Cooking Elk

[tacklejunkie]

 I came into possession from a family friend an elk tenderloin but  have no clue how to prepare it. Is it at risk of drying out like venison? When do you cook it medium rare?

[nofishfisherman]

When I grill elk I marinade the meat before hand.  Just google elk marinade and you'll find a lot of them but the basic principles of the marinades are all the same, oil and acid.  Then you can flavor them in various ways. 

 

When grilling I aim for med-rare.  I find that for every inch of thickness you should grill them for 3-4 minutes per side.  So a one inch thick steak gets 3 minutes per side and 6 minutes total on the grill.  You can test them by pressing on them, the meat should feel soft but spring back when pushed on.

 

Another option I do on occasion is cut the steaks into medallions the thickness of a slice of bacon.  I marinade them in apple cider for a couple hours and then in bbq sauce for a couple hours.  Then wrap them in bacon and hold the bacon on with a toothpick.  Grill them for the same 3 minutes per inch of thickness.  This is probably my favorite way of doing it but takes a bit more prep.

 

This was one of my elk meals.

Edited April 11, 2018 by nofishfisherman

[smurfy]

Yes absolutely do not overcook. Whenever I get any which is hardly ever, it's always cooked on the grill.

[Juneau4]

An old friend and hunting buddy of mine raises elk, so I'm able to get from him what I want (usually). Excellent meat unless over cooked.

[nofishfisherman]

Elk is hands down my favorite meat that I've had.  I'll take an elk steak over a beef steak any day of the week. Its also a healthier red meat option. 

 

There are farms around that raise them for meat.  I get mine from a place south of the Twin Cities, the name escapes me at the moment.  They are basically a family farm and you either just call or knock on their door and hope they are home. 

[eyeguy 54]

medium high on my gas weber.  1 inch think, 4 mins then 3, a little Montreal steak seasoning and pepper. mmmmm! 

 

[leech~~]

2 hours ago, nofishfisherman said:

Elk is hands down my favorite meat that I've had.  I'll take an elk steak over a beef steak any day of the week. Its also a healthier red meat option.

 

There are farms around that raise them for meat.  I get mine from a place south of the Twin Cities, the name escapes me at the moment.  They are basically a family farm and you either just call or knock on their door and hope they are home.

 

I'll take Elk, Moose and Bison over beef any day. It's all lean meat with not much fat so sear a few minutes per side on a hot grill.  Great!

[Grainbelt]

9 hours ago, tacklejunkie said:

I came into possession from a family friend an elk tenderloin but  have no clue how to prepare it. Is it at risk of drying out like venison? When do you cook it medium rare?

You could coat it with your favorite cooking oil and sprinkle your favorite rub then let set for an hour. Then fire up a weber charcoal or a smoker and cook indirect at 275 - 300 degrees until an internal temp of 120 - 125 degrees then pull it. Use a small chunk of wood, it's easy to oversmoke red meat. Use a digital thermometer if you can, dials are unreliable and that is a great piece of meat!

[smurfy]

I personally think if he has no experience, he just turn it over to me!!!

[delcecchi]

Sous vide is a great way to cook something like elk since it is difficult to make a mistake and overcook it.   Vacuum seal, give a few hours in the water at your preferred temperature.   Take out of bag, dry off, sear.  cooked perfectly.   If it is a little tough (and you know that before hand) just leave it in the water for longer.   Time makes tender,   temperature makes doneness.   

[leech~~]

53 minutes ago, delcecchi said:

Sous vide is a great way to cook something like elk since it is difficult to make a mistake and overcook it.   Vacuum seal, give a few hours in the water at your preferred temperature.   Take out of bag, dry off, sear.  cooked perfectly.   If it is a little tough (and you know that before hand) just leave it in the water for longer.   Time makes tender,   temperature makes doneness.   

 

[tacklejunkie]

It was tasty

[Juneau4]

23 minutes ago, tacklejunkie said:

It was tasty

 

Now I you just remember how you did it.    I always forget, so it's a new recipe every time.