in terms of time on the grill.
I like a simple grill with wood coals, brush with olive oil, salt and pepper,
grill with a meat thermometer to rare temperature, then remove
and rest for 15 minutes before carving.
If a guest likes more well-done, serve the end pieces to that person.

 

[mdhunter]

I like 3 tbs of oil, 2 tbs minced onion, 1 tbs lemon juice, 1 tbs worestershire sauce, 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black powder.

I cook mine to medium rare and usually let it marinade overnight if I have time. Good luck!

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

Maybe time to start playing with steak sauces. Bourbon-coffee glaze or some sort of berry glaze.

Or, look into Hank Shaws steak Diane recipe. Hank has a handful of those traditional saucy steak dishes.

Do you have a smoker? Do reverse sear method but use the low temp smoke to bring up to temp prior to searing (my absolute favorite way to cook any steak, wild game or not).

If nothing else, season and make sure to let sit in fridge for 24 hours before cooking.

I've liked the sous vide for making a really rich sauce. After I sear off whatever meat I'm cooking I add that super concentrated cooking liquid from the bag to my searing pan along with butter to deglaze the pan. Then finish with a hit of cream ideally.

 

[SCliving Outdoors]

Salt and pepper. Med rare. No need to get all fancy.

 

[Tiredofthebickering]

Salt and pepper. Med rare. No need to get all fancy.

 

[BackofBeyond]

Got a pellet smoker? Coat your steaks with a bit of avocado oil, generous amount of salt and pepper. Smoke your steaks to about 110, just enough to get some smoke flavor on them, then reverse sear in a cast iron pan. Then butter baste them.

 

[Addicting]

I think butter can help immensely with flavor if you are wanting to stick to simple preparations.

This^^^^

Bacon grease works well too.

I will use one of the above or both in a cast iron pan. Start with bacon grease for the sear then turn the heat down and add butter. Spoon the butter over the top. It has a lot of the seasoning you originally added in it.

 

[OH->CO]

Wait until you are over covid and then try again?

 

[ccc23454]

-Kc masterpiece "clasic steakhouse" marinade
-lawrys "course garlic salt"

Go buy both of these, and DONT over cook meat! Elk is lean and has a mild flavor but minute it is over cooked it gets tough. You cant cook it like Gordon Ramsey theres no fat! My favorite is grill: marinade in above couple hours-overnight, get grill hot, throw on grill shake bunch of that garlic salt (its potent) rotate for grill marks after about 2 mins, flip repeat. Total time on grill is only few minutes, unlike beef you dont need it to sit as long after since theres no fat. Simple seasonings and cooking rare wins when cooking game.