All pieces from the Denver leg can be cooked whole as elk roasts or cut to create medallions, steaks, noisettes, butterflied steaks, mini roasts, stir fry meat, or kebabs.
Consider pairing elk with some of these ingredients: huckleberries, cognac, chestnuts, blueberries, cranberries, red wine, bacon, raisins, cherries, star anise, fresh savory, cardamom, wild mushrooms, oranges, currants, sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes), port, peppercorns, apples, vinegar (balsamic, sherry or red wine), and/or chestnuts.
It is important not to overcook elk. Because it is so low in fat, cooking it too long can make it tough.
Before carving or serving any cuts larger than a small medallion, you need to rest the just-cooked meat (loosely covered) to let its juices thicken. The larger the cut, the more time it will need. In addition, while the meat is resting it will continue to cook a few degrees, so for your perfect rare, etc, remove it from the heat a couple of degrees early.
Plan on resting whole Denver leg muscle roasts for about fifteen minutes, smaller steaks for five to ten.
Recommended Internal Cooking Temperature:
The USDA recommends cooking all farmed game meats to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
