Grilled and roasted wild game are always a camp favorite. When an older critter is on the meat pole, the meat can be tough, and wild tasting.

A simple marinate is key to adding flavor, and tenderizing the Wild Beast. I first tried this recipe at a hunting camp in Montana. An older Bull Elk was brought to camp and I cut several ¾ inch steaks. The meat from this old bull was dense, and dark. The odor was a bit gamey to the nose. To first address the toughness, I tenderized the steaks, using a hammer style tenderizer. If the meat is younger, you may not need to tenderize the meat. Flank or skirt steaks would work well using this recipe as well.

Next, I prepared a marinate using what we had. The pantry was sparse, since it was a week into the hunt. I added the following ingredients to a sealable plastic bag.

• 2 limes squeezed
• 4 cloves of garlic
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup of olive oil
• 1 shot of whiskey
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 squeezed orange
• 1 minced jalapeno pepper
• ½ cup of mixed herbs. Parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano.

Create as much marinate as you need to soak into the meat you plan to cook. Before adding the meat to the sealable bag, mix the ingredients together by squeezing the bag. You could certainly mix up the flavors, if you had more choices on your spice rack.

After placing the tenderized meat steaks into the bag, I sealed it up and placed it into the nearby trout stream. Rocks held it under the water, overnight! If you had a refrigerator or space in the ice chest, you could store the meat there as well. Give the marinate at least a couple of hours to work it’s magic.

No bears or coyotes found my meat stash. In the morning, I retrieved the steaks and threw them onto the morning grill. We were out of bacon and breakfast meats, so this was the Camp Cooks Plan B. A quick campfire sear, and a flip is all that was needed. Using a filet knife, I sliced the steaks across the grain, into strips. Some scrambled eggs alongside and breakfast was ready!

The Grilled Beast was delicious, tender, and every plate was licked clean. I did not taste the whiskey, but everyone appreciated the thought. This Grilled Beast idea is a variation of a Mexican Carne Asada. Seared and charcoal flavor work well with the flavorful marinate. The thin cross slicing really made the meat easy to chew. I also gave the sliced meat a quick stir in the fry pan at the end, to soak up any juices left over.

You could also serve this meat, eggs, and cheese in a tortilla as a breakfast , or steak sandwich.

Simple, tasty, and tender!

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, visit his website at www.montanagrantfishing.com