What does elk taste like? Well, the easy answer is, “it tastes like elk!”
But there is a lot more to that answer than meets the eye. In this article, we talk about elk as a food source, how you can find it, and common ways to prepare the meat.
What does elk taste like: What is Elk?
Before answering the question “what does elk taste like?”, we first need to know what elk is. The elk, or wapiti is one of the largest species within the Cervidae family, also known as deer, in the world. Not only are elk among the largest deer in the world, but they are also some of the largest terrestrial mammals in North America and Northeast Asia, often reaching weights exceeding 700 pounds.
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Male elk grow large antlers and shed them annually; females grow none.
Though they are native to only North America and Eastern Asia, elk have been introduced to the wild in other parts of the world, such as Argentina, where they pose threats to local ecosystems and are out-competing local deer species.
What does elk taste like: Elk as food
A popular big game target of hunters, elk have long served as a healthy food source in both Asia and North America. Today, commercial farms growing elk have come into existence. Most of those farms are located in the United States, Canada and New Zealand.
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Nutritionally, elk is a very healthy red meat. It is higher in protein and lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, pork and chicken, the three most-consumed types of meat in North America. This makes it an excellent protein source for many types of diets. Elk meat is also a great source of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, phosphorus and zinc.
What does elk taste like?
Many people claim that elk have a taste that is somewhere between that of beef and venison. This means it has less of a gamey flavour that is common in other deer, such as whitetail deer and moose but more interesting taste profiles than commercial beef. This lack of gaminess allows for more commercialisation of elk meat.
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It must be noted that hunted elk will have more of a gamey taste than farm-raised elk meat. Not surprisingly, farm-raised elk meat will also be more tender and appeal to a wider dining audience.
Similar to beef, elk can be ground up, harvested into roasts and steaks, or be produced into jerky.
What does elk taste like: How to prepare elk
Elk can be prepared similarly to beef. Elk steaks can be both grilled or broiled, just like beef, and ground elk makes excellent hamburgers.
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Ground elk also produced high-quality sausages, though they tend to be learner than all other types of sausages.
Now you know what elk tastes like! The flavor is mild compared to other big game animals, and it is healthier than many commercial types of meat naturally. If you can find elk, it makes for a fantastic once-in-a-lifetime meal, but hopefully one day this delicious meat will be more widely eaten and commercially available.
