Recipe: Chicken Fried Elk Steak

There is something to be said for comfort food—tender steaks with a crisp and crunchy coating, then smothered in gravy screams soothing coziness you can only get from traditional home-cooked meals. Southern fried, or chicken fried steak with a healthy serving of mashed potatoes must be considered comfort food for hunters. Who wouldn’t want the combination of flavors, textures and meat you brought home from a memorable hunt?

Ingredients
• 2 to 2 ½ lbs elk roast, trimmed (any venison will work)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp Corn starch
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 whole eggs, beaten
• ½ cup vegetable or fryer oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ⅔ cup milk
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped or ½ tsp dried

Directions
1. Slice roast into ½-inch pieces, against the grain, and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.

2. Put the elk pieces between two layers of plastic wrap, and pound out with a mallet or other heavy object to flatten into ¼-inch thick pieces. Use a tenderizing knife to further break up the fibers, if desired.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, corn starch, paprika, garlic powder and black pepper.

4. Put beaten egg and seasoned flour into separate shallow dishes. Dredge the meat in the flour, then the egg, then the flour again. Set dredged meat aside for at least 15 minutes to set.

5. Heat about a ¼ cup of oil over medium-high heat in a 14-inch cast iron Camp Chef skillet. Fry the elk on both sides, until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side and add oil to the pan as needed between batches. Place steaks on a wire rack set on a baking sheet, and keep warm in an oven set to 250°.

Steps for Making Gravy
1. Take the frying pan and remaining oil you browned the steaks in and heat to medium. There should still be a visible layer of oil in the pan. Add 2 Tbsp butter and as it melts, whisk in 3 Tbsp flour and make a roux and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Deglaze the pan with 2 cups of chicken broth, whisking continually to produce a smooth base for the gravy.

3. When the gravy starts to boil, add milk and fresh thyme and bring to a simmer. The gravy should be thick and ready to serve over the elk.