Bull elk- fit to eat?

[trueblue]

Just cut up some of my first elk steaks. Not sure what part of the elk it was, as I deboned it in the mountains. Might have been part of the shoulder. Packed it on ice, and drove 20 straight hours home. So, the meat was very well taken care of, but it was tough as boot leather when I cooked it.
Is there a way to age the meat or tenderize it to make it eatable?
Or are bull elk not fit to eat?

 

[marioq]

Under cook it

Tenderize it.

Cut it thin bread and pound it.

 

[lilharcher]

If not the tenderloin or back strap, we use the meat for roast or chicken fried steak with gravy. Both involve cooking it slow in gravy. For the roast, I cook in crock pot with 2 cans of cream of mushroom with one or two packs of onion soup, plus a few cans of milk or water with salt and pepper.

For thinner cuts, we tenderize, egg wash then batter in flour......then season it and fry it up in a little oil. After all pieces are fried, I will dice a half of onion, then cook the onion in all the left over oil and drippings, then add salt and flour. Once flour has soaked up all oil and has turned golden brown, I add water to make a gravy. Once gravy is made, I let meat simmer in it for approximately an hour......delicious.

 

[FearNoWind]

...
Or are bull elk not fit to eat?

They're certainly fit to eat. Just got to handle each cut based on it's position on the animal. The shoulder muscles are very heavily used. That equals toughness. It's also important, when butchering, to cut across the grain rather than along the length of the grain of the meat. Thin steaks cut across grain and tenderized prepared as suggested here previously should be quite satisfying.
A little Jack Daniels in the gravey mix works well too.

 

[Jluck]

Run it through a cuber.

 

[trueblue]

I don't have the type of grill to slow cook, but would a pressure cooker do a good job on tough meat to make it tender and eatable?

 

[Jluck]

I don't have the type of grill to slow cook, but would a pressure cooker do a good job on tough meat to make it tender and eatable?

Absolutely!

 

[Tikkamike]

the problem is it was probably cooled too quickley

 

[okie man]

Gotta age it!

 

[RockyMtnMT]

It has to hang long enough for the rigor to get out. Cook it rare to med rare. Cooks quickly.

 

[Deviant]

I age m

Just cut up some of my first elk steaks. Not sure what part of the elk it was, as I deboned it in the mountains. Might have been part of the shoulder. Packed it on ice, and drove 20 straight hours home. So, the meat was very well taken care of, but it was tough as boot leather when I cooked it.
Is there a way to age the meat or tenderize it to make it eatable?
Or are bull elk not fit to eat?

I age mine for 3 weeks in a refrigerator before I process it. It makes it much more tender. Some say age it for 30 days.

 

[dok7mm]

Pressure cooker for tough cuts. I like to roll it up after adding flour, salt, pepper and bell pepper slices, tie off with cotton strings. About 30-35 minutes in pressure cooker with beef broth. It will make you smack your lips.

 

[LVJ76]

A steak needs to be grilled at very high heat using lump charcoal or a natural wood, at least for my liking, I don't like to use gas grill for this. I use Mesquite wood and I grill it hot and fast, like a ribeye. Must be cooked medium rare to keep it tender and at its best flavor, paired with a hefeweizen beer or a good red wine, just can't go wrong

Roasts on a slow cooker like a crock pot, cook it on low and over night.
Lilharcher's recipe is great. You can also mix the roast with beef stock, potatoes, carrots and a whole onion. Seasonings and spices to taste. Add some good whiskey for even better tasting. You can also replace the beef stock with beer or white wine and add some beef bouilion.

Ribs are best grilled, with salt and pepper, or with an adobo or even with bbq or dry rub, you name it, I make it.

Thin cuts as mentioned already on this thread, dipped on egg wash and covered in seasoned bread crumbs, fry them on extra virgin olive oil, in spanish we call these Milanesa, paired with a good salsa and amber beer, mmm mmm good.

For burgers mix the meat with bacon instead of pork or beef fat. Best burgers ever.

All of our game meats are usually cooled right away, coues, mule deer or elk, at the most aged for a couple of days if possible and then straight to the freezer. Overcooked steaks will always be tough, no matter how aged the meat is

 

[11songdogs]

Was it kept dry? Bull elk is excellent medium rare