Elk are native to North America, and a bit of a rarity in Australia. They’re a large species of deer, second in size only to the moose, and their meat is extremely tasty. I have a special mate who raises elk just over the South Australian border, and at some point during the hunting season, I’ll get a late night phone call, alerting me to the fact that there’s been a shoot, and that I can expect an elk delivery. Two weeks later, after the elk has been hung, my mate will turn up in his ute with the elk on board. At La Luna Bistro we use every part of the animal for making sausages, pies and braises, and I always keep back a small part of the rib-eye to slice thinly and cook as a minute steak for my mate.
The fat on venison has an unpleasant flavour – make sure you trim it off.