By Jack Christensen of Castle Rock, CO
To Jack, nothing is more rewarding than cooking the day’s catch surrounded by friends, swapping hunting and fishing stories after a day outdoors. He draws much of his inspiration for cooking from his deep connection with nature. In fact, the idea for his recipe started at 12,000 feet above sea level in Colorado, where he took his first elk.
First and foremost, Jack makes sure that he gets as much prep work done as possible before going camping. Once the skillet is hot, he likes to focus on cooking and enjoying the company at hand. During the day, Jack works as a construction manager in Castle Rock, where he lives with his wife, Deidra, and their two children, Hannah and Hunter.
Ingredients:Marinade:
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Redwood Creek® Cabernet
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 crushed cloves garlic
Salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Steaks:
6 to 8 4-ounce elk tenderloins
8 slices of smoked, uncured bacon sliced in half length-wise
8 tooth picks
Garnish:
8 ounces button mushrooms
1/2 sweet onion chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
Materials:
Cast iron skillet
Metal Skewers
Knives
Large wooden spoon
Cast iron grate
Box of re-sealable plastic bags
Preparation:
Note: Before going camping, it is best to marinate the elk tenderloin medallions overnight. To do so, pour the Worcester sauce, soy sauce, Redwood Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, olive oil, crushed cloves garlic, salt and fresh cracked pepper into a one gallon re-sealable plastic baggie and place to the side. Take the elk tenderloin medallions and cut off the “silver skin” before placing in the marinade baggie. Store in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Also, to cut down on cook time while outdoors, wash the button mushrooms, chop up half a sweet onion, and place it in a separate one-gallon baggie with the butter, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Keep the bacon slices in a separate bag.
1. Place the cast iron grill over a red-hot bed of campfire coals and preheat to 500 degrees. At the same time, take the cast iron skillet and place it on the campfire.2. Remove the elk tenderloins from the marinade and wrap each one with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Once the grill is pre-heated, place the bacon-wrapped elk tenderloins on the grill. Make sure that they cook 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3. After turning the elk, place the contents of the garnish bag of mushrooms and onions in a pre-heated cast-iron skillet. Sauté for 2 to 4 minutes.
4. Remove the elk from the grill, and the mushroom and onion mixture from the skillet at the same time.
5. Plate the elk tenderloin medallions and top with mushroom and onions to serve.
Estimated Cook Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Wine Pairing Varietal:
Redwood Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
