(Photo courtesy of Jack Hennessy)
November 06, 2024
By Jack Hennessy
In the backcountry, the air smells sweeter. Colors of trees and ridgelines and even dirt trails hum with vibrancy and tones much unlike those found closer to civilization. In this place—the setting of the chase and the kill—our senses are treated to something truly unique. Our body aches, but our soul revels in this wild carnival. Everything in the backcountry has more flavor—both metaphorically, and in the literal sense. When we bite into game that an hour before sat wrapped in canvas, it is something extraordinary. It is a flavor no three-starred Michelin restaurant will ever match.
For this reason, in this recipe, we are going to cover how to cook your kill in the backcountry with a cooking source as minimal as a campfire. If you happen to make it back to camp and have access to a portable pellet grill like Traeger’s Ranger, you can utilize that plus a campfire. With the Ranger, you can either run it from a portable battery (e.g. Goal Zero) or a 12V converter from most vehicles.
There are two main cooking methods we want to discuss here: Cooking “caveman-style,” which is cooking directly on coals, and “hobo-dinner foil packets,” which involve wrapping up food in aluminum foil and, again, cooking directly on coals.
What Cut To Use? (Photo courtesy of Jack Hennessy) For what elk cut to cook, I recommend a roast from the hindquarter or half a backstrap. The initial step in cooking your game will involve slowly moving low, smoky heat through the meat. This is followed by a quick sear on a bed of embers and between fiery logs. The logic is low-and-slow heat evenly distributes the heat, so there are more square inches of medium-rare pink throughout your meat. A brief stint in a fire creates a caramelized, slightly charred crust that boosts both flavor and overall texture. Allowing the meat to rest both allows juices to redistribute and creates carryover, which is the process of a hot exterior continuing to slowly cook the interior, even when the meat is removed from the heat source.
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I’m not getting paid to promote MEATER, but I bought a couple of these meat thermometers a couple years ago and believe they are a game-changer. Best feature: They’re Bluetooth, so you can monitor the internal temp of your elk with just your phone (no internet connection or cords necessary).
Hobo packets are nothing new and likely something you may have incorporated into camping while growing up. They’re simple to use, and result in great-tasting roasted vegetables.
Lastly, if you have the knowledge base, you can forage for wild mushrooms to incorporate into your meal. Please only do so if you are absolutely certain that the fungus you’ve foraged is not poisonous, because there are lookalike mushrooms out there that are. Don’t guess, and don’t take risks. Also, completely cook the wild mushrooms. Both poisonous and undercooked edible wild mushrooms can make you sick.
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Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 1/2-lb. sirloin tip or similar-sized cut Traeger Anything Rub or favorite spice rub Avocado oil Coarse sea salt 4-5 russet potatoes, chopped 2 medium yellow onions, chopped 5-6 medium carrots, chopped Traeger Fin & Feather, The Provider, or other rub Cooking-oil spray Aluminum foil Optional: Foraged mushrooms such as oysters, lobsters, chanterelles, and/or chicken of the woods, sliced Directions:
Butcher whatever elk cut you plan to use (recommended: hindquarter roast or backstrap). Trim off silver skin and fascia, liberally rub in spice mix, and allow to cool (ideally to an internal temp of 45 F.). Start fire. Heat portable smoker to 200 F. If you don’t have a portable smoker, try to hang elk 2–3 feet above fire or set beside fire and rotate in an effort to mimic the same smoky, 200 F. conditions. Insert meat thermometer. Take note of current inner-most meat temperature. Continue to monitor during smoking and pull once internal temp reaches 115 F. Generally speaking, at 200 F., smoky conditions, an elk sirloin tip will rise 1 degree every minute plus 5 degrees every half-hour. Example: If the roast starts at 45 F., after an hour it will reach 115 F. While elk slowly smokes, wash and chop potatoes, then chop onions and carrots. Dust all with Fin & Feather spice rub and lightly oil. Unroll aluminum foil and spray side that will hold vegetables with cooking oil. On one sheet, add potatoes and tear with enough length to wrap contents into a ball packet. Repeat for the second packet, which should include onions and carrots. Place both packets at edge of coals for 1 hour. Turn every 15 minutes or so, if you can. If you knowledegeably foraged mushrooms, wash and slice those and repeat the above foil-packet steps, but cook for 15 minutes instead of 1 hour. Once elk has reached 115 F. internal temp, pull from smoky conditions and lightly oil. Place directly into fire, touching embers. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then flip. After 1–2 more minutes, you should have a very nice crust. If not, continue to cook all sides until you have a hearty crust. Once a crust has formed (after approximately 2–4 minutes), remove elk and lightly drizzle oil overtop and tent with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 15 minutes prior to carving. When carving and serving, add a tiny bit of coarse sea salt over sliced pieces for both flavor and a bit of texture with each bite. Serve with hobo-packet vegetables and potentially fully-cooked foraged mushrooms. (Photo courtesy of Jack Hennessy)
