Elk pot roast - what is your experience with the final product?

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Dec 25, 2020
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I am new to the elk game, having killed my first elk last month. This weekend, I am going to brown off an elk roast in a heavy pot, and then I'll put it in the oven at around 275 for as many hours as is needed to fall apart. I'm a good cook, so I'm not particularly concerned with how to throw together the general ingredients and flavors. I will probably do the Mississippi pot roast recipe.

What I am curious about is how moist the finished product will be. Typically, something like a beef chuck roast has enough marbled fat, collagen, and connective tissue to melt during the cooking process and provide a finished product that has that rich sort of consistency and mouthfeel that is typically associated with a good pot roast.

In this case, I will be using a 3-4 lb elk roast that I have meticulously trimmed so as to be essentially pure meat. What is your experience with the final product when making a venison pot roast from a lean cut of meat? I know I can get it to fall apart, but can it come across as reasonably moist and rich, at least somewhat similar to a beef pot roast?
 

Firehawk

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My experience is that I need to use olive oil, butter, bacon or something like that to keep them moist. If your roast still has the bone and maybe some connective tissues, that seems to add to flavor and moisture in the roast from my experience. But the do run dry, so added moisture has been the key for me. Here is a photo of a shank roast I did off my big bull this fall. It was really good.IMG_7942.jpg
 

2five7

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We put ours in the crock pot, with a couple cans of Cream of Mushroom, and of course veggies. The soup turns into a delicious gravy, and helps keep everything moist during cooking. Just remember not to overcook, Elk cooks much faster than Beef.
 
OP
S
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I plan on browning the roast off in bacon grease, and the recipe calls for a stick of butter. I also plan to cook it in a tightly sealed dutch oven at 275, so I am hoping that all of those factors in unison will contribute to a reasonably moist final product.
 
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Mississippi Roast is my favorite big game recipe. I think its actually better the day after its been cooked and refrigerated.

Once I'm able to shred it I let it cook in the juices for another hour or so. I dont think I have ever had a dry elk or deer roast.
 
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IH8Cali

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Buy an instant pot, cut roast into chunks, 55 mins on high, make gravy out of the juice.
 

Rob5589

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Bone in is best I've found. I like to use the front shoulder of deer and elk. Like you said, brown off, de glaze, add meat, stock, vege, some sort of fat, cook low until falling off bone. Make gravy with liquid.

IMG_20201126_173320542.jpg
 

Rob5589

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This is essentially what I did too. I also like to use my Dutch Oven for these types of cooks.
I do as well, heavy cast iron. One thing I forgot to add, put the vege in with about 2 hours to go or so. Keeps them from getting too mushy.
 

RGARNER

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This is one of my favorite elk meals. I sear in a cast iron and then throw in a Dutch oven with all of my veggies and a few cups of beef broth. Cook at 300 deg for 3 to 4 hours and its done. I typically use celery, onion, and carrots and then ladle over a bowl of mashed potatoes.
 

Turkeygetpwnd38

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Other than add fat, whatever way you want to do it, after it’s fall off the bone, shred it with fork and let keep cooking in liquid for an hr or so.
 
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