Elk Steak Marinade

[lar45]

About the best marinade for Elk Steaks I have found is just a simple bottle of Italian dressing. I put them in a stainless bowl with the italian overnight and grill the next day. I think the vinegar helps to tenderize the meat. It has a nice mild flavor.

[CEO]

I love italian dressing as a marinade. And if you add a bit of Mesquite or Hickory (kraft) BBQ sauce it spices things up a bit too.

Welcome to the board Lar

[progers]

What I use, on steaks, is just a step above Italian Dressing. Try the Kraft Greek Vinagerette Dressing. It has more flavorful spices in larger pieces. The vinager tenderizes and the oils seere the meat on the outside and leaves it pink on the inside. Best to let soak overnight in maranaide in the fridge!

[C1PNR]

I don't usually use a marinade on my Elk or Venison steaks. Just a dusting of garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and fresh grind pepper. On the grill they go!

One interesting item I saw a while back was to use Coca Cola to cover a roast in a slow cooker. Nothing else, just the coke. Cook on High for 4 or 5 hours, or Low for ~ 8 hours.

My Elk goes into steaks, "fry pieces," or burger, so I haven't tried it that way yet. But I did try it with a tough beef roast and it was GOOD, and tender!

[versifier]

There are two things a marinade does or can do, seasoning, and tenderizing. Some common tenderizing agents for those of us who want to avoid things like MSG and chemical tenderizers are vinegar, wine (beer, whiskey, liqueurs, anything containing ethyl alcohol), and papaya juice (or powdered extract). All of these impart some flavor to the meat. You can add all kinds of herbs and spices for subtle or strong differences. Garlic (fresh pressed) and finely diced strong onion, for instance, can negate the "gamey" flavor of an older buck, ram, or goat. Crushed jalapeño or habanero peppers and black or white ground pepper in with the mix can mask the "pissy" smell and taste of an uncut boar, wild pig, or male bear.
They work equally well on chunked meat for kabobs or stew, and they can be injected into roasts.
The best way I think to marinate a roast is to cut it into a long slab about an inch thick, (like peeling a layer of plywood off of a log), giving a much greater surface area on which the marinade can work overnight, then rolling it back up and tying it with butcher's twine before cooking. You can stuff it with garlic, herbs, hard grated cheese, and spices before rolling and tying, too.
For red meats, I prefer to use a base of dry red wine with Worcestershire sauce.
For fowl, pork, and fish, a base of dry or sweet white wine with herbs.
For smoked meats, bases of whiskey or beer work well to complement the flavor.
Add your favorite spices and herbs to the bases and whisk them into it, don't let them just sit and float on the top.
For best results, the meat should be completely covered by the marinade, and it should work overnight in the refrigerator. Gallon sized plastic zipper bags work great as you can get all of the air out of them easily. Never let meat (especially fowl or fish) sit at room temperature for more than a few minutes. The marinade won't work any faster if it's warm, but the bacteria can multiply exponentially faster under ideal (warm) conditions. Never reuse a marinade as the chances of bacterial contamination are too great. You can add it to a crock pot or oven bag for the roasts and stews, or to a stir fry after the ingredients have been seared.

[spooksar]

Originally Posted by C1PNR

I don't usually use a marinade on my Elk or Venison steaks. Just a dusting of garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and fresh grind pepper. On the grill they go!

One interesting item I saw a while back was to use Coca Cola to cover a roast in a slow cooker. Nothing else, just the coke. Cook on High for 4 or 5 hours, or Low for ~ 8 hours.

My Elk goes into steaks, "fry pieces," or burger, so I haven't tried it that way yet. But I did try it with a tough beef roast and it was GOOD, and tender!

Try Jack Daniels instead of the coke, cut it with water or apple juice

[Juliek]

I just got my first elk this year and made chicken fried chops. Unfortunately they were a little dry so I put the rest in a crock pot with carrots, celery, 1 carton of College Inn beef broth and a pkg of mushrooms and let it cook all day on low. It was delicious and so tender.

Do all elk steaks, chops and roasts need to be marinated?

The burger makes great spaghetti sauce.

[C1PNR]

Originally Posted by Juliek

I just got my first elk this year and made chicken fried chops. Unfortunately they were a little dry so I put the rest in a crock pot with carrots, celery, 1 carton of College Inn beef broth and a pkg of mushrooms and let it cook all day on low. It was delicious and so tender.

Do all elk steaks, chops and roasts need to be marinated? NO!!
The burger makes great spaghetti sauce. Oh YEAH!!

I think Elk is better than beef any day! No need to use marinade on steaks or chops unless you're looking for a particular flavor, and really, that goes for the roasts, too.

I like to keep it simple, and cook it quickly on the grill. Long, dry cooking (grill or pan), leads to dried out meat. Try just dusting with garlic powder, onion powder, medium grind black pepper, and kosher salt, and then put it on a HOT grill for 2 or 3 minutes a side.

Man, I'm getting hungry just thinking about this. Must be time to head to the kitchen and see what I can find!

[257 ROB]

try a touch of cinnamon. yum, i find

[C1PNR]

Hmmm. I'll have to try that, but just a touch, I don't want to overpower the taste of the Venison.