Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Sage taste

cking13

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May 20, 2017
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Tried my first antelope steak tonight. It's not too bad except it taste like the sage smells if that makes sense. Is there anyway possible to pull some of that flavor out of the meat?
 
Apple Cider Vinegar does the trick for me, just add it in small scale in your marinade. I usually put a one or two cap full along with my normal marinade and let it soak for a few hours.
 
Can't help you, I have never, and I mean never had an antelope that was anything but fantastically delicious, best wild meat by a mile...
 
Thanks I'll try that! What do you marinade with? I just threw them on the grill with some sprinkle seasoning.
 
Coat it in olive oil and only cook till medium in a seasoned cast iron skillet.
 
No marinade for us. A little salt and pepper and olive oil in cast iron skillet. Best meat there is
 
Did you hit it in the stomach? Did you leave the hide on for a while? If you did, then I don't think there is a whole lot you can do.

I hit one in the stomach when I was a kid, gutted it and left the hide on for about 3 hours. Was the most foul thing I ever ate. I figure it would have ate a lot better if I had broke it down using the gutless method and taken the hide off immediately after the shot.

If you hit them in the heart/lung and gut/skin them fast, then I agree with the above, that it's the best wild game meat I have ever eaten.
 
I made the mistake of having my first antelope made into various forms of sausage....all of it. This time, I just cut it up regular. Tried the first steaks night before last and it is awesome! I like to run my steaks (deer, and now antelope) through tenderizer first and country fry them. A little salt/pepper and a lite coat of flour, fried in oil or butter.....or just grilled like normal. I honestly never noticed any sage taste..and I was kind of expecting it. It tasted a lot like a whitetail to me, slightly milder actually. I'm anxious to try it again! We did have the hide off of all of them within 4 hours probably..all made heart/lung shots..and it was also no higher temp than 40 all day too which probably helped tremendously.
 
I shot mine in the front shoulder and pulled the hide off after taking a handful of pictures. 30 minutes from time of shot to the meat being in game bags. It's not bad I can just taste the sage.
 
Thanks I'll try that! What do you marinade with? I just threw them on the grill with some sprinkle seasoning.

Lightly season your steaks with whatever you want, I'm a huge fan of a spice called Red Cloud Peak made by a lady down in Fort Collins, CO and then just a few caps full of apple cider vinegar and grill to rare or medium rare. Little trick is to never let them finish on the grill, take them off early and put them in a little enclosed cooler or tuber ware to finish.
 
I am not sure about this sage taste. The antelope I killed this year, the shot was just low and hit the left elbow. She was in sage and eating when I found the group. She then ran 1/2 mile with three legs, bedded down, and I was able to put her down there. We then threw her in the truck and it was 10 minutes to the house. Skinned, gutted and quartered her that way. I left the meat in a fridge for 4 days. The meat to me is only slightly strong. The steaks we cooked up yesterday, I had them in Worcestershire sauce overnight and then sliced up a jalapeno, salt and pepper and cooked them in a cast iron skillet. It was very tasty.

I have killed and helped people kill many antelope in this area, near alfalfa fields and in the sage in the valley surrounding. I have never heard of anyone not liking it.

I like the different tastes that different animals have. I think a lot of people expect it to taste like beef. If you can just taste the sage, I think that it just what it is going to taste like and isn't a detriment in my opinion.
 
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Even when the meat is well cared for, it does have a slight, unique flavor/odor to it that is different than deer. Not sure if that might be what you are talking about, but it is somewhat reminiscent of sage. I think there are some people who just don't care for it, but I enjoy it. That said, I get really bored eating game in steak form, so I use it a lot in regular old recipes (we live entirely on game meat so I use it in everything). Antelope is fun to cook with because I like the slightly different flavor it gives to most dishes. Maybe try it in some dishes and see if you like it better.
 
The meat is good, I like it. I was just wonder If if there was a way to tone down the sage flavor. I got a bunch of it made into burger, sausage and jerky. This my first taste of antelope so maybe this is just how it tastes. I don't know.
 
I know exactly what you are talking about. My family and I have taken close to 20 pronghorn. I rake care of them all the same way. I get the meat boned and on ice asap. I can remember one pronghorn from wyoming that my wife shot and it had that very slight sage taste. It wasn't bad but it was there. I've never had any other like it.
Try marinading it in Italian dressing. I bet that helps.
 
Maybe instead of trying to cover it, try to accentuate it. Use a red wine, olive oil, and rosemary approach to bring out the sage. Sea salt, cracked pepper, grill it rare and let it rest.
 
I'll try that too. Appreciate the tips everyone. I've got plenty to try, so I'll try every way mentioned.
 

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