Old Timber Outdoors
More elk recipes

Elk round steak (hindquarter)

Elk Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Elk round steak shaved thin and seared on hot cast iron with onions, peppers and mushrooms, melted under provolone and piled into toasted rolls.

Serves
4
Hands-on
35 min
Total
1 hr 5 min
Skill
Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop or campfire · Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbElk round steak (hindquarter), trimmed and sliced as thin as possible across the grain
  • 1Onions, thinly sliced
  • 8 ozCremini or button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1¼ tspSalt, divided
  • ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil, divided
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 8 slices provolone cheese
  • 4 hoagie rolls, split

You'll need

  • Large skillet, ideally cast iron
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Stovetop or Campfire with grate or coals

Contains

Dairy, Gluten. Hoagie rolls can contain egg, dairy, soy or sesame. Check the label.

Method

  1. Trim the steak and wrap it, then freeze it 30 to 40 minutes, until firm but not frozen hard. Slice it across the grain as thin as you can, about ⅛ inch, then cut any long slices into 3-inch pieces.
  2. Toast the cut sides of the rolls in the dry skillet over medium heat until golden, about 1 minute, and set them aside.
  3. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, or over hot coals. Cook the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms with ½ tsp of the salt until soft and browned, about 8 minutes. Move them to a plate.
  4. Turn the heat to high and let the skillet get very hot. Add the remaining oil and half the sliced elk in a single layer, season with half the remaining salt and pepper, and leave it 1 minute to brown, then toss and chop it with the edge of a spatula until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the second batch. Thin slices cook in moments and toughen if they stew, so keep the pan hot and the batches small.
  5. Return all the meat to the pan, gather it into a tight pile and check it with an instant-read thermometer; it should read 160°F. Then fold in the vegetables.
  6. Lower the heat to medium-low. Divide the meat and vegetables into 4 piles in the pan and lay 2 slices of provolone over each. Cover the pan, or set the toasted rolls over the piles cut side down, for about 1 minute to melt the cheese.
  7. Slide a spatula under each pile and turn it into a roll. Serve right away.

When it's done: 160°F

The federal food-safety chart lists venison at 160°F, and Ohio State University Extension counts elk as venison. Check the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer.

If it goes wrong

Meat gray and steamed
The pan was crowded. Sear the elk in smaller batches in a very hot pan.
Chewy strips
The slices were too thick or cut with the grain. Slice thinner and across the grain, or pound the slices thin between plastic wrap.
Soggy rolls
Toast the cut sides well before building the sandwiches, and let the vegetables drain on the plate.
Slices too thick to shave
The steak was not firm enough. Give it another 10 minutes in the freezer.

Leftovers. Serve right away. Refrigerate leftover meat within 2 hours and reheat to 165°F.