elk Archives - Miss Allie's Kitchen

How to Cook Venison | Deer Meat 101

Learning how to cook venison? Learn info, tips and tricks that will give you the confidence from bestselling cookbook author Allie Doran.

venison chops on a white plate with salt and thyme

So many people come to me and they want to learn how to cook venison. They ask me, “Allie, how do I cook deer meat so that it isn’t gamey?”. And I always say, it depends what you’re cooking!

If you want to dive right in, become an expert and gain confidence quickly, grab a copy of my book, Venison Every Day.

What’s the best way to cook deer meat?

There is no one way to cook venison but a really good rule of thumb is to cook steak and tender cuts hot and fast and to cook large and tough cuts low and slow.

If you’re a visual learner my YouTube Channel is a great resource, too.

Things to learn about how to cook venison

So, if you have a nice, tender chop from the backstrap/loin, all you really need to do is sear it in a hot cast iron pan, baste with herb butter and season with salt, pepper and a bit of lemon juice. Get a full recipe + tutorial here.

But if you have a nice roast from a shoulder, rump or neck, braising (cooking low and slow with a bit of cooking liquid) is your friend.

How to cook venison so that it’s tender and juicy

Cooking venison steak, backstrap/loin and tenderloin

Let’s talk about a few tips when cooking with tender cuts like steak, backstrap/loin and tenderloin. The best way to treat this meat is to use high heat and cook it to medium rare or even rare plus. This means stopping the cooking process when the center of the meat reaches about 113-120F.

You can cook tender cuts on the stovetop, in a cast iron pan (my favorite), on the grill (or you can use a cast iron pan ON the grill, even better), or in the oven. Sometimes I also like to smoke tenderloin and backstraps whole and my cookbook has a great method for roasting them for a show-stopping main dish.

Cooking tough, large and roast cuts

When I have a large, tough cut I like to roast it whole or sometimes break it down into stew meat for venison stew, venison veggie soup and venison bourguignon. I also love to grab a good marinade and make kebabs out of the stew meat.

When you’re learning how to cook venison roasts and large cuts like shanks you want to make sure you’re using a really nice braising liquid. One of my tips from this post is to make sure you have acid, fat and good seasoning. So I like something with liquid like red wine, garlic, thyme and I always sear roasts first in high quality and high heat tolerant fat like tallow, ghee, avocado oil or clarified butter.

taking a slice of venison lasagna out of a pan

Should you soak deer meat before cooking?

I don’t think soaking is necessary if you’ve had a clean kill, expert field dressing and good processing. After my husband harvests and field dresses his animal, he gets it cold fast, we let it hang about 3-7 days and then it gets processed. I’ve never soaked in water/ salt water nor do I rinse any meat in my kitchen.

HOWEVER, sometimes people still tell me they think venison is “gamey” (read more here). If you have a particularly “flavorful” animal due to factors like age, hormones, diet, lifestyle, shot placement, etc to my surprise, soaking meat in buttermilk before cooking can be a great trick to have up your sleeve.

Read or watch more here

What do you do with ground venison or deer burger meat?

There is so much you can do with ground venison. I always recommend that if you are a family that eats a lot of ground beef, process a lot of your venison into ground. It’s a great way to save some money and eat more sustainable and nutritious meat.

But, don’t cook your ground deer meat like beef when you’re learning how to cook venison. Check out these awesome ground venison recipes to get your started or grab a copy of my book!

I hope this helped you learn how to cook venison more confidently! Send me a DM on Instagram if you need more help!

How to Make The Juiciest Elk Burgers

Learn how to make the juiciest elk burgers so you can use up the ground elk meat you have. Really simple tips and tricks will make these the best burgers ever.

juicy elk burgers with lettuce, tomato and cheese cut in half on a wood and slate board with a white background

Working with the wild game meat you have on hand is actually really fun. Learning how to make the juiciest elk burgers is a great place to start because they’re so simple and easy to throw together for burger night. All you need to do is add a bit of extra fat and the right seasonings.

This post has been sponsored by The Honest Bison. All thoughts and opinions remain my own, and I’m proud to partner with brands I know and love.

burgers with lettuce, tomato and cheese made from on a wood and slate board with a white background

People tell me all of the time that they have NO earthly idea what to with all of the wild game meat they have in the freezer. Whether you’re a hunter, know a hunter, or you’re trying to eat higher quality protein, it can be daunting to cook with something other than beef or chicken. These elk burgers and my trusty venison burger recipe are the best ever.

For more on my venison and wild game burger tips, check out this video:

I promise you wild game tastes so much better than storebought meat. That’s why I created the 4 Best Wild Game Burger Recipes. Grab the FREE download and try them! There are recipes for elk, venison and bison included.

But back to this elk burger, how do you make them so the meat isn’t gamey and dry as a hockey puck? I’ve got you, friend!

Use elk that’s been processed properly.

It’s important to use elk meat that has been processed properly. A big reason meats like venison and elk can taste gamey is because they aren’t handled properly in the field.

That’s why I love getting my elk from The Honest Bison. They ethically source bison, elk and venison. Since they holistically raise the animals with their ranch partners they’re able to sell the meat all over the USA. You know you’re getting a piece of meat that was handled properly, which is why my meat never tastes overpoweringly gamey when I use theirs.

If you’d like to learn more about properly dressing animals in the field, this is a great resource.

Add fat to get a juicy burger.

raw elk burger on a white plate with butter in the middle on a white plate

This tip may surprise some people. I actually fold cold, grated butter into my ground elk meat.

Before you freak out – it’s less than a tablespoon per patty. And I always use grass fed butter, or you could use ghee for a dairy free version.

What this trick does is distribute fat all over the meat making each bite succulent and juicy. TRUST ME ON THIS.

an elk cheeseburger with a bite out of it on a board.

You can’t overcook elk burgers!

You can’t overcook elk because it doesn’t have enough fat in it. Make sure to pull your burgers when they reach an internal temperature of 140F-145F – that’s medium. It will keep cooking a bit. If you like your meat more rare, go for it, just make sure you’re being safe!

Don’t forget to get my Venison Burger Recipe or pre-order my new cookbook, Venison Every Day!

juicy elk burgers with lettuce, tomato and cheese

How to Make The Juiciest Elk Burgers

Learn how to make the juiciest elk burgers so you can use up the ground elk meat you have. Some really simple tips and tricks will make these the best ever.

Author: Miss AK
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Yield: 4 burgers 1x
Category: Burger
Method: Grill
Cuisine: American

Scale

Ingredients

1 lb. ground elk meat
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. (very cold) grated butter, divided*
4 slices Pepper Jack cheese (or cheese of choice)
4 hamburger buns (I recommend brioche)
For serving – spicy mayo or my Whole30 special sauce, lettuce, tomato

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat a grill, cast iron skillet or flat top over medium-high heat.
Add the elk to a bowl with the salt and pepper.
Shape the ground meat into 4 evenly sized patties.
Add a quarter of the grated butter to the center of each burger and fold it in half. Shape into a disc again, making sure all of the butter is now in the inside of the burger. Repeat for each burger.
Place the burgers on the grill and grill for about 4 minutes per side or until they’re medium temperature (140-145F). During the last 2 minutes on the second side, add a slice of cheese to each burger.
Serve with any desired toppings on a bun.

Notes

You might want to grate your butter ahead of time and store in the fridge right until you need it so that it stays firm.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 burger
Calories: 385
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 839 mg
Fat: 19 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 32 g
Cholesterol: 43 mg

Keywords: burger, elk, wild game

this post was originally published in June 2019 and was updated in June 2022.

Elk Ribeye Steak with Fresh Peach Salsa

This Elk Ribeye Steak is tenderized with a cilantro lime marinade and perfectly grilled to medium rare. It’s topped with juicy, fresh peach salsa.

grilled avocado and grilled elk ribeye with fresh peach salsa on a white plate

WOW. Just WOW, you guys. Elk steak is genuinely my favorite kind of steak. And this elk ribeye steak with peach salsa is no exception. It’s crazy juicy, flavorful, tender and the fresh peach salsa adds a layer of interest and brightness.

This post is sponsored by The Honest Bison. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own and I’m proud to partner with brands that I love.

The first time I had elk was on my honeymoon. My husband, Jared, and I went to Jackson Hole, WY (here’s our restaurant guide, BTW) and we each got the elk medallions at one of our favorite restaurants, Snake River Grill.

We obviously eat venison all of the time, but I was surprised with how tender, sweet and mild the elk tasted comparatively. I thought this was just because of the restaurant preparation.

Turns out – I was wrong! Elk really just is that delicious and you can do it at home!

elk steaks on a cream board with cilantro and lime halves

I’ve been partnering with my friends at The Honest Bison for about 6 months and I’ve had the pleasure of tasting different cuts of elk that they humanely source and ship. A lot of you have told me that you love working with wild game, but you aren’t able to get your hands on what you want when you want. Or, you might not have a hunter in your life. I started working with them so I could give you a resource and I’ve been LOVING it.

Unfortunately, Jared hasn’t had the opportunity to go on an elk hunt (yet!) but that hasn’t stopped us from having elk meat at home.

elk steaks marinating in cilantro and lime

What part of the body does the ribeye steak come from?

For this recipe, I used The Honest Bison’s elk ribeye. Ribeye steaks are harvested from the rib section of the animal. Some come bone in but these were boneless. They’re great because they generally have a bit more marbling, or fat distributed throughout.

If you’re using your own elk meat and don’t have ribeye steak, the marinade I use here would work on almost any cut. Flank steak, medallions, strips – whatever. More on the marinade in a minute.

grilled elk steaks fresh off the grill on a baking sheet

How do you tenderize elk steak?

Even though the ribeye does have more fat than other cuts of meat, you still need to work harder to tenderize it than you would with beef. I simply use a really great marinade with plenty of fat (olive oil) and acid (lime). The olive oil adds needed fat and the acid helps break down the tissue, resulting in a more tender cut of meat.

Also – please make sure you don’t overcook the ribeye. I prefer my steaks between rare plus and medium rare – 125-135F. I really don’t recommend cooking wild game steak over 135F. That’s generally the most common reason you get that “gamey” flavor.

What’s in the fresh peach salsa?

This peach salsa is SUPER duper easy. All you do is chop up some peaches, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro and top with lime juice, honey or agave, and olive oil.

I serve the elk ribeyes topped with the peach salsa and a grilled avocado is a great addition to the plate.

cutting into an elk ribeye on a white plate

You’ve got to check out my smoked venison tenderloin and my juicy elk burgers, too!