Note from Tony Dean: One evening, over a decade ago, Paul Lepisto and myself found us in some great company below Montana’s Fort Peck Reservoir. We were there to videotape two television shows, one with the at-the-time BLM Director, Cy Jamison and his top assistant, Mike Dombeck. Mike would later become the US Forest Service Chief.
Also with us on that delightful evening was Al Lindner of In Fisherman fame, Gary Roach, certainly one of the top walleye anglers of all time, and another delightful fellow, George Nicholas, who was, at the time, the only guide on the big impoundment.
We met two gentlemen from Sheridan, WY. Herb Walk was one of them and he asked if we wanted to join them for an elk barbecue.
You bet, we replied.
So, they brought out - honest -40 pounds of elk steak. And then we cooked it medium rare over hot coals. I can still see Al, who had already stuffed himself with about five pounds of elk, coming back for his fifth helping. But he wasn’t alone. Gary Roach and Daryle Christenson were there. So was Tom Zenanko and his wife, Marcie. And, Jim Kalkofen. In fact, our crowd was devouring the elk so fast, Herb Walk tells us today, that he sent Jim Kalkofen to bring out the elk he’d been ratholing. We ate that too.
The elk was that good.
In fact, I doubt there’s a big game animal that will rival elk for wonderful flavor. The only thing you can do wrong is overcook it. Elk, like all red meat wild game, should be cooked only to medium rare.
So, when a friend recently passed along some elk steaks, we asked Chef Mark Mancuso of La Minestra Restaurant in Pierre, SD, how he’d fix it. And this is what he created.
INGREDIENTS
Elk steak or chops 2 cups sliced, boiled baby red potatoes 1/2 onion 2 tbsp butter Fresh minced parsley Salt and pepper to taste 1 ounce olive oil 2 ounces brandy 1/3 cup cream 1/2 cup crimini mushrooms (Baby Portabellas)
MEAT MARINADE
Olive oil Oregano Minced garlic Fresh Thyme
Mix the marinade ingredients together in any ratio desired. Meat marinade is a matter of personal taste. You can also add a bit of balsamic vinegar, if you wish. Marinate the elk for at least a half-hour.
Prepare the potatoes as follows: Slice the boiled baby reds, saute them with onions, add butter just before they are fried to your liking, parsley, salt and pepper. This is a great way to take care of leftover boiled potatoes.
Heat a saute pan smoking hot, add just a bit of olive oil (after the pan is heated) and then quickly sear the medallions on both sides to rare and certainly no more than medium rare. Season them with salt and pepper to taste, then remove them from the pan.
Saute the mushrooms, and deglaze the pan with the brandy. Do this by scraping all the meat and seasoning bits off the bottom of the pan, then pour the brandy over the top. Be careful, because the brandy will flame up for a moment or two. That will usually impress your guests. Add the cream and cook slowly to reduce all liquid in the pan by half.
Place the elk medallions back in the pan, coat with sauce and serve with the potatoes. Pour extra sauce over the elk - and enjoy.
