CANIS Cooks: Pan-Seared Elk Tenderloin Sandwiches
The CANIS Team is happy to have Joe Eppele, host of Wild TV’s “The Edge” for this installment of CANIS Cooks. Joe played college football for Washington State, was drafted second overall in the 2010 Canadian Football League draft and was a 2012 100th Grey Cup Champion. Today, Joe lives in Squamish, British Columbia with his wife where he can literally hunt and fish right outside his door. For those that question if CANIS can fit taller guys, simply check out 6’8”, 275lb, Joe in his CANIS gear with this Rocky Mountain Elk he took in Western Canada.
-CANIS Team
This recipe is great whether you are preparing it at home before a big game or at base camp with minimal equipment. In this case, it was the perfect reward for the team after they spent the night helping pack my elk out of a real rough spot from 7pm until 6am the following morning. This is always a camp favorite thanks to the simple preparation, minimal ingredients, and it really lets the elk tenderloin shine.
The Ingredients
Elk Tenderloin (roughly â…“ of a tenderloin fed 4 hungry hunters)
Onions
Green Bell Peppers
Whole Garlic
Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or cooking oil of your choice
Salt and Pepper
High Mountain Seasonings Venison Rub or your favorite rub
Garlic Bread
Maple Syrup
The Preparation
First thing, coat your tenderloin in the High Mountain Rub or rub of your choice. Make sure to get all sides with a nice coating.
Half, peel, and slice vertically your onion and green pepper. Peel garlic and leave them whole. Butter or oil your skillet on medium high heat and caramelize the onions, peppers and garlic. Cheater tip, add a little bit of maple syrup to your veggies to help with the caramelization.
Now for the elk tenderloin. For best results, cook this in a black cast-iron skillet. If you don’t have one, any skillet will work *I have even used a flat rock next to a fire in a pinch. Heat up your oil on high and place the tenderloin in the skillet. Start by cooking each of the 4 sides for roughly 2 minutes. At the end of the 7-8 minutes your internal temperature should be around 125 degrees. If you want it a little more toward the medium side of things, leave it on the heat longer, turning every 1-2 minutes. If you reach 150 degrees, game over, might as well have a bologna sandwich because the elk meat is overcooked.
Take the elk off the heat to rest for about 5 minutes and during this time, put slices of garlic bread over some heat to get a little crisp on the break.
That’s it. Assemble the sandwich to your liking, and as always, camp meals taste best with a cold drink and good laughs with your buddies