Elk Round Steak

[TauPhi111]

IMO steaks cut from the round (2 large muscles opposite the quadriceps on the hind quarter) are the most tender cuts of meat after the loins and backstraps. As just about everyone has said, cook on high heat, no more than medium, or do some kind of dish where you pound them out and fry quickly. Also cut your steaks across the grain.

I'd like to address the "random tough elk" for a minute though...rather than some individual animals having really tough muscle for whatever reason, could it rather be that the tough elk was boned out in a state of rigor where the muscles couldn't relax? I might make a thread on that in meat care, cause that has always been a question of mine regarding quartering an animal soon after death.

 

[Short Track]

Mine was a cow. So it's fattier & not as muscular as a tough bull.

 

[dmoto]

Try sous vide at 126* for an hour. Then sear in a cast iron skillet. Cut against the grain and they always seem to come out pretty tender.

 

[quackaddict]

If you're into rice and gravy(and if you aren't, I don't know if we could be friends), here's what I suggest:

Cook a few pieces of bacon to get some grease in a cast iron pan
Brown onion and garlic in bacon drippings
Cut round steak(or whatever kind of meat you want to cook) into bite-sizeish chunks
Throw that in with the onion and garlic and just barely brown meat
Add in a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of water
Mix everything together real nice, add some black pepper
Turn heat to low, cover with lid, and simmer at least 45 min and up to 1.5hrs
Serve over rice

This is good with everything from round steak to doves to ducks to javelina.

 

[danarnold]

Oops, wrong steaks!

 

[Jeff Martin]

I cook everything HOTb and FAST (med to Medium rare ). I find that is the best thing for tenderness and flavor. I never marinate the meat. Just spices 30 minutes before cooking. Let meat get closer to room temp.


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[davsco]

necro thread alert! for those doing in crock pots for 5-6 hours, are you putting them in frozen or thawed? we put in frozen, maybe thawed is better? putting in frozen, it still came out a little tough.

 

[Whisky]

I cut steaks from a bull top round. First time they were horribly tough. Cooked some more up on Saturday night, but this time I used the crap out of my Jaccard on them. They improved some, but I don't think I'll ever cut steaks from the round again.

However, I reverse seared an elk tri tip last night. It was less chewy than any beef tri tip I've ever had, and I eat a lot of them. Can't really explain that one, it was great!.

 

[wyosam]

Leave it as a roast and cook it on the grill (or better yet on the Traeger). I’ve had much better luck with that cut that way.


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[backcountrymuzzy]

If you like corned beef, definitely give that a shot. That's pretty much what all my football roasts turn in to. It's easy and really good in my opinion

 

[CAElkhunter]

I love Round Steaks. You must be cooking them too long if they are tough. I have had 20 + bulls butchered and every one I have as much made into steak as possible and the rest burger. Obviously the backstrap is the best but the Round, Sirloin and Shoulder steaks are still very good and better than Beef in my opinion.
As said above very hot grill, fast like 2.5 mins/ side tops.

Another tip is to Marinate in Italian dressing for 4 hrs or so to soften the meat.

I will say if you shoot an old trophy bull he may be tough. But anything besides that should be fine.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Eye of the round is the hidden tenderlion and should be cooked hot and fast to MR...I usually leave the other round cuts whole and make Pastrami...