Cooking With Game

Crocked Elk (AKA Elk Stroganoff)

This is a low cooker (crock pot) recipe. If you don’t add the optional items the meat could be used for all sorts of things like chili, sandwiches, tacos, wraps or just eat as is.

This came out of a desire to use up some left over onion soup dip. It turned out great. The meat is very tasty and falls apart. Do not brown it first.

2 pounds cubed elk meat

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp Adolf’s tenderizer

1/2 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

4 ounces red wine

2 tsp worchester sauce

1 T ketchup

1 T brown sugar

1/2 pkg lipton onion soup mix

Optional:

1 cup sour cream mixed with 1/2 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix (left over onion dip)

2 small cans sliced mushrooms, drained

3 cups of pasta

Spray crock pot with Pam. Lay onions in bottom.

Put meat on cutting board and sprinkle it with the garlic powder, onion powder and tenderizer. Using multi-tine tenderizing fork, pierce meat aggressively. Drizzle oil over the meat and rub it in.  Put the meat on top of the onions in the pot. Sprinkle onion soup mix and rest of seasonings over meat. Mix wine, worchester, ketchup and brown sugar together. Gently pour over meat. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Optional: I added 1 cup of Lipton Onion Soup Dip, 2 cans mushrooms and 3 cups of pasta in 1 hour before the end. This made it more stroganoff like. Noodles would have been best, but I didn’t have any so I used rotini. It was fine.

These are a great way to use up ground elk or venison. Make them up and freeze for a quick addition to spaghetti, stoganoff or any sauce or gravy. Great to make meatball sandwiches with.

I bake them because I hate the greasy spatter of frying, but you could just as easily fry them up.

Continue reading “Easy Bake Elk Balls” →

Continue reading “Cheesy Mini Elk Loaves” →

Continue reading “Spicy Elk Stew” →

Cheddared Elk Steak
Serves 6 to 8

4 pounds elk steak cut about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in thick
flour
salt and pepper
1/4 cup oil
14 oz can chopped tomatoes (or about 2 cups chopped tomatoes)
2 medium onions, sliced
I cup (or more) grated Cheddar cheese

Poke steak with tenderizing fork. I use a many pronged, spring loaded ones. Season steaks with salt and pepper, then pound flour into the meat on both sides. This is a messy, but necessary step. I sprinkle the flour on the meat, then use a kitchen towel held above it while pounding in the flour with a toothed mallet to try to keep the flour from going all over. Shake off the excess. Brown the meat in the oil, then remove and set aside in 9 x 13 casserole dish. Add the sliced onions to the same skillet and saute slowly for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lift the meat to lay some onions under it, then put the rest on top with a little more salt and pepper if desired. Break the tomatoes up with a fork (mash around in the can) then pour over meat and onions, cover with foil and bake at 275 or 300 for 2 or 3 hours, or until tender. (This is best done the day before, then refrigerated, then reheated before serving.)
Before serving, remove the meat and slice. Pour off some, not all of the liquid. Put the meat back in the casserole. Cover with the grated cheese and return to oven long enough to melt the cheese.
To prepare ahead of time: This is best in flavor and in texture if done a day ahead (except for the cheese topping) and reheated the following day as above.
To freeze: Yes, by all means, this freezes, but don’t add the cheese topping. Add that just before serving.
Other meat that works well is: Swiss or round steak.