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Pronghorn Antelope Steak Recipe

If you ask someone what their favorite big game meat is, the most common response is, invariably, deer. Out west you’ll hear elk a lot more often, but it’s a rarity to hear anyone speak about antelope as their first, second, or even third choice. Part of that is related to the limited accessibility of antelope meat, but the bigger bruise on the reputation of antelope is that so often you hear that is tastes TERRIBLE. Sometimes, antelope really can taste terrible. But that’s the exception, not the rule. Pronghorn Antelope Steak is, in my opinion, the best tasting big game meat. But to ensure it tastes the best it can, you need to care for it.

antelope steaks

The fact is, pronghorn antelope meat is very sensitive to mistreatment and abuse, especially during the hunting and butchering process. And all meat is. If you don’t follow the right steps, you’ll easily ruin the meat, and perpetuate the stereotype.

Pronghorn are speed machines. With the exception of the African Cheetah, there is no faster land animal. In order to reach such speed, they have exceptionally strong, lean muscle tissue, which is very susceptible to a buildup of lactic acid while running. If the antelope you kill has been running, the meat is almost sure to be “gamey” with such a significant buildup up lactic acid.

The second key to antelope is to take care of it after killing it. Cool the meat FAST. Immediately after killing your antelope, it’s imperative that you gut it and prop open the body cavity to help cool your animal down. Skinning and quartering helps to further cool the meat. When gutting and skinning, make sure to keep the meat clean, and don’t let any hair, dirt, or plants get in contact with the meat. Remember, any seasonings you put on a piece of meat add to the flavor, so if you’re seasoning your freshly killed antelope with dirt and fur, it won’t taste very good at all.

As soon as you can, get the meat on ice, paying close attention to keep the meat dry. It sounds counter intuitive to keep meat dry while on frozen water, but it helps. Ensure that as the ice melts, the water drains away and your antelope doesn’t soak in ice water.

 

PRONGHORN ANTELOPE STEAK RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

  • Antelope Steaks – trimmed of all silverskin, excess fat, and connective tissue. Cut THICK, 1-2″. Please don’t cut your steaks thin! You don’t want a thin steak at a steakhouse, so don’t do it at home.
  • 2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil – Or another high-temperature, neutral flavored oil
  • Fresh Ground Pepper
  • Coarse Sea Salt
  • Fresh or Dried Rosemary or Thyme
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
  • 1/4 C. butter
  • Steak Seasoning (optional!)

 

cooked antelope steakDIRECTIONS


1. PREPARE YOUR INGREDIENTS:  
Ensure your antelope steaks have been properly trimmed, cleaned, and pat dry with a paper towel. Apply salt and pepper (or steak seasoning if you insist) and let rest to room temperature.

2. HEAT YOUR CAST-IRON SKILLET:  Bring your cast-iron skillet to a high temperature. You don’t have to use cast-iron, but I’ve found it’s the best pan to use to get the best crust on a steak. Cast-iron retains its heat, and is naturally non-stick. It’s important that your skillet is HOT. To ensure you get the entire pan hot, it’s helpful to put it in the oven before cooking. Don’t rush it! If your pan isn’t hot all over, it’s not ready to cook. An easy way to check is to test the top edge of your pan. If it’s hot, it’s ready!

3. COOK YOUR STEAK:  Add your oil to the cast-iron skillet, and add your steaks. Ensure that your steaks have ample space between them so they get maximum heat. Cook 3-5 minutes on the first side, until you get a good crust forming. Cook time will vary depending on meat temperature, thickness, and pan temperature. Flip your steaks, and get ready to add your butter, garlic, and herbs.

4. ADD BUTTER, GARLIC, AND HERBS:  After flipping your steak, add your butter to the pan, broken up into pieces. As the butter melts, add the crushed garlic cloves and herbs to the butter. Baste the butter, garlic and herbs onto the steaks as they continue to cook. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, and remove from the pan once the steaks reach 135-140° F.

4. LET YOUR STEAK REST:   The most important step, beyond preparing your meat in the field, is to let it REST. After your steak reaches the desired doneness, set aside on a plate, spoon the pan butter, herbs, and garlic cloves over the top of the steaks, and cover with foil. Let rest for at least 10-15 minutes. The general rule of thumb is to rest your meat as long as it took to cook.

5. SERVE IT UP:  Put your steaks on a plate and spoon any resting juices and leftover butter on top. Serve with any sides you wish, and enjoy!

 

 

Antelope is my favorite big game animal to hunt. They’re smart, beautiful, and incredibly challenging. To top it all off, they’re the most delicious big game animal I’ve had the pleasure to cook. My 2015 Limited Entry Utah Archery Antelope hunt has been the most memorable hunt I’ve been on.  If you have the means to do so, I highly recommend you make it to the western United States, and take a hunt of a lifetime and chase the mighty speed goat.

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