Skip to main content
Skip to main content

"elk" news and stories

Elk 101: The uber-healthy red meat.

elk heath chart

The minute I tasted farm-raised elk, I was a convert. Pepperettes, steak, roasts, sausages -- it's all good -- rich in taste without being terribly fatty. But it's not just a meat that offers great taste -- it's ridiculously good for you, and if you can score it from a local supplier, it's also another step towards eating locally.

Just look above. For a 100 gram (approx. a quarter pound) cooked portion of meat, it offers the lowest calories, an astonishingly low amount of fat, the lowest cholesterol ranking, and the second highest protein count under veal. And this is including the diet mainstay -- chicken. You really can't beat something that offers great flavor without the price of your health.

Of course, a little more care needs to be given to a juicy piece of elk, but not too much. Sear it to seal in the juices if you're pan-frying it, or try massaging the steak with oil to help seal the meat and keep the moisture in. Don't forget stock -- if you can grab some elk bones like I did, they can be used in your favorite beef stock recipe.

To find elk near you, try the state-by-state directory at Deer Farms.com. To see how wonderfully juicy it can be, hit the jump for a picture of one of my elk steaks, mid-meal.
Continue Reading

Filed under: Health & Medical, Food Politics

What makes you feel like a real cook?

elk bones
I think it's safe to say that Slashfood readers like food, and for the most part, like making it. But do you consider yourself a cook? And, more specifically, if that answer is yes -- what made you decide that you were one?

When I went to one of my local farmers' markets over the weekend (where I found the shaker pitcher), I was there for something specific -- elk bones. See, I'd made a brown stock eons ago, but it didn't turn out so well, so I wanted to try again. When one of my elk guys, John Rietkerk of Second Wind Elk, gave me a recipe for elk stew over the summer, I wanted to try it from scratch. There was no way I'd buy some local elk and then destroy it with boxed stock, so I asked him about elk bones.

Fast-forward a couple months, and I found myself walking through the market with a HUGE box of elk bones. Free. It was a revelation for two reasons. One: It taught me the benefit of talking to your food producers. I have enough bones to make a number of quarts of stock, and it'll only cost me the vegetables I have to use. Second: I felt like a real cook. I wasn't only toiling with a recipe or buying better equipment -- I was getting a huge box of bones from my supplier, so to speak. My food passion suddenly seemed all the more real.

Those bones above are my turning point, but what about you? What marks your changes in culinary efforts?

Filed under: Farming, Food Politics, Ingredients

Sponsored Links

Broccoli and burgers

Broccoli burger
After a number of months of hemming and hawing, I finally bit the bullet and joined an organic home-delivery fruit and produce service. It's awesome, and completely worth it. However, it means that I have to keep on top of my cooking. With this week's box scheduled to arrive this afternoon, I needed to clear out the remaining pieces of last week's score. That meant finding a use for some broccoli.

Seeing that I was also craving one of my super-delicious elk burgers, I decide to pair the two. I somehow knife-wrestled a patty from the frozen pile without losing a finger, and then grabbed the green stuff. The broccoli was fried until soft, and then set on the cheeseburger with some Kozlik's blonde mustard (so good), tomato, and mayonnaise. Teamed with some fries seasoned with ground anardana (pomegranate), smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, and this was the best burger and fries that I've had in eons.

What's your favorite unlikely burger topping?

Filed under:

Advertisement

Follow Us

Most Popular Stories

  • The Takedown Hits Austin During SXSW - Bacon Style

    The Takedown Hits Austin During SXSW - Bacon StyleRead More

  • Kitchen Gadgets that Remove the Guesswork

    Kitchen Gadgets that Remove the GuessworkRead More

  • Happy Birthday - What Can I Get You Folks?

    Happy Birthday - What Can I Get You Folks?Read More

Drool Over This ...

The Editors

Latest Flickr Feed


Sponsored Links