Can you smoke an elk front shoulder?

[dschc78]

I have an elk front shoulder and part of a back strap. The shoulder is 50-60 pounds, bone still in. Not sure how big of a portion of the back strap I’m getting it was originally four feet long but I will just be getting a piece of it. Never cooked Elk before so not sure if you can smoke it.



I imagine it would be lean just like a whitetail. Can I cook it up just as I would a deer? I’d like to do it low and slow but I’ve never smoked anything as big as 50 pounds. My plan is too soak it overnight in apple juice then cover it in bacon and cook it around 225 degrees until it is done.

That’s how I did my deer hind quarter anyway would it work with an elk front shoulder?

[backyardchef]

Can you inject it? Or make that straight apple juice a brine? It is super lean and and on the milder side, but your instinct to treat it like deer is pretty right on......It won't get super tender on you since it doesn't have the connective tissue and marbling to help break it down.....

[KnucklHed BBQ]

Your elk will be closer to beef than deer is, the backstrap, cook just like beef fillet.

If it was me if prolly part out the shoulder into smaller roasts and cook as you need them or smoke em all then freeze

[dschc78]

I could inject it but I usally marinade as time really isn't a factor for me. I plan on just putting in enough apple juice to cover it. I'll mix in some garlic, pepper and bay leaves. It won't be too concentrated as I do this in a cooler and put a bag of ice on top so water is slowly added.

I wasn't planning on parting it out unless this would make it easier to cook? Having a party so we should be able to put it all down :). What kind of time I'm I looking at if I keep it around 225-250 degrees? As I've said I never cooked anything this big and I would feel terrible if I ruin this elk.

[Bone2bWild]

Damn, makes me jealous! I want to go elk hunting so bad. I've been invited to a hunt in CO for fall 2013 so I sure want to follow this thread! Never had elk, was impressed that someone compared it to Beef rather than Whitetail.


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[KnucklHed BBQ]

I could inject it but I usally marinade as time really isn't a factor for me. I plan on just putting in enough apple juice to cover it. I'll mix in some garlic, pepper and bay leaves. It won't be too concentrated as I do this in a cooler and put a bag of ice on top so water is slowly added.

I wasn't planning on parting it out unless this would make it easier to cook? Having a party so we should be able to put it all down :). What kind of time I'm I looking at if I keep it around 225-250 degrees? As I've said I never cooked anything this big and I would feel terrible if I ruin this elk.



First off - I've never cooked a whole front shoulder before, but here's what I'd be concerned about...

Not much fat to keep the meat moist, so overcooking is a big concern

Big fat bone in the center that is gonna take some time to heat up

Potentially 6-8 inch thickness of meat and the shoulder joint that is not going to cook evenly - you'll end up well done on the outside and rare on the inside

Different thicknesses of meat from the foreleg to the thickest part of the shoulder


Sooo... I'd recommend deboning it at the least and cooking it butterflied open to try to create an even cooking piece of meat.
To make it easier to manage, cut it up into a couple/few smaller hunks. This will also help the flavors of the marinade/rub reach more of the meat.
Oh and, and don't over cook it. :wink:

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes! :thumb:

Edit- you might add a little salt to your marinade too, just to help the flavors be drawn into the meat more

[Ole Man Dan]

Have you thought about smoking it a little hotter so the meat will be less likely to dry out before it's done?

If it were me, I'd bone it out, and do like size pieces at the same time.
After a couple of hours of smoke, foil will keep it from burning on the outside.
I would put apple juice in the foil. Just don't do it in the foil too long or the meat will get mushy.

(My wife didn't think she would like Elk until she had some particularity tasty chops.
Grilled Elk steak is more to my taste.)

[qnbiker]

Never cooked Elk before so not sure if you can smoke it.Gosh, I thought you could smoke anything!:confused:

[pbj]

Would this work? Take the bone out trying to keep the meat in one piece. Add some beef fat and or sheep fat to where the bone was, then wrap it up and tie it. Is this feasable. You could get the fat from your local butcher. Just thinking out loud.
Curly

[Juggy D Beerman]

You say that shoulder weighs about 50 pounds? Before you cook it whole, consider this question.

How many people do you plan on inviting over to eat? Once the whole shoulder has been cooked and the meat removed from the bone, you may have at least twenty pounds of meat.

If it were me, I would cut out the individual muscles from the shoulder and cook them as roasts. That way, you don't have to cook them all at once.

Lager,

Juggy

[dschc78]

Damn, makes me jealous! I want to go elk hunting so bad. I've been invited to a hunt in CO for fall 2013 so I sure want to follow this thread! Never had elk, was impressed that someone compared it to Beef rather than Whitetail.I'd love to go on one myself. My cousin went and was kind enough to give me some to cook.




Sooo... I'd recommend deboning it at the least and cooking it butterflied open to try to create an even cooking piece of meat.
To make it easier to manage, cut it up into a couple/few smaller hunks. This will also help the flavors of the marinade/rub reach more of the meat.
Oh and, and don't over cook it.

That seems to be the best way. If I do it this way should I still cover it with bacon to keep it moist or would I not have to?

Have you thought about smoking it a little hotter so the meat will be less likely to dry out before it's done?

If it were me, I'd bone it out, and do like size pieces at the same time.
After a couple of hours of smoke, foil will keep it from burning on the outside.
I would put apple juice in the foil. Just don't do it in the foil too long or the meat will get mushy.

(My wife didn't think she would like Elk until she had some particularity tasty chops.
Grilled Elk steak is more to my taste.)I'm not really sold on what temp to go for was going to go with a group consensus. Foil sounds like a plan.

Gosh, I thought you could smoke anything!:confused:I tried to smoke a banana and it didn't work.

You say that shoulder weighs about 50 pounds? Before you cook it whole, consider this question.

How many people do you plan on inviting over to eat? Once the whole shoulder has been cooked and the meat removed from the bone, you may have at least twenty pounds of meat.

If it were me, I would cut out the individual muscles from the shoulder and cook them as roasts. That way, you don't have to cook them all at once.

Lager,

Juggy Shouldn't have a problem there.


Thanks for all the help going to cook it next weekend still havn't settled on a temp yet.

[KnucklHed BBQ]

That seems to be the best way. If I do it this way should I still cover it with bacon to keep it moist or would I not have to?

I'm not really sold on what temp to go for was going to go with a group consensus. Foil sounds like a plan.



I had thought about the bacon crutch when typing that but was undecided... you could baconize it and it would help, sure ain't gonna hurt! And folks will think you must know what the fark you're doing right?? :mrgreen:


As for temp, Here's my general "what temp?" motto I live by - If it's lean, hot & fast or at least hotter temps and reverse sear to finish it.
If it's fatty, low and slow to render and break down connective tissue

If this was me doing this cook, I think I would have my temps at least 275 (Indirect heat!) with smoke and bring the elk up to 120, probably take at least an hour depending on the thickness of chunks when it hits 120, crank the fire and direct grill it for a nice crust until it hits 135-140 (no higher!) - pull it off, tent with foil and rest for at least 15 min. Slice it thin across the grain and serve in the au jus that collected in the pan during the rest period. If you rub it down with a bit of montreal steak before cooking the au jus will be killer dippin juice!

Roasting till it pulls apart just sounds like a recipe for dry tough elk, even on that large of a cut...


Edit: You could also catch drippings and then use the drippings and bacon to make a thin gravy to go with it if like.

[dschc78]

I didn't think of using the drippings but now I think I will. So 140 is the internal temp to stop at, I was curious to what a safe temp would be. I decided to use the bacon I would feel like a fool if everyone came over and I ruined it from letting it get too dry and tough, especially since it is not my elk. Thanks for the help.

[dschc78]

Well thanks everyone for the help in cooking elk. Unfortunately the guy I was getting it from rescinded his offer. I'm sure I will be able to use the information in this thread one day in the furture though :-D