Raise the steaks: Five tips and styles for processing your deer and elk meat a new way

It’s hard to beat a perfectly cooked steak, but other methods of preparation can be just as satisfying.

It’s hard to beat a well-prepped, perfectly cooked steak – especially after all the time and effort you spent hauling it out of the mountains. But other methods of preparation can be just as satisfying. All it takes is a little bit of work and some kitchen ingenuity. 

Now, if you’re as devout a steak snob as Ron Swanson then this article probably ain’t for you. And it’s understandable; that deer or elk lying in your freezer is finite, like an annual birthday cake. There’s no quick trips down to the supermarket to replenish your supply when your recipe runs short. So ensuring you make the most of your animal and process it how it fits your menu best is the most important part. 

With that said, here are five prep tips and styles to help get the most out of that fall big game harvest.

1. Be your own butcher

At this point in the game, your time in the field, gutting and quartering the animal, might be all the knife-wielding you’re willing to spend. Many hunters have their big game animals processed by professional butchers. But processing your own deer or elk can actually be a fun learning experience and a chance to call the shots in how you want your animal cut up.

With a large, sanitary cutting surface, sharp knives and ample patience, prepare your cuts of meat one at a time. Processing a whole hindquarter is more time consuming than folks realize, so don’t get caught leaving the rest of the meat out too long at room temperature. Bacteria grows most rapidly between 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes.

Try to keep the on-deck meat in the fridge until you’re ready to process it. It’s better to take your time on one slab of the animal knowing the rest is kept cool. 

HOT TIP: The colder the meat is, the easier it is to cut. 

2. Trim, trim, trim

Few things determine a cut of meat’s palatability more than sloppy knifework. Deer and elk meat is mostly lean to begin with, but fat and membranous tissue left attached can definitely ruin an appetite, depending on who you ask.

Deer and elk fat is different than beef or pork fat. Typically deer and elk fat tastes gross, but that’s just general consensus and one writer’s opinion. The goal when processing your deer or elk (or really any red meat for that matter) is to get rid of as much fat, stray hairs and dirt, and membrane as you can. It may feel like you’re wasting bits of your hard-earned animal, but with some patience and skillful knifework, you can ensure your freezer will be filled with the best-tasting cuts of meat. 

3. Low and slow

Some cuts lend themselves better to roasts than others. While steaks hog all the glory, roasts are an overlooked approach to serving up big game – and perhaps the simplest.

One of the best perks of being your own butcher is determining how much of one cut you set aside, then fill your freezer accordingly. Then when Sunday morning rolls around, all you have to do is pull a roast out of the freezer and pick up only a few ingredients from the store. 

Roasts are not only simple, but they can feed a lot of people – or one person for several days. Slow-cooking for longer periods, whether in a crockpot or oven, keeps the meat tender and savory. 

With nothing more than a crockpot, a can of stock and some root vegetables, you can have a cheap and easy supper cooking in the background while you go about your day. There is no shortage of roast recipes, including ones for wild game meat specifically. Do some digging and find one that takes the traditional “potatoes and carrots” to a whole other level.

HOT TIP: You’ll hear the dish osso buco thrown around a lot these days. Meaning “bone with a hole,” making osso buco can be a creative, new way to slow cook the bone-in shanks and impress your friends with your fluency of Italian. 

4. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em

Setting aside some meat for the smoker is a classic move in many a hunter’s playbook. There are tons of ways to smoke wild game meat, but some of the most popular include summer sausage and pepperoni sticks. Both options are delicious, portable foods that can help fuel next year’s hunt with this year’s hunt. 

Of the two, sausage can be a little more difficult with the added step of stuffing the meat into casings. After grinding a mixture of venison and pork then stuffing the casing, you smoke the sausages at low temperature for several hours. These make fantastic appetizers and camp food, and you can freeze them for later use.

Pepperoni sticks, also portable, are the perfect pocket snacks next to jerky (more on that next). Like summer sausage, they do require some extra work grinding the meat and incorporating the right amount of spices. You can find pepperoni-size casings at specialty stores, sporting goods stores or online, as well as whole kits for making pepperoni sticks.

5. Last but not least: Jerky

Ever the crowd-favorite, making jerky can be a fairly simple process and doubles as a reward when your stomach starts growling 4 miles from the truck. Jerky easily finds a home in your hunting pack and stays edible for a long time (if frozen).

The key with making jerky lies in the thinness of the meat. You’ll want to thinly slice the larger chunks of meat into strips. Then, you soak the slices in a marinade for several hours or overnight, before smoking or drying them. 

Drying is most commonly done in a food dehydrator, but smokers or even your oven at its lowest setting with the door open ajar can do the job just fine. The key is just low, low heat for a long, long time.

There are many jerky recipes available in cookbooks or the internet. Remember when making jerky the pieces should be dry, but still supple. Too dry and it will be brittle and crunchy, which is overcooked. Although jerking is a method of preserving, it’s still best to store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

FUN FACT: No, the word “jerky” does not get its name from the act of ripping dried meat with your teeth. Instead, the word comes from the Quechuan (Incan) word ch’arki, meaning “dried flesh,” and didn’t come into the American English vocabulary until 1850.

More tips for processing game meat 

• Pay attention to sanitary guidelines and cooking temperatures. Use a meat thermometer to ensure meat has reached the proper temperature when smoking or drying. 
• You know what flavors you like and dislike, so learn the basics of a recipe and adjust to suit your tastes. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
• If it’s your first attempt with a new recipe, start with a small batch. If it doesn't turn out how you like, you can change it for your next batch. 
• If you’re making patty sausage, cook some as soon as it’s done. Put a small, thin patty in an oiled frying pan, cook it a few minutes and taste it, then add more seasoning if needed. 
• When freezing, don’t put too much meat into one package. Aim for each package to hold enough for one meal.
• Take advantage of prepackaged seasoning mixes. They take a lot of the hassle out of figuring out which spices to use and how much, and many are created for wild game, not domestic meats. 
• Get a kitchen scale that will weigh about 10 pounds of meat. It will ensure you get the right ratio of game meat to pork, pork fat, or beef fat.