Does any one have a good way to tenderize elk steaks for grilling without marinating them in something that changes the flavor a lot? I just used a Jarrod meat tenderizer, olive oil and Montreal steak Seasoning on backstrap, cooked it medium rare and it was tasty but tough as hell.

I hate to stew or slow cook all the steaks so any recommendations would be appreciated.

wip the hell out of it with a meat hammer....salt and pepper

This thread was running last week with some good suggestions on it.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/4756998/1

Chew harder

Run him over with a Mack or Peterbuilt before You decide to shoot Him. That or personally beat him up with a baseball bat.

Sprinkle with Adolf's unseasoned meat tenderizer (use instead of salt) and black pepper. Pound with a tenderizer hammer until steaks are half as thick. Sprinkle with white vinegar and let stand in the fridge for 8 or more hours. Sear the outside quickly over a hot fire and serve. The less you cook it, the more tender the steak.

Milk.

I don't know all the chemistry/details (enzymes I think), but it works.

Trim the meat up nice and clean, put it in a bowl and add enough milk to just enough cover it; put it in the fridge or on the counter depending on meat temp. You want the meat warmed up some from fridge temps when it hits the grill. I use 2% milk because that is what we have in the house. Tenderizing-wise it does fine. Fat content does not seem to matter. (Buttermilk seems to tweak the flavor nicely, and I use it for variety sometimes.)

Try 30-45 minutes on a batch of pieces, cook one piece, and try it. Adjust as needed.

Jaccard is definitely a useful tool, but I've never needed it on backstrap.

+1 on the recommendation to not overcook it, and don't let it cool off either. I sometimes use plates like you used to see in steakhouses, steel inserts in plastic carriers, just to keep it hot. If you are trying multilple dishes at once, pick all accompaniments so they stall well or just plan on a multi-course meal. Get the meat while it is HOT!

Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Marinade in red wine over night.

Mmm, that sounds good. I once had reindeer steak in a restaurant in Stockholm named Fem Sma Hous (probably spelled wrong, but it means "five little houses"). That meat was delicious and it was obvious that red wine was used at some point in the preparation. It was also consumed by the glass during the meal.

You are very close, Big Redhead!

The restaurant is Fem Sm� Hus and the oldest part dates from 1651.

I have only been there once, but it was very good. For a fine restaurant in the old quarter of Stockholm, the prices are very resonable too.

They have a serious wine cellar too: How about a nice 1958 Ch�teau Latour, 1:er Cru, for 6900 kr (USD $1028)? Too rich for my wallet, but nice to know such things are still around!

John

hobart meat cuber will do it or a pressure cooker

Shoot a cow instead

John,

Thanks for the clarification and interesting information. I was there in 1994 during a business trip. I worked for Electrolux at the time. We visited several E-lux facilities in Sweden, including at the city of Motala. Other parts of the trip included a weekend in Venice, Italy, and another weekend in Lagronio [sp], Spain. I will always remember this trip as one of the high points in my life. I would love to travel to Europe again, but I doubt I will ever be able to afford it on my own.

how are you judging medium rare, color or temp? thr jaquard tenderizer is used at a local legend steak house here and I have learned it is the secret tool....no fancy steaks, just seasoning and a bunch of little holes.

blackdogsrule,

I dunno if you looked at the other thread, but so far nobody has mentioned pre-cooking meat care. I'm not just talking basics like field-dressing, but correct aging of anything older than a 2-year-old elk.

We've had reasonably tender backstrap off 10-year-old bulls, simply by aging the meat enough before butchering. This normally takes at least a week, though sometimes can take longer. If it wasn't possible before butchering and freezing, then it can still be done with each package afterward, by letting the cut in the refrigerator for a week or even more.

My own experience is that it doesn't tenderizers or pounding meat to make elk backstrap easily chewable when cooked any sort of rare.

Marinading to tenderize meat helps. The basic principle is to use some acidic liquid, including the buttermilk or red wine already mentioned in this thread.


If you want a LOT more detail and science about all of this, my wife's book SLICE OF THE WILD has it all: www.riflesandrecipes.com

Get this book people, I find new ideas every time I pick it up!
Its the "go to" book, period!

Mule Deer,

The books look good. May just get 2 of them.

Thanks all.