Elk steak is the perfect alternative to venison or beef, providing a mouthful of nutritious red meat to enjoy any time of the week. Prepared in a garlic marinade and seared over high heat, this slab of meat has flavor in every bite.
This grilled elk steak recipe is perfect for those who want to try something different but may not have the time to make an elaborate dish. In just 15 minutes and through only a few steps, you’ll be able to enjoy a uniquely tasty dinner. Our garlic and soy sauce marinade makes it that little extra special.
The best way to prepare this kind of meat is on the grill. Your meat will taste near perfection whether you use gas, charcoal, wood, or pellets. Most elk steak lovers prefer a thick cut flipped a couple of times on the grill and served sizzling.
From good meat prep to marinade tips, here’s how to grill elk steak the right way.
Elk Steak Explained
Being game meat, elk steak has an earthier flavor than beef with a slight sweetness to it, with smoky-savory notes that are beautifully enhanced on the grill. While inherently ‘gamey’, it is far less intense in flavor than other similar venison meats, making it a great place to start if you’ve never tried game steaks before.
Elk is a very lean meat, with far less marbling or fat than beef (about 2% compared to 20% in beef), which can make it more challenging to cook without it turning dry or overcooked. To combat this, we’re using a good marinade to tenderize it before grilling for only about one-third of the time that we would for beef. This means that, depending on the thickness of the steak, we only need 3-5 minutes per side.
We’re going to aim for either medium-rare or medium. While many people (myself included) would go medium-rare for beef steaks anyway, it’s worth noting that game meat like elk can turn very tough once they go above medium doneness.
As for choosing your steak cut, I don’t want to be too prescriptive here since elk isn’t as easy to source as its beef counterparts. However, given the choice, I’d try to go for ribeye (although it will be expensive), sirloin, or strip loin.
Grilled Elk Steak
Equipment
- meat tongs
- digital meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 2 elk steaks 8 oz
Marinade
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Marinade: Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl
- Marinate the Meat: Place the steaks in an airtight container or large ziplock bags. Pour the marinade over the steaks, covering as much of the meat surface as possible. Seal the bags/containers and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat: Fire up your grill to medium heat, about 350°F (175°C)
- Prepare the Steaks: While grill warms up, remove steaks from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Leave at room temperature until ready to cook.
- Grill: Place steaks on grill and cook for 3-5 minutes per side for medium-rare, and an internal temperature of 135°F (57°C)
- Rest & Serve: Remove the steaks from the heat and rest for 5 minutes before serving
