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Does a cow eat better than a bull? What are the best eating cuts? Thanks...
Gary
Never underestimate the likelihood that the Republicans will cave...
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Yes. Backstraps and tenderloins. Nothing better....
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Yes. Backstraps and tenderloins. Nothing better.... +1 I'll add that i've had some chewy bulls, but normally they taste great. I've never had a bad cow, but I don't shoot the old ones.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Except for spikes, I'd say that cows are better eating. The bulls might not be big enough to get the breeding done but they still go through the rut and have lost some weight. They tend to be tougher. Tenderloins are the #1 cut, followed by the loins & rounds. I've found that loin chops cut from the front half seem to be a bit tougher than those from the back half.
βIn a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.β β George Orwell
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That's one of the perks of muzzleloader season here. The bulls have just started the rut if at all.
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Tenerloins, it doesn't matter, bull or cow, it's all great. 5 easy steps... 1. Shoot the elk 2. Get the tenderloins (not Backstraps, because no one is really sure what a backstrap is) 3. Prepare the tenderloins 4. Cook the tenderloins in a smoker grill 5. Eat well...
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Ah hell! I was trying to get to bed without eating anything. Now i'm hungry.
Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a hunting license and that's pretty close.
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Cow is better than old Bull, a younger bull is usually fine.
After that its the same as deer, lion, blackstrap,...
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Except for spikes, I'd say that cows are better eating. The bulls might not be big enough to get the breeding done but they still go through the rut and have lost some weight. They tend to be tougher. Tenderloins are the #1 cut, followed by the loins & rounds. I've found that loin chops cut from the front half seem to be a bit tougher than those from the back half. Generally all true. The neck end of a loin (backstrap) is indeed tougher. The ribeye section may be tenderest (middle), but the strip steak part between the last rib and the the rump is also good fare. In a worn out old bull aging will help, and if the strip steaks are very flat, you can butterfly them to make a larger steak. By that it means to cut a 2-inch crosscut, then nearly crosscut that all the way through lacking about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, and fold the halves flat, away from each other, giving the look of butterfly wings with the uncut strip in the center. Tenderloins, from inside the body cavity along the underside of the spine, are the filet mignon. If you try to eat them only a day after the elk was shot, you may find them tough, but all meat will become more tender with age. I have found that sometimes the tenderloins are more strongly flavored than other cuts, not just because of their position inside the body cavity, which may make them more prone to becoming washed in blood or other body fluids. I generally find rounds to be tougher, and wanting cubing as steaks. One should not overlook the sirloins (top part of the rump) as good steaks, or as a small roast. These, too, make nice steaks.
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About 20 years ago, I shot a 6x6 bull in New Mexico and a spike bull in Arizona just one week apart. The spike was gamey and tough, the old bull was tender and good tasting. Go figure.
My favorite cuts are the tenderloins, butterflied as described above, and round steaks. We cut them about 1/4- to 3/8-inches thick and beat them with a tenderizing hammer before dipping in flour and frying.
Bill Quimby
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I have an old Hobart electric tenderizer.I ran my elk steak through it twice and was quite pleased,with the tenderness.They came out just like the cube steak you see in the stores.Life's too short to chew on tough meat.
~MolΙΜΛn LabΓ© SkΓ½la~ As Bob Hagel would say"You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong."Good words of wisdom...............
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Aw heck that is what you do with potenchel putred pork not elk.
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Yes. Backstraps and tenderloins. Nothing better.... +1
"Successful is leaving something in better shape than you inherited it in. Keep that in mind, son." Dad
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Tenerloins, it doesn't matter, bull or cow, it's all great. 5 easy steps... 1. Shoot the elk 2. Get the tenderloins (not Backstraps, because no one is really sure what a backstrap is) 3. Prepare the tenderloins 4. Cook the tenderloins in a smoker grill 5. Eat well... You sir know how to cook a mean tenderloin
Want To Buy; Form die for a 7mm Mashburn Super. .284 Hornady AMax 162gr. .224 Hornady AMax 75gr. 22-250 bushing die Bushing die that will work with the 7mm Mashburn Super A couple Glock 42 380ACP mags
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Calves are absolutely primo followed by yearling cows and then spike bulls. I'd be perfectly happy if I could put two calves in the freezer per year.
1Minute
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While I've not eaten it....I'm told a dry cow is the best....and that they can be identified by their color somehow.
If you want superb elk meat just can some.....the stuff is terrific.
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Butterflied Tenderloin steaks, grilled to medium rare- makes no diff whether they are from a cow or a bull, IMO, they are just about the best wild game on the planet.
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I'll agree with loins and backstraps but a lot depends on how you plan to cook it. I used to let the dogs eat the shanks until I slow-cooked some (low heat, 8-10 hrs.) in the oven. The meat slid off the bone and was very tender and tasted great. Now I cook shanks and other gristly cuts in a crock pot. If you do that with a good cut like a backstrap, it doesn't turn out as good, because the collagen (connective tissue) in the shanks turns soft with slow cooking, and the good cuts don't have much of it.
My son's girlfriend doesn't eat much meat but she'll eat the elk I cook. Her favorite is the stuff I cook in the crock pot.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Ok, I'll be the scurvy dawg and say for me there's nothing better than an elk burger grilled while out in the hills... Dober
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