Try this delicious elk medallions recipe made in the cast iron skillet and drizzled with a homemade mushroom sauce. Elk tenderloin is a wonderful piece of meat, it maybe my favorite cut of elk! So tender and juicy. But it must be cooked correctly to keep it fork-tender and juicy.
Elk Medallions Recipe
First, slice up an elk tenderloin. One whole elk tenderloin makes 10 slices. A whole tenderloin would feed 3-4 people, depending if they are hungry men or more dainty eaters!
The tenderloin should be trimmed of all sinew and fat, then sliced into medallions - basically tiny steaks - about an inch thick.
Cooking elk medallions
Now, heat your skillet over medium-high heat, and when the skillet is hot, add the butter. Place the elk medallions into the skillet and fry for 1-2 minutes per side. Internal temperature for elk should be 160, according to FoodSafety.gov. However, many wild game chefs cook to internal temps of 140. I personally cook to a minimum of 145 degrees.
When the elk pieces are cooked, remove them from the skillet and put them on a plate. Add more butter to skillet and add in the mushrooms.
Making mushroom cream sauce
Sauté the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes, or until they are softened. Add garlic and stir for about a minute. Remove mushrooms and garlic from skillet and set aside for now.
Add cream to the skillet. Add salt, pepper, thyme, wine, and balsamic vinegar. Warm and stir for 1 minute.
Pour the juices from the plate of meat back into the skillet with the mushroom sauce. Stir gently for 1 minute. Place the mushrooms, garlic, and elk medallions back into the sauce and serve.
What to serve with elk medallions
I like to serve with pasta or mashed potatoes. This would also be good with a salad and some crusty bread to sop up the juice.
Delicious Elk Medallions Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 elk tenderloin about 1.5 lbs
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1 lb mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 Tablespoons red wine
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice elk tenderloin into thick slices, about 10 slices per tenderloin.
- Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 3 Tablespoons butter and fry the medallions in the butter for 1-2 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer reaches 145℉.
- Remove the meat from the skillet, place on a warm plate and cover.
- Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons butter to the skillet and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until soft. Mince the garlic and add for the last 30 seconds.
- Remove mushrooms and garlic, adding them to the warm plate with the meat.
- Add cream to the same skillet, also add the thyme, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and wine. Stir and cook for a minute or two till warm and bubbly. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to include all of the flavor from the browned bits.
- When sauce is warm and seasoned to taste, add the meat, meat juices, and mushrooms back in and remove skillet from heat. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
I would post pics, but looks like I can't. Two trade offs that worked well: a shot of truffle oil in the initial meat cook, and adding thyme during the mushroom cook and compensating with a little more butter. Also used three cloves of garlic and sangria for the wine to marinate with vinegar. Tender a f. great recipe and meat. Thanks for a great starting point!