Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Best cuts of elk?

Like everyone else the loins and backstraps seasoned lightly and grilled. I do roasts in a deep pit bbq at my house in conjunction with an archery 3d shoot and the elk roast is always the first to go often the women and kids are shocked elk is so tender and tasty...... But seasoning and cooking underground makes most meat delicious.

My favorite are the burger's since I think they are way better than beef and I don't think elk steaks can top good beef.

Not really any bad cuts of meat at my house. About 90-95% of meat eaten here is wild game. We hang all out meat at least 7 days and most all of it comes out of the woods whole. We cut all our own meat and in the last several years have invested in a 1 hp grinder with a cuber attachment. When we cut an animal it is usually made into hamburger, cube steak, back strap, or roast.

One of my favorite ways my wife cooks elk steak is to fry it up with butter and a heaping pile of morel mushrooms. When the steak is done, she removes it and makes a gravy. Then we put the gravy over mashed taters or brown rice. Ok, I gotta go eat lunch now.

Here's a good marinade:

1 c olive oil
1/3 c lemon juice
1/3 c soy sauce
1tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper


Marinate steaks overnight.


PS, my favorite cuts for cooking in a crock pot overnight are shanks.

Cooking it slow and not over cooking it will help big time. I like it still kicking a little!!! Age it as long as you can. I take the Backstraps and Tenders out and depending on age of the animal I will cut some rounds. Otherwise it gets all put into burger.

Back Strap

I know how we can resolve this. All you folks that live in elk country or hunt elk regularly each send me about 50 lbs of the various loins, straps, steaks, and roasts of elk.

I will then proceed to apply my prodigious gastronomic proclivities ( you don't get to weigh 275lbs by being a finicky eater ) to the problem and by the end of the year, or bottom of the freezer as the case may be, I will generate a full, detailed eating report and summation.

Sounds like a plan hillbilly, but the wife gave ALL the elk to the various kids around the country.. Sorry...

Well, maybe next year.

Thats a good idea, I was just thinking of doing it this way so that I could still tow my tent trailer up to elk camp. Might be a better idea to do it your way though.

Smoked tenderloin without a doubt.

My favorites don't vary from the crowd. Loins and straps.

I cut, grind, and wrap my elk myself. I get satisfaction in the whole process of the hunt, kill, care, etc. But it also keeps my hunting more cost effective and while still a student with kids that is key. Anyway that wasn't the point...

Anyone have a good book title or link for a detailed "how to" on butchering? Other than the loins and straps I just kinda pull off meat and trim it incessantly and freeze it. I'd like to read through detailed explanation of where exactly each cut is and the proper ways to go about breaking it down. Maybe I'm already doing it "right" but I'd like to learn and improve.

The back straps ,I cut into steaks. The hams, I separate the major muscle groups and cut all I can into steaks. I make a few roasts and grind the rest without any added beef fat.

I have found if the elk is going to be tender, it is tender all thru. I don't find a big difference in taste with the different cuts.
I have in the past grilled all the meat except the roast using salt , pepper and spritzing with olive oil.

Lately ,I have cast iron griddle on the grill and I find I enjoy the steaks more cooking them on that that just grilling them over flames.

does doing this just keep it more "juicy"? I've noticed that Outback steakhouse seems to cook theirs on a flat grill (no grill marks) like this, and I've always enjoyed their steaks.

Get Eileen's book "A Slice of the Wild". Great book! www.riflesandrecipes.com

Bob

I like to slice the loins about 3/8" thick, dust them with seasoned flour and pan fry them. I have had too many tough ones myself. I like a rib eye (back strap) on a beef myself as the flavor is better than the more expensive filet that you have to wrap bacon around to get juice in it! On an elk, I like a good shoulder roast about as well as anything.

I think it keeps them juicer.

It does, same with regular burgers. If you want 'em juicy, don't cook them on a grate and let the juices drain off. Cook them on a griddle or skillet like you say, that's how all the good burger joints do it.

I like your way of thinking. But you'll have to try and get it away from my kids first. They have taken it upon themselves to eat me out of house and home, and they're not even big yet.