Moose Steaks

[MallardMaster]

Sliders,
I am hoping that someone here can give me a Hot Tip or some advice here with the cooking of moose steaks. I have been trying to burn through all of my steaks that I still have from the moose I shot last fall. I am struggle to get through them though because they are so dang tough. I am looking for any advice on what I can do to make them a little more tender. I am continually cooking them Medium Rare, but they are tough to chew through. If any one has any good advice I would really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Joel

 

[xcutter]

Tenderize with a meat mallet. Put the steak in a gallon ziploc and pound it to desired tenderness. Cook however you desire after that. Makes a big difference.

 

[Pro953]

You could also try as Jaccard I have used it on some tough elk with success. Also marinades with Pineapple juice can help (they also have Commerical marinades with the same enzyme to tenderize as well)

Finally i always rest slice before going to the table. Allows for a nice across the grain cut which helps as well. If you are just grilling steaks and throwing them on a plate, it’s unlikely you are consistently cutting across the grain at the table. Resting after grilling and this step alone can help a lot.

Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Flatgo]

Try marinating in balsamic vinegar for an hour or so, the acid will help break down the steak. it also add a good flavor to the steak.

 

[MallardMaster]

Wow. These are all great tips. Last night I made a lemon based marinade to hopefully break it down some. It didn't really do the trick, but I remain hopeful!! I let it rest for a good 15 minutes before I sliced a piece off and it still felt tough. Then again maybe it is just a tough cut of meat. Not everything can be as easy as backstrap to cut through!!
I did not think about breaking the meat down with a mallet, but I like that idea. I think I am going to do that and add a balsamic vinegar to it. I think that will be really good.

 

[92xj]

Salt pepper and a few pats of butter, Sous vide for 4 hours at 130, pull out of bag, high temp cast iron skillet on each side for 45 seconds.

And, when you say you don't have one, just buy one on Amazon. I have no complaints about our avona.

 

[Runningwater]

Not knowing exactly what how old/tough the animal is or how you are preparing it...

Marinate and cook it rare/medium rare and slice thin after it has had about 15 minutes to rest after cooking.

I have a tenderizer attachment that fits on my grinder - it allow you to make a cube steak just like from the store. I run meat through one, rotate 90 degrees, and then through again. Seems to work better and be more effective (to me anyway) than the mallet or the little pokey blade thing. From there you can still cook medium rare on the grill, do a chicken fried steak, do a swiss steak in the crockpot, make stir fry, whatever.

If you are just really dealing with a old animal and its still just plain too chewy, the last resort would be to pressure cook it and then shred it for BBQ, burritos, etc. I've never heard of moose that tough before. Have done that to mt. goat on occasion.

 

[Becca]

Instant Pot has been a game changer (no pun intended!) for game meat in our house. Cooking meat on manual high pressure for 30-70 min depending on the size of the cut yields meat that you can shred with a fork.

 

[MallardMaster]

Salt pepper and a few pats of butter, Sous vide for 4 hours at 130, pull out of bag, high temp cast iron skillet on each side for 45 seconds.

And, when you say you don't have one, just buy one on Amazon. I have no complaints about our avona.

Which Avona unit are you working with? Figure I might as well get impulsive and just make it happen right now!

 

[MallardMaster]

Instant Pot has been a game changer (no pun intended!) for game meat in our house. Cooking meat on manual high pressure for 30-70 min depending on the size of the cut yields meat that you can shred with a fork.

Might as well just go to my parents and get the I got them for Christmas! Thanks for the hot tip!

 

[diamond10x]

what I do with tough cuts of steaks:

1. Break down with mallet or clinched fist ( make sure steak is even thickness for even cooking throughout)
2. Place in sealable container with Italian dressing, enough to cover the meat or at least be lathered up on both sides (if tenderizing with fist I like to go back and stab with fork so that dressing can enter meat easier to break down)
3. After 12-24 hours of sitting in dressing, remove and season, toss on grill.
4. Grill to no more than medium rare, I prefer rare.
5. Plate and enjoy

I’ve killed numerous old mature aoudad rams, most people claim are not edible, and they turn out amazing. Has worked with every tough cut and type of game I’ve ever grilled or cooked.

 

[92xj]

Which Avona unit are you working with? Figure I might as well get impulsive and just make it happen right now!

I think the one I run is this model, but any model should work fine...

Amazon.com: Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker | WiFi + Bluetooth | 900W (Discontinued): Gateway

Amazon.com: Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker | WiFi + Bluetooth | 900W (Discontinued): Gateway

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Also, buy this...

Amazon.com: Rubbermaid Commercial Products Plastic Space Saving Square Food Storage Container For Kitchen/Sous Vide/Food Prep, 18 Quart, Clear (Fg631800Clr): Gateway

Buy Rubbermaid Commercial Products Plastic Space Saving Square Food Storage Container For Kitchen/Sous Vide/Food Prep, 18 Quart, Clear (Fg631800Clr): Food Pans - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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And this...

Amazon.com: EVERIE Collapsible Hinged Sous Vide Container Lid Compatible with Anova Culinary Precision Cooker and 12,18,22 Quart Rubbermaid Container (Corner Mount): Kitchen & Dining

Amazon.com: EVERIE Collapsible Hinged Sous Vide Container Lid Compatible with Anova Culinary Precision Cooker and 12,18,22 Quart Rubbermaid Container (Corner Mount): Kitchen & Dining

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When I made mine, they did not have the fancy sous vide lids. I just bought a normal lid and cut my own hole.
Here is my setup.