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| Steaks and roasts from my 2015 cow elk |
Since the majority of the steaks and roasts come from the hind quarter and the backstrap go back refresh yourself on the second and third videos from the Dead On Hunting series. Refer back to the videos as needed to learn the proper names of the cuts and roasts.
I’m always impressed when I talk to somebody that processes their own game and they know the proper names for the different cuts. They immediately achieve a certain level of credibility.
In years past I completely processed all the roasts into steaks and they were good on the grill, however I no longer cut roasts into steaks before wrapping and freezing. I have found three advantages to leaving roasts whole.
First, it’s an additional protection from freezer burn. When steaks are sliced before freezing I create additional surface area that could possibly be affected. With a solid wrapping process I have lost very little meat to freezer burn over the last several years, but leaving roasts whole eliminates this additional unnecessary risk.
Second, those cuts that are uniform in thickness grill up very nicely whole. I ‘m referring specifically to backstraps, tenderloins, the bottom roundand I’m able to achieve ideal internal temperatures for medium-rare steak much easier with these larger cuts.
Third, once you cut a roast into steaks you cannot go back! I’ve actually had occasions where I wanted to throw a roast on the smoker only to dig through my freezer and find several wraps of steaks but no roasts. If I would have left those steaks as roasts I would have had something for the smoker. You can always create steaks from roasts, but you cannot create roasts from steaks!
My preferred way to cook a roast is on the smoker. The best preparation for a very lean wild game roast I have found starts with coating the roast with a generous layer of bacon fat (left). I have my wife save all the rendered bacon fat and I spend a good bit of time rubbing the bacon grease into the muscle fibers, as the body heat from my hands warms the bacon grease it creates a smooth layer of fat on the roast. I then add a layer of spicy brown mustard on top of the bacon fat and coat the whole exterior of the roast (middle). Finally, I add a layer of rub onto the meat (right). I don’t do anything special for the rub, I’ve been pretty happy with the various store bought rubs that I have tried. You can go straight to the smoker or place the roast in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge for a little while. I tend to let it set in the fridge for at least a couple hours but I prefer overnight.
Set your smoker settings for however you prefer to smoke… hot & fast or low & slow, it’s all your preference. I prefer a low & slow technique because I a charcoal grill with a side smoker box which lacks the temperature controls that many of the newer smokers provide. I like hickory and pecan for wild game roasts but I’ve used other woods that I thought would complement the specific flavoring of the rub used. If you have a pellet grill there are several blends that I’m sure would produce a fantastic tasting smoked wild game roast. Honestly, I’ve yet to find one I didn’t think was delicious.
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| This was my Super Bowl Party grill from last year. The two deer roasts were prepared with bacon grease, spicy brown mustard, and a store bought rub. When the mother-in-law goes back for seconds, thirds, and is upset when there isn't any there for fourths you know you have done something right. And the chicken drumsticks were mighty fine as well. |
I prefer a medium-rare cut of meat, so I smoke until the roast reaches an internal temperature of about 135°F then I remove the roast and wrap it in foil. I like to plan so that the roast is done far in advance of the meal so that it can rest for a good long while wrapped in foil. When it’s time to eat I just unwrap and slice the roast across the grain of the muscle fibers. The results have consistently been excellent.
Leftover smoked roast is almost always taken and sliced thin and then eaten the next day in a sandwich and if there’s more then than can fit on a sandwich (which is rare because the roast either gets eaten or the sandwich gets stacked extremely high) then I take the sliced roast and vacuum seal it and throw it in the freezer.
When I don’t have enough time to fuss over smoking a roast and I just want some quick grilled steaks, I throw the roast on the grill with a little bit of kosher salt for seasoning. Depending on the roast, I’ll either throw it on the grill whole or cut it into steaks. I prefer the backstraps, tenderloins, and eye of round left whole, but I generally make a gametime decision with the top or bottom round whether I cut them into steaks or leave them whole. I grill to medium-rare and allow the roast or steak to rest for a few minutes. On a recent deer hunt I prepared two small pronghorn backstrap roasts and marinated them using of the McCormick’s Grill Mates marinades and it was pretty darn good. I’m not usually a huge fan of marinades for steaks but this was really good. I might investigate more of the Grill Mates marinades in the future.
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| I grilled both whole roasts and pre-cut steaks here... the whole roasts were much juicier and more tender and were cooked to medium-rare. The pre-cut steaks were still pretty good but were slightly overcooked to medium-well. |
Whole meat jerky can be cut from roasts, and one recipe I’m tempted to try sometime is to make venison pastrami. Ultimately, I have found that I have a lot more versatility if I leave the roasts whole rather than cut them into steaks right away.
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