As your local butcher can tell you, elk can be a hearty and healthy alternative to most other red meats. It is much lower in fat content and has a fine even texture to it. In addition, it retains its moisture and juices better than many other meats and it is relatively easy to cook compared to beef or other wild game.
- Elk fans tend to cook elk in the form of roasts, steaks or burgers. Elk burgers can be done in a pan on top of the stove on medium heat or they make a fine addition to your grill come your next cookout. You can season the burgers much as you would a beef burger. Also, after asking your local butcher shop to grind the elk into burgers for you, you can add to the moisture and the juices by adding an egg or a teaspoon of oil before you shape them and cook them.
- Many cooks like to do their elk in a slow cooker. Elk is a perfect meat for the slow cooker and will be extremely tasty as well as juicy when finally done and enjoyed. You can throw in some bacon or salted pork for extra flavoring as well as adding in some cloves of garlic. Set the cooker to 300 degrees until the internal temperature on the roast is 140 degrees if you want it on the rare side or 160 or so if medium is more to your liking. It will cook much faster than beef or pork because of the lower amounts of fat so keep a close eye on your cooking time.
- The next time you are visiting your local butcher shop, ask your butcher to bring out some elk for you. It just may be exactly the taste experience you have been looking for.