One of the basic rules for meat from any four-legged animal the meat is more tender the further back and higher on the body.
To some people tenderness is the only quality necessary for good meat, but another old rule is that tougher meat has more flavor. This is why filet mignon is usually wrapped in bacon. Otherwise the flavor is pretty bland.
It's also the reason tougher cuts are used in wet-cooking methods, whether braising, pot-roasting or crock-potting. They not only tenderize in the moisture but have more flavor when mixed with herbs, spices and vegetables.
ALL the cuts off a good elk are excellent eating, if we know how to cook the different parts to get the most out of 'em.
We tend to prefer spikes and raghorns to cows and old bulls, but all can be very good, depending on when they're taken and how they're cared for in the field.
