How to cook soft elk meat: recipes. Delicious, tender and juicy elk cutlets - the basic principles of cooking Elk steak in a frying pan

Analyzing search queries on my site, I discovered that most users want to get an answer to the question “How to cook a steak from elk meat / elk meat.” Not surprising. This meat cannot be bought in the store in the form of ready-made pieces in vacuum packaging labeled “Steak”. You have to think and act for yourself. Let's try to figure it out.

Making an elk steak is no more difficult or easier than making one from any other meat. You just need to be more careful when choosing meat for cooking. Of course, steak should not be made from the meat of an old trophy bull. Or a cow culled by age. When preparing a steak, set aside high-quality meat from a calf or a young animal that has a good color and smell, because before cooking this meat cannot be soaked or marinated, otherwise it will become anything but a steak.

Externally, a steak is a flat, even piece of meat. It can be with or without a bone, have a different texture and thickness of the fat layer. In “beef” cooking, there is a very extensive and confusing system for classifying steaks, which largely depends on the country and specific area where the dish is cut and served.

In the American version of cutting T-bone steaks, the tenderloin is not separated from the entrecote part, but remains on the lumbar vertebrae. Entrecote is cut from the middle part of the roast beef. T-bone steak (steak on a T-shaped bone, in which there is less tenderloin and more flat roast beef), porterhouse steak (more tenderloin and less flat roast beef), club steak are cut from the transition point from the entrecote part to the roast beef . Entrecote steak is a cutlet that becomes a ribeye steak when the bone is removed.

There is also a European classification: fillet steak, filet mignon, chateaubriand (the central part of the tenderloin, fried whole), or tornedos (the same, but cut into circles)…

I could not find a unified domestic systematized classification of steaks from beef carcasses. What can we say about the classification of cuts and steaks that can be obtained from an elk carcass, taking into account its differences from a cow carcass.

But, in general, this is not a disaster. Even if you understand the intricacies of steak names, the meat reality lying in front of you on the table is unlikely to become more “digestible”, unless you have butchered the elk yourself. First, the structure of an elk is somewhat different from that of a domestic cow. And the reason for this is not only the notorious hump, but also thicker bones. In adult animals, the meat on the rib turns into meat on the rib, a porterhouse or T-bone steak will contain a powerful spine bone, which will force them to increase their thickness, and therefore change the frying time... Cutting defects will also be added here, which will not always allow cook exactly what you need from the existing piece.

Therefore, start as usual - from the existing piece.

Contrary to popular belief, steak is not only fillet or meat from the back of the carcass. The back part is a classic, premium type of steak. Most of them you simply will not be able to do, unless you ask in advance to leave the tenderloin on site and bring you the entire back of the elk.

Elk meat can be used to make a wonderful flat iron steak - from the inside of the shoulder adjacent to the shoulder bone. By the way, on the shoulder blade of an elk there is an absolutely wonderful huge muscle, the name of which is simply not named in the “beef” classification - it makes excellent roast beef or many delicious steaks,

But there is almost nothing to make a flank steak or skirt steak (from the peritoneum-flank) of an elk.

Therefore, we will assume that theoretically a steak can be made from any good piece of flesh. You just need to carefully examine it and understand what it looks like. Just remember that even the best elk meat simply cannot have the marbling of elite beef, and even sirloin steaks will have a slightly different texture than restaurant dishes.

How exactly is this done? Let me demonstrate.

Given: big good piece elk's back with part of the spine about 14 centimeters thick. The task is to cook at least two good steaks from this piece.

1. First, I slowly defrost the piece in the refrigerator (this took more than a day). The less fluid is released, the better. Remember that meat that floats in a pool of red liquid after defrosting will never be juicy again. Now I look at what kind of piece I have in my hands: it turns out that it is not a thick or thin edge, but a butt, since the pelvic segment of the spine is clearly visible in it - the elk was killed far from the road and managed to freeze thoroughly, so parts of the carcass I had to carefully cut it into transverse “slices” with a saw. 3 hours before cooking, remove the piece from the refrigerator so that it warms up to room temperature.

2. I remove the bone, cut off the outer dense layer of fat, all (absolutely all) films and other “ugly things” and see what happens. What I end up with is a piece of irregular shape across the grain, 24 cm wide by 7.5 cm and thickness along the grain from 10 to 8 cm. Accordingly, if you cut carefully, you can make a maximum of two good steaks 3.5 cm thick and still have some left over an uneven piece from which you can later make a schnitzel. That's what I do. Now I have two steaks, 3.5 cm thick, 24 cm long and 7.5 cm wide. I dry them thoroughly with a paper towel.

3. Heat up a cast iron frying pan and melt the butter in it. Attention! The oil should boil, not burn. If it darkens, it means it has started to burn. You'll have to wash the pan and start over. I salt and pepper the first steak. I put it “away from me” (so as not to splatter the oil) into the frying pan and fry it on the first side for exactly two minutes. Juice appears on the surface. I reduce the heat a little and turn it over and fry for 2.5 minutes (longer than the first side due to the fact that the juice has come out). The temperature inside the steak, according to samples taken with a culinary thermometer from different areas, ranges from 34°C to 37°C. You need to check the temperature very carefully, trying to get the tip of the probe into the middle of the steak, and not into the hot frying pan. I turn it over again. I hold it for another two minutes. The temperature rises to 42°C -45°C, turn it over again, hold it for another minute, as I want the steak medium-rare. Temperature 49°C -50°C.

4. I remove the steak from the frying pan, put it in a warm deep bowl, cover it with a plate, and cover it with a large towel on top. It would be more correct to put it in a warm oven, but technically I don’t have that option right now, so we’ll use the ersatz method. Meanwhile, the second steak is sizzling in the frying pan, which I managed to salt and pepper while frying the first one. I will bring it to 57°C, since it needs to be cooked a little more than medium.

I beg you, don't eat the steak right away! He's not ready yet! If you cut it now, it will seem just raw inside. Be patient! Ten to fifteen minutes, no less. It is this exposure that will allow the hot meat juices from the surface to “finish” the interior. If you cut the steak immediately after the end of frying and find the desired doneness, then after 15 minutes in the process of eating you will be disappointed - the steak, for example, will turn from medium rare to almost rare. The first time it was even surprising for me to observe this metamorphosis.

In general, roasting is a very delicate matter. Especially in elk steak. Sometimes it seems that this meat is “slower” than beef; it needs about 30 seconds more time. In addition, everything very much depends on the individual characteristics of the animal, which for the most part can only be understood by experience and careful observations. Don't be surprised, but the hardest thing is to get a steak well done. It would seem that it could be simpler - fry until done, but no. If you fry until the recommended cessation of pinkish juice secretion, there is a high risk of getting a hard sole. In principle, this works for everyone - remove the steak a few degrees before reaching the desired doneness temperature. Don't forget that the steak is still cooking after being removed from the pan. Leave him alone and he will get there. If you make a mistake, it will be almost impossible to correct the situation. When reheating, it is very difficult to control the true temperature and the most you can get is just a fried piece of meat. It will no longer be a steak in the full sense of the word.

The generally accepted classification is:

Heated up (blue rare) - 46°C, rare (rare) - 49°C, medium rare - 52°C, medium rare - 57°C, almost done (medium well) - 66° C, well done - 71°C.

If you have never eaten a proper steak before, and really don’t know what a real “rare” roast is, start your acquaintance with large steaks with the “medium” roast - this is where most of my friends settled, although I myself prefer a rather wild one option - very low roasting. As practice has shown, a “blue rare” steak will seem simply raw inside to most. Just like the real “rare”. Moreover, this will be much more noticeable on an elk than on a domestic bull.

By the way, as we see, not a single degree of roasting gives a safe (from a German point of view) 80°C. Therefore, we only use meat that has undergone veterinary control and aged for two weeks at -20°C. Don't experiment with dry aging. None veterinary examination will not insure you against accidental “finns”. The only one, random, but capable of greatly ruining your life.

If you don’t have such a big piece of cake, you can cook simpler steak- according to the method in which unscrupulous restaurants prepare a fake “tenderloin type” steak. To prepare such a steak, any piece of the flesh of a young animal - deer, elk, roe deer - is quite suitable. The only caveat is that it must be cut across the grain, thick enough (5 centimeters in height and 10-12 in width) and perfectly clean. And, of course, it must be high-quality pulp without internal veins and films. Read here.

And here are some more tips for cooking steaks. They are not “moose specific”, but very useful.

1. Steaks are cut only across the grain, and their thickness should be at least 2.5-3 cm.

2. Don't fry cold steaks (straight from the refrigerator), let them come to room temperature.

3. For a steak to be a steak, it must have a good crust. You can get it on a large piece of meat if you use a massive cast iron frying pan for frying. The presence or absence of corrugation on it is a matter of personal taste and serves rather an aesthetic function.

4. At the moment of “steaking”, the pan should be really hot. So that the meat sizzles and sizzles. The first time you turn it over, you can lower the temperature. Unfortunately, splashes and a strong smell (not to be confused with the smell of burning!) cannot be avoided. Do not use the lid! Steam accumulates under it, and the meat will be stewed rather than fried. Accordingly, the steak will not be a steak again. If you are cooking on gas stove, do not cover the surface around it with paper towels - they may catch fire.

5. Use vegetable oil or butter, but be careful not to burn it.

6. Some chefs advise salting and peppering the steak towards the end of frying, but this is rather a matter of “religion” and personal taste.

www.huntingculture.ru

Elk steak - step-by-step recipe with photos

The thickness of the meat for steak should be from 3 to 5 cm. In addition to the tenderloin, parts such as loin or boneless neck are suitable.

1 kilogram of elk tenderloin;
50 milliliters of balsamic vinegar;
50 milliliters soy sauce;
50 milliliters olive oil;
small onion;
3-4 cloves of garlic;
1 tablespoon brown sugar;
salt, paprika and ground black pepper to taste.

Cooking method:

First, make the marinade by combining balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, chopped onion and garlic. Add salt and peppers, pour in olive oil and stir well.
Place the cut of meat intended for steak in a cooking bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and close it. Keep in the refrigerator for at least three hours, if possible leave for 12 hours.
Set the grill to heat up; the temperature should reach at least 205°C and no more than 260°C. While the grill is heating up, remove the steak from the marinade and let it come to room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
Place the steak on the grill, cook for 3 minutes, then rotate 45°, but do not flip. This is necessary to create a beautiful pattern on the meat. Cook for another 3 minutes.
After 6 minutes of cooking, turn the steak over to the other side, cook on the second side for 3 minutes, then rotate 45° and cook for another 3 minutes.
The internal temperature of the cooked steak should reach 52°C. Once this happens, remove the meat from the grill and let sit for 10 minutes.

Slice the steak crosswise and serve with grilled vegetables, potatoes and any sauce you prefer.

Arizona-style elk steaks for barbecue - step-by-step recipe with photos

You're definitely in luck if you have a tender elk steak straight off the grill. Once you try meat cooked over open coals, you will not regret the time spent.

Ingredients:

0.7-0.8 kilograms of elk tenderloin (thick and thin edge, neck will also do);
100 milliliters of rapeseed oil;
1 teaspoon lemon juice;
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce;
1 tablespoon soy sauce;
1 teaspoon dried garlic;
? teaspoon ground black pepper;
culinary bag with clip.
For addition:
? kilograms of fresh tomatoes;
50 grams of mayonnaise;
2 cloves of garlic.
Combine canola oil, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire and soy sauce, garlic powder and pepper. Grind with a blender and continue blending until the marinade clears.
Cut the meat into steaks, the permissible thickness is 2.5-4 cm.
Place the steaks in a bag, pour in the marinade, expel the air and close the bag with a clip. Mash the bag to distribute the marinade. Place in the refrigerator to marinate. The minimum marinating time is 4 hours, optimal 6-8 hours. The package of meat will need to be turned over several times, so it won’t be possible to prepare it from evening to morning, but from morning to evening it will be possible, if you are nearby sometimes, of course.
Preheat grill to medium heat and oil grates. Remove steaks from marinade and cook on preheated grates, about 5 minutes per side.
The cooked steak will feel set. The internal temperature should not exceed 60°C. If you did everything correctly, thick steaks will be slightly pink inside, and thin steaks will be completely cooked.

For grilled steaks, serve a salad of tomatoes, grated garlic and mayonnaise dressing, fresh herbs, and flatbreads - Uzbek or Armenian thin pita bread. If desired, you can prepare a traditional side dish separately - rice, potatoes, lentils.

Elk recipes

Moose meat dishes

ELK or ELK Moose meat. It is distinguished by its high density and excessive dryness, at the same time it has an excellent taste and valuable nutritional benefits (high content of proteins and vitamins).

Therefore, preparing leggings carried out using a special technology: in large pieces, at least 1 kg; stuffing and wrapping with lard are used, and then simmering in a heat-resistant, thick-walled container, directly in the oven or in the oven for 2-2.5 hours (depending on the volume of the piece).

Recipe: Red forest game

Large red forest game, i.e., bear meat, venison and elk meat, and even less often - hare meat, were consumed much less often than feathered game in Russian cuisine. All this game began to come into use relatively late, in the 18th century, and even then it was mainly the exclusive property of the nobility. festive table. True, during the 18th century. and especially in the 19th century. Russian national techniques for preparing large forest game developed, and they began to serve it more often.

Thus, a bear ham, as a rule, after marinating, was baked in rye dough. Roast meat was made from venison, wapiti and elk, as well as from more affordable hare meat. The game was kept after slaughter for up to three weeks (gutted, but often in the skin, especially hare meat), and then soaked in kvass or in vinegar infused with herbs (see) from several hours to a week, depending on the size of the pieces of meat and the type of animal.

The back part of the game was usually used for cooking. The best hare was considered to be hare meat, hare was in second place. Due to its specific smell, venison was subjected to more thorough pre-treatment and long-term marinating. Conversely, red deer meat, which has a special pleasant smell and taste, was never seasoned with spices and fried in its own fat, without the use of lard.

The process of frying elk meat was basically similar to frying large game birds using stuffing with lard, which was done as follows: lard was cut into narrow cubes, rolled in a mixture of crushed pepper, cloves, marjoram and juniper berries, taken equally; They made deep cuts in the meat - punctures - and stuck lard into them. Game was usually fried in an oven on a baking sheet for 2–3 hours. Sometimes a combined treatment was used: roasted on a spit and then on a baking sheet. Most often, only the sirloin was prepared this way. Juniper berries and young pine cones, collected in early spring, immediately after the formation of the ovary, dried and ground into powder, were used as specific Russian spices for red forest game. In addition, they used the usual spicy herbs for Russian cuisine: parsley, celery, onions, and among the spices - primarily cloves and rosemary, bay leaves.

Garnishes for forest game, as well as for birds, were soaked and salted fruits And berries, sour (Antonov) apples fried in oil, lemons, and later potatoes stewed in the juice released from the game. Instead of red wine, common in Western European cuisines, it was customary to serve lingonberry or cranberry strong kvass with game in Russia.

Of course, cooking game takes a lot of time. However, this process brings into our life that atmosphere of unusualness and festivity that a person always needs.

MARINADE FOR SOAKING LARGE GAME (ELK MEAT)

1 cup 3% vinegar
2 glasses of water
2 tbsp. spoons of salt
1 parsley root
1 carrot
1 celery (root)
1 onion
12 grains of allspice (Jamaican) pepper
6 bay leaves
6 buds of cloves
3 capsules cardamom
0.5 heads of garlic

Finely chop the roots and onions, mix with spices (except garlic), add vinegar and water and boil. Add finely chopped garlic to the hot marinade. Pour hot marinade over old meat, and cool marinade over young meat.

Game red forest elk and others

The so-called red forest game- that is, elk meat, venison, roe deer meat, mountain chamois - must be marinated before cooking for at least 24 hours, that is, a day, or even more, depending on the size of the pieces and the fatness, age of the meat. Young meat - less, old - longer.
They are usually marinated in apple or wine vinegar, cheap young dry red wine, or in special marinades with spices, which necessarily include juniper berries or rosemary, since these spices preserve and enhance the “forest aroma” of game meat.

After marinating, the game meat is stuffed with lard. Stuffing is carried out with a special round knife, into the deep recess of which a strip of lard is inserted. Sometimes, in the absence of tools, stuffing is replaced by simply wrapping game meat in sheets (strips) of lard. But this technique is worse and can only be used for small pieces.

Only red deer meat does not need to be stuffed - the most tender and most delicious (with a special red deer aroma) deer meat. Red deer have quite enough of their own fat, and in the absence of it, they can be fried well in vegetable oils - preferably soybean, sesame or olive.

Frying game, like any meat, is done in the oven on an enamel baking sheet or in heat-resistant ceramic patches for at least 1.5-2 hours, depending on the size of the piece, in a sealed container, with the addition of lard ( oil), a small amount of water and half red wine (1-2 glasses). Very large pieces (legs) are fried openly - 2-3 hours or more - or baked in rye dough.

www.rus-food-recipes.ru

How to cook elk meat: dishes from forest cows

You can prepare a lot of delicious dishes from elk meat - frying, roasting, cutlets. You can fry the elk in one piece or stew the elk with vegetables and spices. For special occasions, roasts and baked elk are great options. You just have to start. Cooking elk meat is a creative process, and there are a lot of options.

Elk cutlets with cranberries

For cutlets, it is better to choose thinner meat. The tenderloin will be a little dry, but meat trimmings with fat and streaks will be just right.

1 kg of elk meat.
200 g fatty pork or pork fat.
A handful of oatmeal.
1/2 cup milk.
2 eggs.
Onion head.
1 tomato.
Small carrots.
A handful of frozen cranberries.
Black pepper, garlic, salt.

Add vegetables to the pre-prepared minced meat - carrots, garlic, onions. And more - he loves game vegetables!
For a special flavor, add tomato to the minced meat.
Grind pork lard or fatty pork in a meat grinder. Stir in elk meat. Everyone has their own recipes. This addition will make the cutlets much softer.
Try replacing the filling with bread soaked in milk or ground crackers onto oatmeal soaked in milk. The flakes will make the minced meat tastier, and the cutlets will be more fluffy.
Mix with minced meat, frozen cranberries, oatmeal, black pepper, eggs, salt, but do not forget that elk meat has its own special taste and can be spoiled by too much spice. To make the minced meat juicier, add a little milk.
Place the finished minced meat in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to ripen.
You probably know how to cook their minced cutlets? I recommend breading them in oatmeal, but it can be in flour or breadcrumbs.
Cook on both sides until golden brown.
Game cutlets must be thoroughly steamed. Add hot water to the pan and cover with a lid. Continue cooking over high heat until all the liquid has evaporated. The rolled oats in the minced meat will swell, the cutlet will become juicy, the garlic will add flavor to the meat, and the cranberries, bursting from the high temperature, will soak the cutlets from the inside with juice.
All is ready. Place the cutlets on a plate, decorate with herbs, vegetables and bring to the table.

It may happen that cutlets will become one of your favorite dishes. Try to cook them differently each time, and don’t be afraid to experiment with the ingredients of your dishes. Feel free to create original recipes.

Stewed elk meat with potatoes

700 gr. moose meat.
5 potatoes.
Ghee or lard.
2 medium onions.
Two large tomatoes.
Garlic.
Half a lemon.
Dried carrots.
Celery root, dried herbs, spices.
Cut the elk meat into flat pieces two centimeters thick.
To prepare the marinade, mix a teaspoon of salt with a teaspoon of sugar, squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto a plate, stir, add pieces of celery root, dried carrots and herbs.
Marinate the meat for no more than 10 hours under light pressure.
Cut the marinated meat into thick strips, brown until golden brown in a frying pan in butter or melted lard. After the meat is well browned, place it in a pan, add hot water and start stewing.
Lightly fry the peeled potatoes, cut into strips, separately from the meat in a frying pan, and then add them to the saucepan with the elk meat. And don't forget to stir.
While the dish is stewing, you need to peel the tomatoes. It is best to pour boiling water over them, then the skin will be easily and quickly removed. Cut the peeled tomatoes and onions into half rings.
Fry the onion in a frying pan, add tomatoes and carcasses until you get a homogeneous paste from the tomatoes.
All that remains is to season the stewed elk meat with potatoes with tomatoes and onions, add bay leaf, pepper, salt and simmer until done.
Place the dish on plates, sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs and chopped garlic. I always try to add to traditional recipes, your own highlights, and you?

Fried liver

Fried moose liver belongs to that category of dishes that can only be prepared from the freshest meat. The fresher the better.

The recipes are simple: you need to fry the elk liver immediately after cutting the carcass, only then does it turn out especially tasty. It is necessary to follow certain rules for preparing such dishes, and treat the process with the due amount of scrupulousness and attention.

1 kg elk liver.
250 g onions.
80 gr. melted lard.
Salt.
Cut the liver into pieces up to two centimeters thick. Salt on all sides.
Heat a frying pan with melted lard and place the liver pieces tightly on it. Fry over low heat without covering with a lid. This will require all your attention - the liver should not be overcooked.
Turn the half-fried pieces over and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Take a fork and pierce each piece with it: if bloody juice appears on their surface, then continue frying, if the juice does not stand out, or it is colored fried liver, then you can consider that the first stage is completed.
Place the prepared liver in a bowl, cover with a lid to keep warm. In the frying pan where the fat remains, place the chopped onion, fry covered over low heat until a pinkish color forms. After this, start transferring the liver pieces into the frying pan with the onions, stir, and simmer for a couple of minutes over very low heat. There is no need to cover the pan with a lid.
The liver is ready. As a side dish you can prepare boiled potatoes and stewed cabbage.

There are other recipes, but if you fry pieces of liver with onions, the liver will be overcooked and the onions will burn.

The secret to the taste of such dishes is that you have to eat them straight from the fire. Don't reheat leftovers the next day. But you shouldn’t throw it away either. There are wonderful recipes, for example, you can make pate from leftovers. Add melted fat or butter to the liver and mince it several times.

The best taste is in elk meat aged from 1.5 to 3 years. Old elk meat is tough and fibrous. It's more difficult to cook with. Female meat more tender than meat males.
Veteran elk meat will not be suitable for steaks, but in cutlets, mixed with fatty pork, it will work quite well.
Many people marinate elk meat for a long time to make it softer and remove the smell. On the one hand, of course, the meat will soften, but the taste of the dishes will be completely destroyed. Use these recipes with caution.
It all depends on the time of year. If you kill elk in the fall, you can cook it like beef. If it’s winter, try cutting a piece of elk meat into layers that are not all the way through, insert slices of lard, cloves of garlic into the cut, and don’t skimp on the spices. You have to cook in your sleeve. Very long, very slow.
The best secret to softening tough meat is to spread a generous amount of mustard on the elk and leave it overnight. Don't be afraid - it won't be bitter. Tested by several generations of hunters.
There are other recipes. In advanced cases (very old elk) - stew it with cabbage. Once the cabbage has steamed into an unsightly slurry, the meat will become soft.

It’s not for nothing that people call moose cows of the forest, thereby equating elk meat with the usual beef for the average person. Indeed, there are no special differences between beef and elk meat. You can prepare dishes from elk meat no less than from beef. The only difference between elk meat is that the cow was fed compound feed with unknown additives, and moose in nature had the opportunity to eat herbs that have a healing effect on animal tissue. Of course, elk meat dishes have a specific smell, like any “game”, but for gourmets this is more of a plus than a minus. Many people complain that elk meat is a little tough; it all depends not only on age (the meat of old cows is also not very soft), but also on the skill of the cook. If you use proven recipes, if you cook with soul, then everything will work out.

You can prepare hundreds of dishes from elk meat, but if you don’t want to make a toothpick the main dish of your holiday dinner, then take cooking meat very seriously. Rely only on proven recipes, but remember that recipes are not a dogma, but a guide to action. Bon appetit.

amazingwoman.ru

There is also a European classification: fillet steak, filet mignon, chateaubriand (the central part of the tenderloin, fried whole), or tornedos (the same, but cut into circles)…

Therefore, start as usual - from the existing piece.

Elk meat can be used to make a wonderful flat iron steak - from the inside of the shoulder adjacent to the shoulder bone. By the way, on the shoulder blade of an elk there is an absolutely wonderful huge muscle, the name of which in the “beef” classification simply does not exist - it makes excellent roast beef or many delicious steaks,

But there is almost nothing to make a flank steak or skirt steak (from the peritoneum-flank) of an elk.

How exactly is this done? Let me demonstrate.

Given: a large good piece of elk back with part of the spine about 14 centimeters thick. The task is to cook at least two good steaks from this piece.

2. I remove the bone, cut off the outer dense layer of fat, all (absolutely all) films and other “ugly things” and see what happens. What I end up with is a piece of irregular shape across the grain, 24 cm wide by 7.5 cm and thickness along the grain from 10 to 8 cm. Accordingly, if you cut carefully, you can make a maximum of two good steaks 3.5 cm thick and still have some left over an uneven piece from which you can later make a schnitzel. That's what I do. Now I have two steaks3.5 cm thick, 24 cm long and 7.5 cm wide. I dry them thoroughly with a paper towel.

I beg you, don't eat the steak right away! He's not ready yet! If you cut it now, it will seem just raw inside. Be patient! Ten to fifteen minutes, no less. It is this exposure that will allow the hot meat juices from the surface to “finish” the interior. If you cut a steak immediately after frying and find the desired doneness, then after 15 minutes of eating you will be disappointed - a steak, for example, will turn from medium-rare to almost well-done. The first time it was even surprising for me to observe this metamorphosis.

In general, roasting is a very delicate matter. Especially in elk steak. Sometimes it seems that this meat is “slower” than beef; it needs about 30 seconds more time. In addition, everything very much depends on the individual characteristics of the animal, which for the most part can only be understood by experience and careful observations. Don't be surprised, but the hardest thing is to get a steak well done. It would seem that it could be simpler - fry until done, but no. If you fry until the recommended cessation of pinkish juice secretion, there is a high risk of getting a hard sole. In principle, this works for everyone - remove the steak a few degrees before reaching the desired doneness temperature. Don't forget - the steak is still cooking after being removed from the pan. Leave him alone and he will get there. If you make a mistake, it will be almost impossible to correct the situation. When reheating, it is very difficult to control the true temperature and the most you can get is just a fried piece of meat. It will no longer be a steak in the full sense of the word.

The generally accepted classification is:

Heated up (blue rare) - 46°C, rare (rare) - 49°C, medium rare - 52°C, medium rare - 57°C, almost done (medium well) - 66° C, well done - 71°C.

If you have never eaten a proper steak before, and really don’t know what a real “rare” roast is, start your acquaintance with large steaks with the “medium” roast - this is where most of my friends settled, although I myself prefer a rather wild one option - very weak roasting. As practice has shown, a “blue rare” steak will seem simply raw inside to most. Just like the real “rare”. Moreover, this will be much more noticeable on an elk than on a domestic bull.

By the way, as we see, not a single degree of roasting gives a safe (from a German point of view) 80°C. Therefore, we only use meat that has undergone veterinary control and aged for two weeks at -20°C. Don't experiment with dry aging. No veterinary examination will insure you against an accidental “finn”. The only one, random, but capable of greatly ruining your life.

If you don’t have such a big bite, then you can cook a simpler steak - according to the method in which unscrupulous restaurants prepare fake “tenderloin type” steak. To prepare such a steak, any piece of the flesh of a young animal - deer, elk, roe deer - is quite suitable. The only caveat is that it must be cut across the grain, thick enough (5 centimeters in height and 10-12 in width) and perfectly clean. And, of course, it must be high-quality pulp without internal veins and films.

And here are some more tips for cooking steaks. They are not “moose specific”, but very useful.

1. Steaks are cut only across the grain, and their thickness should be at least 2.5-3 cm.

2. Don't fry cold steaks (straight from the refrigerator), let them come to room temperature.

4. At the moment of “steaking”, the pan should be really hot. So that the meat sizzles and sizzles. The first time you turn it over, you can lower the temperature. Unfortunately, splashes and a strong smell (not to be confused with the smell of burning!) cannot be avoided. Do not use the lid! Steam accumulates under it, and the meat will be stewed rather than fried. Accordingly, the steak will not be a steak again. If you are cooking on a gas stove, do not cover the surface around it with paper towels - they may catch fire.

5. Use vegetable oil or butter, but be careful not to burn it.

6. Some chefs advise salting and peppering the steak towards the end of frying, but this is rather a matter of “religion” and personal taste.

Elk meat has its own unique taste. Some will find it too harsh, while others will not like its specific smell. However, if elk meat is cooked correctly, you can enjoy its original taste.

You can make cutlets, jellied meat, fried meat and even roast from elk meat. You can simply fry the elk in one piece or stew it with vegetables and spices. Roasted elk and oven-baked elk are great options for special occasions.

Recipe: Roast Elk

For the dish you will need:

0.5 kg elk meat (it is better to take the pulp),
5 potatoes,
2 medium onions,
1 carrot,
ghee,
tomato puree,
spices,
garlic - to add piquancy to the finished dish.

Preparation

In order to cook elk meat deliciously, it must be marinated in advance. For the marinade, take 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons each of salt and sugar, 2-3 bay leaves, 10 black peppercorns, parsley root.
The meat is cleaned of tendons and films, cut into pieces 2 cm thick, placed in a deep bowl (glass or ceramic) in layers, each layer is sprinkled with spices mixed with sugar and salt, everything is poured with vinegar diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. The elk meat is marinated for 8-10 hours.
Pickled pieces of elk meat are cut into bars and fried in melted butter or pork fat until golden brown.
And then simmer until half cooked.
The potatoes are cut into cubes, lightly fried, then mixed with chopped carrots and added to the meat.
When the vegetables are almost ready, add finely chopped onion and sauteed tomato, as well as peppercorns and bay leaves.
Garlic and herbs are chopped and added to the finished roast. The dish is ready! Served with pickles.

Recipe: Elk cutlets

For this dish you will need:

1 kg of elk meat,
50 ml 9% vinegar,
2 stale buns,
0.4 kg lard,
0.3 l milk,
2 fresh tomatoes,
2 egg yolks,
pepper, salt,
0.4 l cream,
breadcrumbs.

Preparation

The elk meat is cut into small pieces, soaked in vinegar diluted half with water, and passed through a meat grinder.
The buns are soaked in milk.
Pork lard is also twisted in a meat grinder and mixed with minced meat.
The resulting meat mass is mixed with soaked buns, finely chopped onion, tomato pulp, salt, ground black pepper and egg yolks. The mass is thoroughly kneaded and beaten with a mixer for 5 minutes.
Small balls are formed from the minced meat, breaded in breadcrumbs, placed in a frying pan, fried over medium heat, placed in a thick-walled bowl, poured with low-fat cream, and simmered over the fire for 30 minutes. That's all! The cutlets are ready!

Video recipe for the occasion:

Elk baked in the oven

To prepare the dish you need the following products:

1 kg of elk meat,
200 ml vinegar,
1 tbsp. l. salt,
8 black peppercorns,
a pinch of chopped bay leaf,
1 tbsp. l. Sahara,
chopped parsley root,
2 onions,
spices for meat,
vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation

The meat is thoroughly beaten with a wooden mallet.
A marinade is prepared from vinegar, salt, sugar, black pepper, chopped bay leaf, chopped parsley root and chopped onion.
The marinade is poured into a deep saucepan, 1 liter of water is added, and the mixture is brought to a boil.
After the marinade has cooled, place the meat in a deep saucepan and fill it with marinade, put pressure on top, and put it in the refrigerator for 2 days.
After two days, the meat is taken out, wiped with a paper towel, and rubbed with meat spices.
The elk meat is placed in a heated frying pan with oil and fried on both sides until half cooked.
Then the meat is wrapped in foil and placed in the oven. First, 200 g of water is poured onto a baking sheet.
The meat is simmered for (8-10 hours) at a temperature of 100-120 degrees. Water should be added to the pan periodically.
Before serving, baked meat is removed from foil and decorated with fresh chopped herbs.

Elk shish kebab

You will need:

2 kg elk meat,
300 g bacon,
5 onions,
2 glasses of water,
2 cups vinegar 3%,
2 tsp. salt,
1 tsp. granulated sugar,
a little black pepper
Bay leaf,
carnation,
juniper berries.

Preparation

In the specified amount of water add a bay leaf, a few clove buds and juniper berries to taste. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add salt and sugar to the marinade. Bring to a boil.
Add vinegar. Remove from heat. We filter.
Cut the meat into medium-sized cubes.
Pour the marinade over the meat. Let it marinate for a day.
We pass the marinated elk meat, along with onions and bacon, through a meat grinder twice.
Let's pepper it. Let's add a little salt.
Thread the minced meat onto skewers.
We bake over coals on the grill. Serve the finished kebab with fresh vegetables.

Elk goulash

You will need:

0.5 kg elk meat,
2 onions,
3 glasses of water or meat broth,
3 tbsp. l. tomato paste,
1 tbsp. l. flour,
0.5 tsp. black pepper,
1 bay leaf,
1 bunch of your favorite greens,
salt,
vegetable oil.

Preparation

We wash the meat. Let's dry it. Cut into medium sized cubes.
We clean the onion. Mine. We cut it finely.
Heat the vegetable oil. Fry the meat for 5 minutes over high heat.
Add onion. Stirring occasionally, fry for another 7 minutes.
Salt. Let's pepper it. Add flour. Mix. Continue frying for a couple more minutes.
Add tomato paste to the goulash. Mix.
Add water/broth.
We send laurel. Mix. Cover with a lid. Simmer for one and a half hours.
Sprinkle the finished elk goulash with chopped herbs and serve!

Elk soup

You will need:

500 g elk meat,
400 g spinach,
200 g shiitake mushrooms,
3 cloves of garlic,
2 onions,
1 chicken egg,
2 liters of water,
1 tsp. salt,
0.5 tsp. ground black pepper,
vegetable oil.

Preparation

Wash the meat. Let's dry it. Pass through a meat grinder twice.
We also pass onions and garlic through a meat grinder.
We combine the ingredients.
Salt. Let's pepper it.
Add an egg. Mix thoroughly.
From the prepared minced meat we form small meatballs.
Fry the meatballs in heated vegetable oil or bake for 20 minutes in the oven at 220 degrees.
Cook the mushrooms in the specified amount of salted water. You can add your favorite soup seasonings.
Add chopped spinach to the broth with mushrooms.
Carefully place the meatballs into the soup so that they do not fall apart.
Cook the soup for 20 minutes.
Pour the finished elk soup into portioned bowls and invite the household to the table. Bon appetit!

How to cook elk so it's tender

Before cooking, moose meat must be soaked for several hours and then thoroughly dried with paper towels.
Before frying and baking meat in the oven, elk meat should be marinated. The best option The marinade will be prepared from grape vinegar, mineral water And vegetable oil.
Elk meat baked in the oven will be extremely tender and juicy if you stuff it with pieces of lard; both fresh and salted will do.
Stewed elk meat will turn out especially soft if you first fry it until golden brown in a frying pan in a large amount of vegetable oil.
Salt meat should be added at the very end of cooking, not at the beginning.
And finally, if you want your elk meat to be soft and tender, take the time to prepare it. So, you need to stew meat for at least 2.5 hours, and cook for at least 3 hours.

Believe me: elk meat cooked in accordance with the suggested recommendations will make you change your mind that elk meat cannot be soft.

Finding elk meat on sale in a metropolis is an amazing phenomenon; this meat is not sold in ordinary supermarkets. You can try to purchase and prepare it only in a specialized store or at the market. And in some regions of Russia, elk meat is a common product for consumption, along with pork or beef.

In appearance, elk meat resembles beef, but in terms of taste it is noticeably different - there is not only a characteristic taste of game, but also a slight sourness. The younger the animal, the softer the elk meat will be, and it will be easier to cook it deliciously; if the animal is older than 3 years, then the only things you can make from elk meat are cutlets or meatballs, dumplings and manti, sausages, make lula kebab, roll in the oven , or simmer small pieces in broth with spices for a very long time. Therefore, the younger the animal, the juicier and more tender the prepared dish will be. But the taste of elk meat is not as important as its benefits, let’s try to understand in more detail useful qualities moose meat.

There is no need to doubt the usefulness of elk meat - wild meat is considered environmentally friendly, free grazing of the animal does not imply the presence of hormones and antibiotics in its diet, and this gives us confidence that eating elk meat will not adversely affect our health. Recipes for dishes that can be cooked are very tasty, for example, aromatic sausages, meatballs, dumplings and manti, roll baked in the oven until crispy.

Elk meat contains practically no harmful cholesterol and a large amount of fat; the product belongs to the lean category of forest delicacies. Minced elk meat is ideal for making cutlets and lula kebab, preparing sausages, you can freeze manti and dumplings, prepare delicious meatballs using new recipe. The meat contains a considerable amount of iron and zinc, essential microelements and vitamins necessary for human health.

Elk meat has a low calorie content, only 110 kcal per 100 grams of product, which means it is suitable for dietary and therapeutic nutrition.

Scientists have proven that if you consume this product regularly, elk meat will have a positive effect on:

strengthening the musculoskeletal system;
improvement of metabolism;
normalization of proper digestion;
lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Also, the product undoubtedly has a positive effect on the human nervous and cardiovascular system; elk meat has particular benefits for the body of pregnant women, children, and people recovering from surgery or illness. There are interesting and unusual recipes made from elk, it is a pleasure to cook them, for example, casserole or roll in the oven, homemade sausage or meatballs, manti and dumplings.

It is rare that a product can boast of the absence of contraindications for consumption, and elk meat takes almost the first place on this list. The product is approved for use by everyone and will only bring benefits to the body.

Include elk meat in your diet, and delight your family with new dishes, try cooking delicious recipes, freeze cutlets and meatballs, manti and dumplings, lula kebab, sausages. Homemade food is incredibly healthy and satisfying.

About elk meat in cooking

The product has the smell of meat characteristic of game, and also has a more rigid structure, so before cooking, elk meat is not only soaked using a special recipe for several hours, but is also often marinated to fight off the unpleasant odor. Cucumber or cabbage brine, whey or white wine are suitable for soaking. Cooking delicious food from soaked meat is easier and faster.

As a side dish for lula kebab and meatballs, you can cook mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce. After preparing manti or dumplings, meatballs, serve them instead of sour cream sour sauce from lingonberries. A small recommendation - it is necessary to salt elk dishes and the minced meat itself at the very end of cooking, due to the high content of natural salt in the product.

It is faster to cook the product in the oven or on the stove if you marinate the elk meat in advance, for example, you can coat the elk meat with not very spicy mustard and let the meat soak. To prepare cutlets, the mustard can subsequently be washed off, but the addition of this seasoning will soften the elk meat in the dish and give it an unusual sharpness and piquancy. You can add a personal touch to any recipe and enjoy cooking.

In addition to soaking and marinade, beating elk meat will help make meat and minced meat to prepare rolls, sausages, manti and dumplings, meatballs not only soft, but also tender.

The simplest marinade for elk meat

This marinade recipe is suitable for any game, preparing lula kebab, softening the meat and delicately removing the unpleasant odor from the product.

a bottle of white table wine;
2 fresh carrots;
2 large onions;
a small bunch of parsley or cilantro;
5 cloves of garlic;
2 cloves;
2 bay leaves;
peppercorns;
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

Preparing the marinade

Peel the garlic and flatten it with the flat side of a knife or glass. Chop vegetables randomly, chop fresh herbs. Mix all dry ingredients with vegetables and stir. Meat and wine are added, the marinade is added to taste. Now the dishes with marinated elk meat must be put in the refrigerator for at least a day. Only then can you cook lula kebab or make homemade cutlets, sausages, rolls with mushroom filling, dumplings and manti, meatballs.

Elk meat marinated in this way can be cooked over an open fire, or after washing off the marinade, use it for baking, stewing or preparing homemade cutlets, kebab, or make homemade sausages and meatballs, dumplings and manti.

Preparing minced elk meat

It is from minced meat that it is easiest to prepare elk dishes, since the meat undergoes additional mechanical processing, becoming softer and more tender. In addition, minced meat, when stored in the freezer, takes up much less space, which means it can be prepared many times larger in volume, turning a new recipe into reality.

To prepare minced meat, meat does not require long marinating, but it is necessary to soak the product. Before chopping, the elk meat must be cut into pieces; you can dilute the minced meat; homemade pork with fat is perfect for this.

It is advisable to pass the meat through a fine grinder at least twice; if you plan to immediately stick and fry the cutlets, then you can grind the garlic cloves and onions along with the meat. Then lula kebab, sausages and cutlets will become juicier.

Advice! You should not add onions to minced meat that you plan to freeze - the mass will darken and the taste of the product will change greatly, not for the better.

Choosing the right elk meat

To make homemade elk cutlets tender, juicy and tasty, you need to learn how to choose the right piece of meat for preparing them.

The piece you like should be light Pink colour, like domestic veal, is by no means dark red (this indicates that the animal is old) with thin light streaks of muscle tissue. M The jar should have a slight characteristic odor; if the aroma of the meat is very strong, then you should refuse to purchase it.

Homemade elk cutlets - secrets and tricks

To prepare you will need:

800 gr. elk meat;
2 chicken eggs;
200 gr. fatty pork;
3 slices of white bread;
a few sprigs of parsley or cilantro;
onion;
vegetable oil for frying;
2 cloves of garlic;
a little salt and freshly ground pepper.

Making homemade elk cutlets

Dry the pieces of white bread in the oven or in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Cool and grind with a blender.

Pass the pork and elk meat through a meat grinder several times with the addition of herbs, garlic and onions.

Mix minced meat in a bowl with homemade breadcrumbs, add eggs, season the mixture with salt, spices and seasonings to taste. For lula kebab, hot pepper is added.

Beat the minced meat for the cutlets well on the bottom of the bowl and form into oval or round cutlets.

Advice! If the piece of meat is lean and you are not using pork, then you can put a little inside the cutlet. butter. This will make the cutlets more juicy and tasty.

The prepared cutlets can be additionally rolled in breadcrumbs or flour and fried in a very hot frying pan until golden brown and crispy.

Therefore, in the same principle, you can prepare cutlets from marinated elk meat, without using a meat grinder, but finely chop the minced meat with a sharp knife. In this case, the cutlets will bake in the oven a little longer, and the taste will be juicier.

Can be served with boiled potatoes, rice, buckwheat porridge and seasonal fresh vegetable salad. Will highlight the taste well wild meat and home canning.

Thai stuffed omelette (kai yat sai)

From Bunlom Thongpor, 69 years old, Thailand

Filling: mince 100 grams of pork, dice the onions and tomatoes, cut the mini-corn. Heat oil in a wok to medium temperature, add pork and fry for 1 minute. Add a spoonful of soy sauce and simmer for another minute. Then add onions, tomatoes and corn, a dessert spoon of sugar and fish sauce. Cook everything for 3-4 minutes. For an omelet, beat a few eggs with a pinch of salt. Heat the oil and pour it in so that the bottom of the wok is slightly greased with it. Pour the mixture into it and cook, moving the wok so that the omelette is thin. After the omelette is ready, put the filling on it and fold the edges.

Mzhadara (rice with lentil cream)

From Wadad Achi, 66 years old, Lebanon

This is a typical Friday meal in the Lebanese Christian community. It is ideal for vegetarians. There are many ways to prepare it, and what makes Wadad's recipe unique is that she garnishes the mjadara with radishes at the end, supposedly the flavor of this vegetable enhances the flavor of the lentils. Place lentils in water and bring to a boil. The lentils should absorb all the water, so make sure you add enough. It is best to add water from time to time during cooking. Chop the onion and fry it in vegetable oil until golden brown. After the lentils are cooked, puree them (a blender or mixer will do), add two cups of water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Place rice and bulgur into the boiling mass, add salt and pepper. Five minutes before the rice is ready, add the onion. Place in soup bowls and garnish with onion slices, radishes and mint.

Pork with vegetables (hui-guo-rou)

From Pan Guan Mei, China

The word "rou", the third word in this recipe, means "meat cooked again in the wok": that is, it must first be boiled and then fried. Cook the pork in the wok for half an hour. The meat should be completely covered with water. Add ginger root and chopped onion. When the meat is cooked, cut it into small pieces. Also cut the green and white onions and some capsicum into 3 cm pieces. Fry the ginger root in a tablespoon of oil, add the pork and continue frying for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the meat from the wok, rinse the pan and put it back on the fire, adding two tablespoons of oil and two small spoons of sugar. Reduce heat and wait until the sugar dissolves. Add three small spoons of chili sauce and two small spoons of soy sauce. After a couple of minutes, add the pork and vegetables to the wok and fry for 5 minutes. Garnish: rice!

Silke (herring with potatoes and homemade cheese)

From Inari Runtule, 68 years old, Latvia

Soak the herring in water or milk for one and a half hours. Peel the potatoes, cut into two parts and boil. Thinly slice the onion and marinate it in hot water with two tablespoons of vinegar for 20 minutes. Peel the herring from the skin and bones and cut into 3 cm pieces. Place on a plate, place the pickled onion on top so that it completely covers the fish. Mix a glass of sour cream with a glass of kefir and a finely chopped sprig of dill, pour the resulting mixture over the herring and leave to marinate for at least an hour. Also mix homemade cheese with kefir and dill: this cream will be used to decorate potatoes at the end of cooking. Then place all the ingredients on a plate: marinated herring and cream-covered potatoes. And don't forget white wine or very cold beer!

Spiced fried chicken (inkoko nama)

From Joyce Muape, 49, Zambia

Chop and mix three onions, rosemary, basil and parsley. Squeeze the lemon juice. Mix the juice with half a glass of vegetable oil, two tablespoons of barbecue spices and a spoonful of salt. Add herbs to the mixture and marinate the chicken pieces in it. Place the pieces in a baking dish, preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake the bird in it for 40 minutes.

Boiled salmon with vegetables

From Brigitte Fransson, 70, Sweden

Salmon is the most popular item on the buffet. It is prepared in dozens of ways, and Brigitte suggested the most common and easiest. They are perfect for summer: firstly, because the dish is served cold, and secondly, sweet potatoes are easiest to find at this time of year. Boil the potatoes and beans in two different saucepans. In Sweden, beans are usually boiled for a few minutes to keep them firm and crispy. Place dill roots in a liter of water, add two tablespoons of salt and cook. When the water boils, add a thin slice of lemon into it and cook for 5-6 minutes. Throw the salmon fillets into the pan and turn off the heat at the same time. Leave the fish in the water until everything has cooled down. Thanks to this cooking method, salmon does not lose its taste. Mix finely chopped dill with yogurt. Place pieces of fish and potatoes on a plate and sprinkle with fresh dill and serve with sauce. White wine goes well with the dish.

Stuffed eggplants (karnyyaryk)

From Ayten Okgu, 76 years old, Türkiye

This is a typical Turkish dish, more typical for home cooking. Cut the eggplant lengthwise, but not completely, and remove the core. Rub inside and out with small pinches of salt. Fry on sunflower oil, constantly turning over. Cut two tomatoes into cubes and two into slices. Also chop the onion and some pepper and fry them in a little olive oil. Then add Ground beef, salt and pepper. When the meat is browned, add the tomatoes. Simmer over low heat, and after the minced meat is ready, put it in the eggplants.

Elk steak

From Susan Soresen, 81, Alaska

Elk steak should only be cooked in a cast iron skillet. Pour two tablespoons of vegetable oil into the pan and increase the heat to high. When the oil is hot, add the steak and fry for 1 minute on each side. Then sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper, place on a platter and add barbecue sauce. The steak is ready! In Alaska, it is most often washed down with beer, but Susan recommends a good red wine.

Lamb soup with vegetables (kyotsupa)

From Olagerdur Olafsdottir, 63, Iceland

Icelandic cuisine has many soups, but lamb soup is one of the most popular. Place 4 lamb ribs in a saucepan, lightly salt the water and bring to a boil. When fat begins to float to the surface, remove it with a spoon. After half an hour, add vegetables to the soup: finely chopped carrots, onions, cabbage, as well as potatoes and turnips cut into large pieces. Cook for another hour, then add rice. In 30 minutes the soup is ready! The dish can be served either together with vegetables and meat, or by placing meat, potatoes and turnips separately.

Pastel del carne

From Maria da Pena Vito Barbosa da Silva, 43, Brazil

Pastel is one of the most popular dishes in Brazil. It can be bought in restaurants, cafes, street food stalls or markets. Brazilians eat pastel for breakfast, and sometimes for lunch and even dinner. First defrost puff pastry at room temperature. Chop the onion and some parsley, as well as the tomatoes. Finely chop the olives. In a frying pan, fry the chopped onion with a little oil. After 2 minutes, add the ground beef, diced tomatoes, olives, parsley and a little salt. When the meat is ready, leave it to cool for 5 minutes. Cut the puff pastry into squares, each 15cm long. Place two heaping spoonfuls of meat and vegetables in the center of each square. Fold and press the sides together to form an envelope. Deep fry the pastel in very hot oil until golden brown. Cool and enjoy! Brazilians often drink pastel with cold beer.