Elk Jerky

This is rhetorical, because I'm talking to myself again.  But how do you make jerky?

I used my remaining Elk, about 3 pounds.  I merinaded it for 24 hours in the following
1/3 c. soy sauce

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. onion powder

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. liquid smoke

I laid out the pieces on racks and set my new oven to dehydrate.  I changed temperature to 140 because I'd read that was right and set it to go.  About 12 hours later, I had beautiful jerky.  It looked and felt right.  It was the right texture to bite into.  But it wasn't flavorful enough.  It was actually a little bland.  I mean 1/2 t. of liquid smoke for gosh sake!  I need a better recipe.  Any ideas?

Vension Meat Loaf

My husband knows not to bring me flowers.  They are too expensive and only last a few days.  I'm not really crazy for jewelry either.  He know exactly what type of chocolate to bring me, though; I know exactly what will appear on Valentines day.  He knows that my favorite food is anything that lived in a shell in the water with a side of melted butter.  I have such a good husband.

Last time my sister visited, she brought packages of rhubarb from her freezer.  The time before that, she brought me bread from her favorite bakery.  Yes, the people in my life know to bring me food when they want to give me a present.

So recently, a family friend came to visit with a package of ground vension.  Now, I have elk in the freezer, thanks to my step-son.  See previous blogs about my hunter men under the label "elk."  And actually this family friend is my step-son's hunting buddy and a relative of step-daughter.  He has worked in our business and will again.  

I've enjoyed playing with game this winter.  My ground vension was very lean and dark in color.  Here is the recipe I used. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Venison-Meat-Loaf/Detail.aspx

And it didn't last long.  Thanks, Jeff.

Elk Hash

Long time ago, when I first married my husband, a friend, Sharon, who taught with me asked me to describe my husband. I said, "Well... he's kind of a cross between a mountain man... and a dictator of a small third world country." When my mother asked me to do the same, I said, "Well... he is like Dad in many ways, a crispy tough-guy coating with a marshmallow center." I'm pretty sure Mom would have liked the second description more.  Here he is examining the work of our subcontractor who installs thermostats.  He's not exactly thrilled about something, which we are about to hear all about.  Step-son is behind him.

I have a bunch of elk meat in my freezer. My step son is responsible for putting it there. See the November 23rd post for more about that. It is often handy to have a couple of mountain men in my life. Hunters, pit bulls, wolves, protectors. And it is occasionally, although not always, handy to have a couple of dictators… small third world country or otherwise.

Either way, I have enjoyed playing with my elk meat. It is tender and lean, much more than comparable meat that I buy in the store. I probably know exactly what my elk ate and where he lived; I often wonder about the meat I buy. I actually saw him, touched him. Said a little elk-spirit prayer over him.

So anyway, last week, I had some of my elk out and started to make dinner. I didn't have a particular recipe in mind. What happened turned out pretty well and my husband asked for it again on Date Night. This time I wrote it down.

Elk Hash. 

Roasted potatoes. See January 20 post

1 1/2 lb Elk meat, washed and dried, then thinly sliced.

1 t. canola oil

1 T butter

1/2 t. salt

2 T. flour

1C. milk

1/4 c. white wine

1 lb crimini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered.

Saute the thinly sliced elk meat in oil until mostly done.  Remove the meat pieces but leave the drippings in the pan.  Add the butter, mushrroms and wine.  Cook until just soft.  Add the flour and whisk to make a paste.  Gradually add the milk, whisking until the sauce is smooth. 

To assemble, place the hot roast potates on a platter.  Top with the elk meat.  Pour the sauce over top.  Return the a warm oven until we are ready to eat.

Oh,  And here is the next generation of mountain man, dictator, hunter, pit bull, wolf.  Step-son's son.  And yes, I can feel the same powerful person within him.  This is going to be interesting.

Remember to be.

Roast Elk

I came home from work at lunch time today to start a crockpot for the night's dinner.  I took a small roast from my elk stash.  I have absolutely no idea what part of the animal this meat came from, but it is dark, lean, and has absolutely no smell.  I washed it well in the sink.  I have a thing about washing meat.  I dried it well with paper towell and made my Herb Rub.  I use this on a good beef sirloin, pork ribs, most any roasted or grilled meat. This recipe is from a Taste of Home magazine from several years back.

Herb Rub (for 2 lb sirloin tip roast)
2 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. celery salt
1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 t. each pepper & onion powder & paprika
1/8 t. dill weed
1/8 t. rubbed sage.

I rubbed the seasoning into the meat. 

I thinly sliced a small potato in the bottom of the crock pot, set the roast on it and turned it to low.

4 hours later at the end of my work day.  I opened the garage door and entered.  The house smelled wonderful.  The inhabitants are talking about eating more elk.  Everyone is happy.  What more do you want?

Well, maybe some roast potatoes and green beans.   

Fresh Elk - Ginger Stir Fry

My step son shot an elk.  Now, I wasn't there.  I've been around guns and shooting all my life, but I'm where things get cooked, not where things get shot.  I reached over the side of the truck to touch its pelt, its snout, its ear.  I saw and was fascinated by the inside of its mouth.  Then a bunch of it found its way into my frig. 

Elk is a lean and tender meat.  It is not well marbeled, slices very easily.  I decided it was about to be an

Asian elk and quickly sliced about 1 1/2 lbs into bite sliced pieces.  I put 1/4 t minced fresh ginger, 3 T. of soy sauce and 1 T. dry white wine in a deep bowl, put the elk in the marinade and put it in the frig for 30 minutes.

In another small bowl, I put 1/2 cup beef broth., 1 1/2 t. hoisin suace. 1/4 t. sugar, 1 t. corn starch. I refrigerated the bowl for 30 minutes.  In the meantime, I cooked a pot of rice and started a huge pile of sliced veggied from the veggie drawer of my frig.  I put 1 T. canola oil into my pan and put my meat into the hot pan to cook.

As the meat cooked, I drained any extra liquid from the meat into my sauce.  When it was fully cooked, I transfered the meat to a plate with a slotted spoon.  I added an additional T of oil to my pan and added the veggies.  I stir fried them until tender, added back the meat and the sauce and cooked until the sauce was thickened. 
I served it over rice.  People have been talking about it ever since. 

More elk to come.