Cooking With Game

Spicy Elk Stew
Serves 10 - 12

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons cumin
3 pounds elk stew meat (I use up all the tough bits and pieces)
3 tablespoons olive oil - split in half
3 cups salsa
1 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon honey
5 cups sweet potato -- peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (2 - 3 medium)
1 - 11 oz can whole kernel corn
1 - 15 oz can black beans - drained and rinced

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, chili powder and cumin.
Rinse the elk and pat dry. Lay the stew meat on a cutting board. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over it. Cover with a gallon size plastic bag cut down each side to form a large rectangle. (This keeps the flour from going everywhere as you pound). Pound in the flour seasoning mix. Turn elk over and pound in remaining flour mixture.

Heat half the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook half the elk in oil about 5 minutes, turning several times, until brown on all sides. Remove. Heat rest of oil, add the rest of the elk and brown for about 5 minutes. Remove. Drain any oil left out of pan. Don’t worry about any browned flour/spice mix stuck to the bottom. Put the salsa, water and honey in the pot. Then add the browned elk, sweet potatoes, corn and beans.  Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Cover and bake 1 hour or until beef is tender.

Serve with warm, low carb tortillas.

NOTE:  You can control the “heat” by how spicy the salsa is. Also you can cut down the amount of chili powder, but I wouldn’t cut it by more than half. It’s not that hot and adds  lot of flavor.

ALSO:  If you think your elk is real tough, you can add a little Adolf’s tenderizer to the flour mix. I would suggest 1/2 - 1 teaspoon. Don’t over do it. You don’t want the meat to be  mushy or the stew to be too salty (tenderizer is salty). The tomato in the salsa will help break the meat down. Especially if you make this a day ahead.

Posted by Gamekeeper at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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.

Posted by Gamekeeper at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)