5 Nights of Elk: 22 Wild Game Recipes to Empty Your Freezer

Elk Night #5: Latin American recipes and DJ Scutty | P.C. @connorburkesmith

"Elk Night" recipes inspiration:

Successful Jackson Hole elk hunt in Nov 2022 (bonus: hide tanning tips).
Ahead of my move from Jackson to LA, we hosted five "elk nights" across Jan-Mar 2024 to empty the freezer.
More context below, or scroll straight to the wild game recipes.

Note: I may get commissions for purchases from certain links in this post.

The Path to Elk Night

In fall 2022, I bagged my first elk: a young cow in the National Elk Refuge, Jackson Hole, WY (trip report). An elk was on my Jackson wish-list since moving in 2020, further motivated by Edmund Norris's Teddy Roosevelt trilogy.

Refuge hunts are more harvest than hunt. Fall 2022, early snow pushed herds out of the mountains in November. Each night, elk migrate from the forests to the Refuge meadows to graze, then back at dawn. Hunters with unused tags apply for Refuge permission slips, then harvest at sunrise / sunset.

At some point, I'd like to step-up my hunting with a more authentic non-Refuge attempt. (Too many other hobbies at the moment.)

My roommate, Chelsea, nicknamed my elk after Golden Girl, "Rose." I tanned Rose's hide in our garage most of December (see more in the internet's favorite how-to guide). Chelsea entered the garage to "Dexter" scenes after work.

After a few weeks, the butcher called. I drove to Idaho Falls for a 5 cu ft chest freezer and picked up four boxes of frozen meat, plus jerky and snack sticks. Freezer now filled to the brim. For a bull or larger cow, at least 7 cu ft.

After a few months of conspicuous elk consumption, trips to the freezer slowed to guests, special occasions and BBQs. I planned a move from Jackson in January 2024 and realized I still had 50lbs of frozen elk meat.

The winter-cleaning process started with an "elk week" for friends. That expanded to bi-monthly "elk nights," cooking for 10-40 people with co-hosts Connor & Helen. Below, you'll find abbreviated wild-game recipes for the 22 (!) Elk Night dishes, plus links to long-form recipes serving as our inspiration.

Hunt / harvest, hide tanning and a full freezer

Check out the Instagram story highlights for elk nights #1-5.

Wild Game Recipes by Elk Night

Index of this article's abbreviated recipes for nights #1-5.

Mixed: Shepherds Pie, Steak Crostini with Brie & Blackberries, Chili, Shoulder Sliders and Mac & Cheese. 10-15 attendees.
Mixed: "Wyoming Wapiti" Wellington Bites, Pulled Shoulder with Tortellini, Italian Stuffed Peppers and Nachos. 10-15 attendees.
Mixed: Hibachi Steak Sushi (Inside-Out Rolls), Cheesesteak Pull-Apart Bread, Rocky Mountain Stew and Bolognese with Pappardelle. 30-35 attendees.
Asian: BBQ Bao Buns, Baby Bok Choy Eggrolls, Sirloin Pad Thai and Red Lentil Curry. 40-45 attendees.
Latin American: Papas Rellenas (50% elk / 50% moose), Empanadas, Steaks Chimichurri (elk / moose), Street Tacos and Paella. 35-40 attendees.

Note: With the exception of baking, we improvised with quantities to scale-up recipes and spices to taste. If a recipe is missing (and you need) exact quantities, refer to the long-form recipes linked throughout.

Overall Tips for Game Meat

Wild-game meat can be tougher than the store-bought beef or pork, typically used for recipes below. Some overall cooking tips from our trial-and-error process over the past couple years, organized by cut.

Ground Meat: If using in sauce or filling, finely chop with a spatula and leave on simmer for an hour or longer to soften the meat. Add broth / oil / wine as needed. For burgers, add fat via cheese, butter, oil or other meats like beef / pork and bacon; cook to ~medium.
Lower-Tier (cube rounds, stew meat, shoulder, flanks, etc.): (1) Pair with more flavorful combinations like BBQ Bao Buns, Street Tacos, Rocky Mountain Stew, etc., below. (2) Tenderize with a meat hammer and / or acidic marinade (lemon / lime juice, pineapple, oranges, etc.). (3) Slow cook for fall-apart texture, investing in a slow cooker or Dutch oven.
Mid-Tier (e.g., NY strip, ribeye, sirloins): (1) Pair with simple recipes so steaks stand on their own, like Chimichurri and Crostini with Brie & Blackberries, below. (2) Tenderize using overnight, acidic marinades. Most recipes limit marinades to 24hr max, but I've accidentally left steaks in marinades for a few days with delicious results. (3) Don't overcook. We always stop at rare or medium-rare.
Top-Tier (e.g., tenderloin): Cook gently, testing with a thermometer to avoid over-cooking. My elk's tenderloin was the best red meat I've eaten, minimally seasoned / cooked. (Selfishly, not on the elk night menus below.)

Night #1

January 15, 2024:
10-15 attendees

Recipes: Shepherds Pie, Steak Crostini with Brie & Blackberries, Chili, Shoulder Sliders and Mac & Cheese.

Before "Elk Night" was an institution, we started with an Instagram poll. I posted, "Should we host an elk party?," and enough friends responded, "Yes," for Connor / I to send invites and brainstorm recipes.

I started with familiar staples: Shepherds pie from a Christmas potluck in 2022, sliced steak appetizers from guest visits and mac & cheese I honed during COVID lockdowns. Connor took chili, and when my shoulder slow-cook failed, sliders.

1) Shepherds Pie

Quantities for six servings (or pairing with 1lb of ground meat).

Meat and veggies
1lb ground meat, 1 yellow onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 TBSP all-purpose flour, 2 TBSP tomato paste, 1 cup beef broth, 1 cup frozen mixed peas / carrots and 0.5 cup frozen corn kernels; to taste, Worcestershire, dried parsley / rosemary / thyme, salt, pepper.

Brown. Peel and dice onions, then sauté at medium / high heat until soft. Add ground meat and brown, stirring together with the onions. Add initial herbs / spices, minced garlic and Worcestershire.
Thicken. Add flour and tomato paste, critical to thickening the mixture and creating a less soupy texture. Stir well.
Final ingredients. Add frozen peas / carrots / corn and beef broth. Add additional spices to taste, and if still soupy, more flour. Simmer for an hour+ to further soften the elk meat, while cooking potatoes.

Mashed potatoes
2 large russet potatoes, 1 stick unsalted butter, and to taste, garlic powder / salt / black pepper / parmesan cheese (starting with ~0.25 cup of parm).

Prepare. Cube (for faster boiling) potatoes. Peeling is optional (we skipped).
Boil. Half-fill a pot with water, bring to boil, then submerge potato chunks. Remove when soft enough to pierce with a fork (~10-15min).
Drain and mash. Drain the potatoes (e.g., colander), then return to the same pot. Let steam escape for 5-10min. Mash. Add butter, spices and parmesan, placing the pot on low heat if needed to melt the cheese. Stir well.

Assembly and baking
Extra parmesan and pepper for surface.

Layer the pie. Scoop the meat mixture into a baking dish. Smooth into a flat, ~1" (depending on portions) layer. Carefully scoop the mashed potatoes onto the meat layer. I found dropping the mixture in 6-8 scopes, then spreading was the best bet to keep each layer flat and separate.
Bake. 400°F for 25-30min, or until the top is slightly golden. Cool for 15min, then store or serve.

2) Steak Crostini with Brie & Blackberries

One baking sheet of crostini and a couple medium-sized steaks.

I've cooked sliced steak appetizers for at least 3-4 sets of Jackson visitors. Typically topping homemade potato chips (thin sliced and baked), but recently with toasted sourdough. I planned to repeat the sourdough recipe with brie and blackberries, balancing steak with creamy and sweet notes. Prior apps included notes like caramelized onions, feta, sour cream and green onions.

Steak
2 medium-sized steaks. Marinade: olive oil, lemon juice (acid softens the meat), Worcestershire / soy, minced garlic and salt / pepper / other herbs as desired.

Marinade. Simple overnight marinade in a gallon ziplock to soften the elk meat, using ingredients above (eyeballed portions). Don't reuse the marinade for sauce unless you boil to kill bacteria.
Cook. We pan-cooked the steak, but feel free to grill to your desired temperature. (We always aim for rare to medium-rare.)

Assembly
Thin sourdough loaf (or other baguette), block of brie cheese and box of fresh blackberries (or other sweet fruit).

Crostini. Slice a thin sourdough loaf (or your desired bread) and bake in the oven (around 350°F). Top with light olive oil (or butter), salt and pepper before toasting. Cook longer for a crispier crostini or shorter for toast. Feel free to substitute with pre-made crostini / thick potato chips / crackers / etc.
Brie and blackberries. We wanted buttery and sweet flavors to balance out savory steaks, plus creamy and fresh textures. A week earlier, we tested brie and blackberries on this recipe to rave reviews. There are many, many potential modifications depending on desired flavor mix.
Assemble. One thin slice of steak, a schmear of brie and half a blackberry per crostini, in that order. Then serve.

3) Chili

Serves a medium pot of chili. (We doubled to fill a large pot.)

Veggies & spices
2 yellow onions, 1 bell pepper (your preferred color) and 6 minced garlic cloves. Olive oil. Spices: 0.25 cups chili powder, 1 TBSP cumin, 0.5 TSP cayenne pepper and 1 TSP salt.

Prepare veggies. Wash, peel and finely chop all veggies, de-seeding peppers. Mince garlic cloves, ideally fresh.
Sauté. On medium heat, add onions and sauté until translucent. Then add peppers and garlic, cooking until soft. Add olive oil as needed.
Add spices. Start with the ratios above. Adjust to taste in latter steps.

Meat & other ingredients
2lbs ground meat. 2x 15oz cans of dark red kidney beans, 28oz can of diced tomatoes and 28oz can of tomato puree.

Cook meat. Add meat to the same pot, using a spatula to chop finely. Increase temperature to medium-high, cooking until brown.
Beans and tomatoes. Stir beans, tomatoes and puree into the same pot. Reduce to simmer. Keep the lid on to hold moisture.

Simmer & serve
Toppings: shredded cheese, Fritos, sour cream, green onions, etc.

Simmer and adjust. Leave on simmer at least 45min, but ideally a couple hours so game meat continues to soften. Add spices as needed: red pepper flakes for spice, chili powder / cumin for kick, etc.
Serve. Place toppings in adjacent bowls and let guests DIY serve.

Notes: many variations and substitutions possible.

4) Shoulder Sliders

Two baking sheets of sliders, approx. ~50 sliders.

We originally attempted the Shoulder with Tortellini recipe, below, with pulled shoulder. Unfortunately, my shoulder dried out, so we pivoted to sliders. I rehydrated the shoulder in broth and butter (photos below). Then, Connor fashioned into sliders that turned into a big hit. The recipe below could be repurposed with a properly cooked shoulder or thin-sliced steaks.

Shoulder
1 elk shoulder. To salvage a slow-cook gone wrong, I used beef broth, butter and other flavors as desired (I used mustard, red pepper flakes and some staples like black pepper, onion powder and garlic salt).

Slow cook. Season the shoulder (we used paprika, salt and pepper), then sear in the netting (also okay to remove). Netting helps hold form and moisture. Then, slow cook in a slow cooker or Dutch oven overnight. Either (1) add veggies like mirepoix / chopped onions and a bit of liquid (e.g., beef broth or cooking wine) or (2) partially / fully submerge the shoulder with liquid.
Slice or pull. If slow cooking works, you can pull the shoulder with a couple forks. Alternatively, you could thin slice. (See Shoulder with Tortellini and Empanadas, below, for pulling tips.)
Rehydrating (if slow cook fails). If you pull a brick out of the slow cooker (like I did), thin slice and drop into a pot with beef broth / butter (other liquids could also work) on low heat. Add other spices to taste. After ~45min, slices should be tasty and softer, at least edible again.

Slider assembly & baking
Slider buns (we only found brioche, but Hawaiian or pretzel could be fun), sliced cheese (we used cheddar) and desired toppings.

Meat. Lay the bun bottoms on a baking pan (aluminum foil for easy cleaning). Place 1-2 slices of shoulder on each slider bun.
Toppings. Place a layer of cheese (sliced or grated) over the meat. Add any other toppings that can be hot: caramelized onions, pickled jalapenos, horseradish, BBQ sauce, etc. (We used leftover mirepoix and red wine from slow cooking gone wrong.) You can also add butter / garnishing to the bun tops (e.g., everything seasoning, sesame seeds or parsley).
Bake. Bake at 350°F for ~15min or until buns are golden brown.
Serve. Remove the buns tops to add any cold toppings like fried onions, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, coleslaw, etc. Cut to single sliders with a knife or spatula. Serve with a sides of mustard, ketchup, BBQ, etc.

Shoulder mishap, re-moistening and Connor's sliders to save the day

5) Mac & Cheese

Two boxes of store-bought mac & cheese mix; 1lb of ground elk.

Mac & cheese
Two boxes of Annie's shell mac & cheese (sub with your favorite mix or equivalent pasta). Fresh mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar (or other favorites), salt, black pepper and onion powder. Greek yogurt.

Boil. Boil pasta according to instructions on the package.
Mix cheese. Cut / tear cheese into smaller pieces for faster melting as needed. In a separate bowl, combine Greek yogurt (5oz probably enough), fresh cheese and spices, adjusting spices to taste. Use the pre-made mac & cheese mixture or upgrade with more fresh cheese. Mix well. (The yogurt, onion powder and pepper make the recipe, in my opinion.)
Strain and mix. Once cooked, strain pasta in a colander, return to the pot and add cheese mixture. Return to low heat until all cheese melts, but don't overcook the pasta. (Mozzarella should add a nice stringy texture.)

"Hamburger" mix
1lb ground elk, Worcestershire, salt / pepper / onion powder. (Feel free to add ketchup / mustard for a more classic hamburger helper.)

Brown meat. Add meat to a pan on medium-high heat. Add sauces and spices to taste. Chop the meat down into smaller and smaller chunks using the spatula. (I aim for as fine as possible.) For softer elk meat, simmer after initial browning, adding beef broth as needed for moisture.
Mix with pasta. When you're happy with consistency and spice (appreciating most of flavor comes from the cheese mixture), add to finished mac & cheese.
Serve. Top with grated parmesan and fresh-ground black pepper.

Night #2

January 20, 2024
10-15 attendees

Recipes: "Wyoming Wapiti" Wellington Bites, Pulled Shoulder with Tortellini, Italian Stuffed Peppers and Nachos.

The original Elk Night was such a hit, Connor and I thought, "should we host another?" At first I said, "too much work." Recipe planning, grocery runs, a night before and full day-of in the kitchen.

Then, on a Friday afternoon in Albertsons, a change of heart. I called Connor and said, "start sending invites." We brainstormed recipes as I wandered the aisles. Connor had a photoshoot that night and the next morning, so he couldn't help much. We decided to rebrand "games and elk apps" to lower expectations.

The most ambitious appetizer I could find was Wellington bites ("Wyoming Wapiti" later added by Rob). "Don't pick those," Connor said, thinking they'd be tricky to nail, thus boosting my resolve. I also wanted another attempt at Gus's pulled shoulder recipe that I butchered on Night #1 (hence the sliders). To round it out, stuffed peppers and nachos, easy staples.

I missed Friday Late Night skiing at Snow King to prep. Then, Connor dragged me to the Cowboy for a few rounds. Skiing at Jackson Hole the next morning. Then, Target stop on the way home for Cards Against Humanity Hot Box, Jenga and pong, plus string lights and last-minute supplies. And, a final cooking sprint.

6) "Wyoming Wapiti" Wellington Bites

40-50 bites: two medium-sized steaks and a couple canisters of puff pastry.

Mushroom filling
A few shallots (or half a yellow onion), 2 cups white mushrooms, 0.5 cups pitted black olives, TSP dried oregano, black pepper, TBSP soy sauce and olive oil.

Sauté. Added chopped onions / shallots and mushrooms to a pan on medium / high heat with olive oil. Sauté for 10min, or until onions and mushrooms start to caramelize, then add other sauces / spices / herbs.
Process. Drop mixture into a food processor, plus pitted black olives. Process until finely diced.
Cool and dry. Allow the mixture to cool and dry before assembly, otherwise the pastry will get soggy.

Steak bites
Two medium-sized steaks. Your favorite marinade (see Steak Crostini, above).

Marinade. A simple overnight marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce and spices / herbs (your preference).
Sear. Cut steaks into 1" cubes, trimming fat / unwanted tissue. Heat the pan on high without oil, then drop the steak cubes to sear quickly. You don't want to overcook in the oven (next step), which is easy with bite-sized steak if overcooked when seared.
Cool and dry. Once seared, remove cubes from the pan and place on a dish lined with a paper towel to dry and cool.

Pastries
Two canisters of puff pastry (or crescent rolls, which I used), eggs and mustard (your preference).

Assemble. Cut pastry into ~3.5" squares. (You can knead scraps to make additional squares.) For crescent rolls, I pressed the pastry down to make the squares thinner and larger. Spread TSP of mustard, then TSP of mushroom filling in the center of each square. Place a steak cube on the filling, then pull up the four edges and pinch in the middle to seal.
Egg wash. Beat a couple eggs in a separate bowl. Using a basting brush, spread egg wash over the pastries (or drip with a fork).
Bake. Bake at 400°F for 10-15min or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove and let sit for a few minutes.

Steak-searing and finished Wellington Bites

7) Pulled Shoulder with Tortellini

One elk shoulder and two bags of tortellini (or other preferred pasta), filling a large serving bowl.

Pulled shoulder
1 elk shoulder. 1-2 onions and equal parts celery / carrots for mirepoix (or swap carrots for bell peppers to make "holy trinity" like we did). Red wine, dried thyme and paprika / salt.

Defrost shoulder. Start 2-3 days in advance. Our shoulder took a full 48 hours to defrost.
Prepare mirepoix (or holy trinity / other). Peel, wash and clean vegetables. Chop small (half an inch), adding additional celery / peppers / carrots / onions to hit the 1:1:1 ratio. Store in the fridge.
Sear shoulder. Season with paprika and salt / pepper as desired. Sear in a pan on high heat. We left the shoulder in its butcher's netting to hold form (optional). Goal is to keep the meat moist through slow cooking.
Slow cook. Fill a slow cooker or Dutch oven with the shoulder, mirepoix (or other "humble beginning"), thyme and red wine. Fully submerge the shoulder. Cook at 200-230°F overnight or 12 hours. No need for additional spices until reduced. (Can become too concentrated if added before slow cooking.)
Remove shoulder and shred. Assuming all goes to plan, you can shred the shoulder easily with two forks. Full disclosure: 1st attempt failed because too much liquid escaped (used wrong pot / shoulder not sufficiently submerged, salvaging via sliders on Night #1), 2nd attempt (this recipe) was perfect and 3rd attempt (empanadas on night #5) required extra handiwork to remove tougher fat and separate strands.
Save mirepoix. Dump mirepoix into a container and refrigerate. Gus recommended waiting for fat to settle, then scooping it out. For the elk at least, I didn't find much fat in the mixture (too lean).

Tortellini / pasta
Large bag of tortellini or your preferred pasta (Gus recommended fettucine or pappardelle, but I'm a sucker for tortellini).

Boil and cook. Half-fill a pot with water. Cook per instructions on the packaging (usually ~10min), testing texture to taste.
Strain. Drain water with a strainer, then set pasta to the side.

Assembly
Pulled shoulder (see above), reduced mirepoix, cooked tortellini / pasta, ricotta and shredded parmesan cheese.

Add pulled shoulder / reduced mirepoix. Combine pulled shoulder and mirepoix, stirring in additional seasoning to taste (we kept as is). Remove any fat that settles on the surface after refrigerating.
Stir in ricotta. Add a scoop of ricotta cheese to balance out the mirepoix and add a creamy texture.
Add pasta or serve separately. We gently folded in tortellini. You can also serve separately (e.g., to accommodate a gluten-free alternative).
Topping. Top with shredded Romano / parmesan for bonus flavors.

Mostly inspired by a verbal recipe from our friend Gus.

8) Italian Stuffed Peppers

Makes ~40 mini-stuffed peppers (halved) or ~15-20 full-sized.

Filling
1-2lb ground meat, 1 jar tomato sauce, 1 small tin tomato paste, Italian seasoning (or individual components to taste), mozzarella cheese (stringy texture) and parmesan (topping and / or filling).

Brown meat. Add ground meat to a skillet on medium-high heat. Using a spatula / similar utensil to break up the meat, until fine. (The more you chop, the finer the texture. Esp. important for Bolognese, below.) Optional: add sautéed onions or cooked rice to the filling.
Add tomato sauce / paste. Once meat browns, add tomato sauce and paste, until the mixture is reddish-brown and creamy. Add more tomato paste if you need to thicken the filling.
Add cheese / seasoning. We improvised to taste. More Italian seasoning. Extra red pepper flakes. More mozzarella. Parmesan / Romano. A touch of salt and black pepper. Once seasoned to taste, leave the filling on simmer for an ~hour to further soften elk meat, while you prep peppers.

Assembly and baking
1 bag mini sweet peppers (substitute with full-sized bell peppers / poblanos for entrées), olive oil, aluminum foil (easy clean up) and extra mozzarella / parmesan for topping.

Prep sheet. Lay aluminum foil on a baking sheet for easy clean up.
Cut / wash peppers. Cut peppers in half, length-wise. Remove seeds and wash. If able leave stems for presentation. Lay pepper halves on the pan, inside up. Optional: pre-bake peppers to speed up softening.
Fill peppers. Scoop filling into the peppers: small spoon for minis or serving spoon for full-sized peppers. Use the back of the spoon to push the filling into the pepper. Top with parmesan / mozzarella as desired.
Bake. Bake stuffed peppers for 15-20min at 350°F. Remove when peppers are soft to the touch (test with knife or fork) and brown slightly around the edges. Optional: add water to the baking sheet to keep peppers moist.

9) Nachos

Makes 2 large baking pans of nachos.

Ground elk
1lb ground meat (will have some leftovers). Taco / chorizo seasoning or individual spices like chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano and paprika.

Brown meat. Same as Italian stuffed peppers above. Brown in a pan at medium / high heat. Break up with a spatula (or wooden spoon, etc.).
Season. Add seasoning to taste, starting slow. I over-seasoned my first batch and did my best to neutralize with broth / tomato pastes / etc. Better to under-season and slowly add spices. Leave on simmer for an ~hour to soften meat.

Assembly and baking
1-2 bags thick tortilla chips, 3-4 cups grated cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Colby, etc., ideally fresh grated or a bag if pressed for time), diced tomatoes, jalapeños (fresh or pickled), olives, green onions, sour cream, avocados, salsa, guacamole, etc.

Pre-baking. Distribute the first layer of chips and add desired toppings for baking (e.g., not salsa, sour cream, avocados and guacamole). We sprinkled a generous layer of seasoned ground meat, grated cheese, jalapeños, diced tomatoes and olives. Then, another layer of chips and repeat the process until the baking pan's full (likely 3-4 layers).

Baking. Bake for 10-15min at 350°F, or until chip edges brown and cheese fully melts.
Post-baking. Additional toppings as desired. Sliced green onions, scoop of sour cream, fresh-cut avocados, salsa, etc.

Night #3

February 3, 2024
30-35 attendees

Recipes: Hibachi Steak Sushi (Inside-Out Rolls), Cheesesteak Pull-Apart Bread, Rocky Mountain Stew and Bolognese with Pappardelle.

After Elk Night #2, we were hooked. We penciled in February 3rd for Night #3.

In the meantime, I drove to Banff, Alberta, for a bachelor party and the fourth (!) biennial Banff ski trip with friends from law school (tradition started in 2018). Originally, I planned to fly to Calgary from LAX. Move delayed, I drove 12hr north. Snow was a bit (but not much) more filled in over the border.

On return to Jackson, we snuck in a few Glory and Snow King laps, generally avoiding Teton Village pending more snow.

We wanted to level up Elk Night #3: official aprons, colored lights synced to our playlists and at least one recipe harder than Wellington bites. After some debate, a brainstorming list and Instagram polls, I landed on sushi rolls.

Connor inventoried our freezer. We brainstormed recipes for our least-used cuts: stew meat and cube rounds, landing on cheesesteak and stew. NY strips for the sushi. Ground meat for Bolognese (another polling favorite).

After a blow-out Elk Night #3 (recipes below), Connor and I bee-lined to Bozeman for ice climbing in Hyalite Canyon, including my first lead, and a Yellowstone photoshoot. (Trip report from our first Hyalite trip in 2023.)

10) Hibachi Steak Sushi (Inside-Out Rolls)

~10 rolls with extra rice to spare.

Steak
3-5 medium-sized steaks (we used NY strips). Marinade: soy sauce, thin-sliced ginger (ideally fresh), minced garlic cloves, honey, sesame oil and green onions.

Overnight marinade. Rinse and trim steaks, then seal in a gallon ziplock with the ingredients above. Mostly soy sauce, sesame oil and honey, plus fresh shaved ginger, sriracha, garlic and chopped green onions.
Cook. Once your rice is cooling (see below), pan cook on high heat or grill to desired temperature. We stopped at medium rare. If using a pan, pre-heat and limit oil (probably enough from marinade) for a good sear.
Thin slice. Slice length-wise into ~1" strips (likely using two per roll).

Rice
One bag sushi-grade rice (short or medium grade, available in the Asian cuisine section of the grocery store), rice vinegar and sugar / salt.

Rinse. Rinse under cold water until run-off's clear to remove excess starch. Use a rice colander.
Cook rice. Follow instructions on rice package with respect to amount of water, boiling sequence and time to cook. My bag's instructions started with a 15min soak, soft boil, then 20min simmer. After all moisture is absorbed, let stand and fluff. (Several guides suggest soaking is unnecessary.)
"Sticky" rice. Heat a small bowl of rice vinegar, sugar and salt in the microwave (or small saucepan). Fold vinegar mixture into cooked rice. Allow steam to escape. Before rolling, you want rice at room temperature (I refrigerated to speed cooling). Cooling is your time to cook steaks and prepare other fillings.

Assembly
Nori. Bamboo or other rolling surface (we used a placemat, but I've also skipped) and plastic wrap (makes the process much easier). Sesame seeds. Other fillings: we used cucumbers, avocado, green onions and spicy mayo.

Spicy mayo. Mix equal parts mayonnaise and sriracha.
Prep other fillings. I thin-sliced cucumbers (didn't bother peeling) and avocados, then cut green onions to Nori length. Alternatives / additions: fresh jalapeños, carrots, bell peppers, mangos, etc.
Spread rice on Nori. Spread room-temp rice over a sheet of Nori. Leave a 1-2" strip of Nori empty on the side you'll add fillings. (I skipped in the photo below, but started on subsequent rolls.) Use less rice than you think. It's easy to overdo it, resulting in a thick, rice-heavy roll. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rice, then flip Nori-up on a strip of plastic wrap.
Fill and roll Nori. Lay strips of steak, cucumber, avocado and green onions (or other fillings) along the Nori length-wise. Sprinkle spicy mayo. Using plastic wrap (and potentially a mat), roll the sushi, starting with the side closest to the filling. Pull out plastic from the leading Nori edge as it's rolled.
Cut rolls. By the end, you should have a neat roll inside the plastic wrap. Adjust the shape if needed by massaging the plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll in half, then quarters, then eighths, straight through the plastic wrap. I held the roll up using four fingers on one hand, knife between pinky / index (on left) and middle / pointer (on right). That kept the roll from collapsing under the knife blade. Once cut into eighths, pull on the plastic wrap, shaking out eight pieces sushi.
Serve. Serve sushi pieces on a serving plate. Don't forget sides of spicy mayo, pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

11) Cheesesteak Pull-Apart Bread

Two "loaves" of pull-apart bread.

Steaks
1 package cube rounds. Butter (can substitute olive oil). Salt and pepper. Simple marinade: olive oil, lemon juice and salt / pepper (can also get more creative).

Marinade. Seal steaks in a gallon ziplock with our simple marinade above. A couple hours should work for cube rounds, just some additional tenderizing on top of the butcher's work. But longer works too.
Pan-fry. Melt a couple TBSP of unsalted butter in a pan on medium-high. Add steaks, cooking 4-5min on each side. Don't cook much longer, at risk of the meat toughening.
Drain and slice. Remove steaks from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess butter. You don't want excess moisture in the pastry. Slice to ~1" strips.

Alternatives: feel free to reuse the marinade by boiling, then use that oil for pan frying. You can also add spices: chili powder, garlic / onion powder, paprika, thyme, etc., to liven up the steak.

Veggies
~4 bell peppers, green onions and olive oil. (Can also add yellow onions.)

Prep veggies. Wash veggies. Slice and de-seed bell peppers, aiming for 1" chunks. Chop green onions.
Sauté. Cook peppers and green onions on medium-high until soft. Use butter or olive oil. Don't overdo it on oil or the pastry will get soggy.

Assembly
~2 tins of crescent rolls (or puff pastry if available) and mozzarella cheese.

Form dough. Unroll the crescent rolls and use a rolling pin (or glass like Connor, below) to expand the dough. You'll want the dough layer to be roughly the size of a normal baking pan.
Filling. Fill the center third of the dough with cooked steak and peppers / onions, leaving a ~quarter inch at each end. Sprinkle mozzarella over the filling, as much as desired.
Braids. Cut the exposed thirds of the dough into 1" strips at a slight downward angle (toward you). One recipe suggests using a pizza cutter. Fold the "braids" over the filling, alternating left and right.

Baking
A few eggs (egg wash).

Egg wash. Beat a few eggs in a separate bowl, and using a basting brush, cover the bread with egg wash for a shiny, golden finish. Add additional light seasoning to the top if desired: dried thyme, ground pepper, salt, etc.
Bake. Bake at 350°F for 15-20min or until golden brown.
Serve. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice horizontally with a sharp knife.

Connor rolling the dough and final product

12) Rocky Mountain Stew

Makes a large pot of stew.

Stew meat and onions
1-2 packages of stew meat. 1 yellow onion. Olive oil or butter. 4 minced garlic cloves.

Brown meat. Add olive oil or butter to a large pot (one-pot recipe) and brown stew meat. Some recipes suggest dipping meat in flour before browning / caramelizing, but that technique's up for debate. (Flour dries the meat, potentially accelerating browning, but the flour itself browns as much as the meat, a less flavorful version of the "Maillard Reaction." TL;DR: we skipped flour.) Once browned, remove meat from the pot and set to the side.
Caramelize onions. On medium heat, brown (or caramelize) onions. Add oil / butter as needed. When onions brown, add minced garlic and return meat to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Poblano puree
2-3 poblano peppers (canned green chilis if short on time). 1 quart beef stock.

Prep and roast. Wash and de-seed poblanos. Lay peppers cut-side down on a baking pan. Roast in the oven at 450ºF, pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, for ~30min or until charred.
Process. Place peppers and beef stock in a blender / food processor. Blend into a puree.

Stew
1 cup fresh chopped white mushrooms, 2-3 more poblano peppers, 1 pint Belgian / malty beer, 15oz can of Great Northern Beans, cooked greens (e.g., spinach), 2 large carrots, salt and 1 TBSP minced fresh sage.

Add puree and mushrooms. Dump puree and mushrooms (washed and chopped) into the pot with the meat / onions / garlic. Add an equal amount of water as the puree (e.g., fill blender bowl with water).
Beer. Add the pint of malty beer, some salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. If substituting any ingredients with dried alternatives (e.g., dried beans), add at this step. Let simmer for ~2 hours on low heat.
Remaining ingredients. Add peeled / chopped carrots, chopped poblano peppers, canned beans, cooked spinach (e.g., frozen package) and fresh sage.
Simmer. Cook for another ~40min on low heat, testing for taste. Add black pepper / salt as needed. Thicken with flour if needed.

Many variations: add wheat berries / barley, corn kernels, dried mushrooms, additional leafy greens, chickpeas, spicier peppers for more heat, etc.

13) Bolognese with Pappardelle

Makes a large pan of Bolognese sauce, paired with 1-2 bags of pasta (Pappardelle or your preference).

Soffritto (Italian version of mirepoix)
1-2 yellow onions, celery and carrots (adjust for 1:1:1 ratio), plus fresh parsley, garlic and fennel. Other recipes add prosciutto (elk-only here).

Wash and chop. We pealed, washed and chopped equal parts yellow onion, celery and carrots, then added minced garlic, fresh parsley and fennel. Some recipes also add a handful of mushrooms, prosciutto, etc.
Cook. We used a food processor for a finer soffritto before cooking. Some recipes suggest cooking separately from the ground meat. Short on stove space, we added the soffritto directly to the ground meat once browned (see below), followed by other ingredients.

Bolognese sauce
1-2lbs ground meat and soffritto (see above). Tomato paste, canned tomatoes, beef broth (or bouillon cubes / base), milk (adds liquid and cut tomato acidity), red wine (cooking quality, e.g., boxed) and Italian spices to taste / preference (oregano, marjoram, nutmeg, thyme, bay leaves, parsley, rosemary, etc.).

Other recipes recommend adding a cup of pasta water, sugar (balancing more sour tomatoes) and white wine (we prefer red wine for red meats).

Brown meat. Add meat to a saucepan at medium heat. To create a smooth sauce, we kept chopping with a spatula for finer and finer chunks. The more you chop the meat (in the pan), the smoother the sauce.
Add soffritto. Once browned, add the soffritto. In our case, after the processor. (See lefthand photo below). Stir into the meat and let vegetables cook. With more stove space, cook meat and soffritto separately. (Several recipes recommend.)
Stir in remaining ingredients. Once water from the vegetables cooks down, deglaze the pan with milk, beef broth and red wine. For additional deglazing, alternative milk / broth / wine to taste (e.g., creamy, salty or tangy). Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste (easy to overdue, so start with one small tin) and Italian spices to taste.
Simmer. To soften the elk / wild game meat, leave on simmer if you have extra time (at least 45min or up to 3hr per other recipes). Add more milk, broth or red wine as needed.

Pasta
1-2 large bags of Pappardelle (or your preferred pasta).

Boil. Follow instructions for your pasta. Some recipes suggest saving a cup of pasta water to add to sauce. (We skipped.)
Serve. We let guests separately scoop Pappardelle and Bolognese sauce, topped with fresh-grated parmesan. (Accommodates gluten-free guests who wanted separate sauce.) Some recipes recommend tossing pasta and sauce to absorb excess liquid.

Elk Bolognese prep and results (paired with Highpoint cider)

Night #4: Asian

February 17, 2024
40-45 attendees

Recipes: BBQ Bao Buns, Baby Bok Choy Eggrolls, Sirloin Pad Thai and Red Lentil Curry.

Finally some snow. Between Elk Night #3 and mid-February, storms swept into the Tetons. Two+ feet of fresh, blower powder in the days leading up to Night #4. We snuck in a few days at the resort and touring on Teton Pass.

After a critically acclaimed Night #3, we opted for a theme to level up. Asian-inspired recipes only. One of my favorite all-time dishes is a dim sum staple: BBQ bao buns. It'd be a leap with my limited baking experience, especially at altitude. (Jackson's 6,500 feet above sea level.)

I tested a small batch a few days before the mass debut, and to my surprise, nailed it on first attempt. Dumplings (or eggrolls after a wrapper snafu) would round out my recipes. Connor landed on Pad Thai and Red Lentil Curry.

Chef Connor and I whipped out Rocky Talkies (from our mountaineering toolkits) to coordinate between downstairs / upstairs kitchens. (Used for extra stove space and to control for one peanut allergy.) "ETA on the Pad Thai? Over."

I also brought Rose's tanned hide out of storage (see below). (Check out my primer on elk hide tanning, informed by a painful trial-and-error process.)

14) BBQ Elk Buns

Makes 10 bao buns. (I scaled up the ratio 4x for elk night, using 8 cups of flour and 2 packages of cube rounds.)

Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour (some recommend bread flour), 1 TSP active dry yeast, 0.75 cups warm water, 1 cup cornstarch, 5 TBSP sugar, 0.25 cups vegetable oil, 2.5 TSP baking powder and 2 TSP extra water (for final baking powder addition).

See ingredient list in the Google sheet below for altitude adjustments. (Regular sea-level portions above.)

Dissolve yeast. Stir yeast into 0.75 cups of warm water.
Sift flour and cornstarch. Combine flour and cornstarch in a separate bowl, sifting to blend.
Combine and knead. Add flour / cornstarch mix, sugar and oil to the original bowl with dissolved yeast. Use an electric mixer on low or knead by hand until dough's smooth and consistent.
Rest. Cover with a damp cloth (or paper towel) for two hours, resting in the fridge if you have enough space.

Note: you'll add baking powder and the extra water before assembly.

Meat filling
0.5 package of stew meat or cube rounds (don't need a high-quality cut).

Marinade: salt, five spice powder (first time using), white pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, molasses (or brown sugar to save a step) and garlic.

Filling: marinade (boil after slow cooking), 0.25 yellow onion, chicken stock, flour and more components of the marinade (see above) to taste.

Marinade. Combine the marinade ingredients and cube rounds (stew meat, straps, or other lower-quality cut) in a gallon ziplock. Marinade overnight or at least 8 hours if possible.
Slow cook. For a tougher cut, I recommend slow cooking at 200-250°F for 4-5 hours via slow cooker or a French oven. Then, you'll have a tender filling in the buns. Dump the marinade in the slow cooker to minimize waste. Add stock as needed for additional moisture.
Cube. Remove meat and slice into ~1" or smaller cubes.
Onions. Dice half a yellow onion and sauté at medium heat. Once translucent, dump marinade into the pan and bring to a boil (to fry any bacteria that survived slow cooking).
Filling. Once the marinade boils, add cubed meat, more chicken stock, flour (to thicken) and other ingredients to taste. E.g., more sugar / molasses to sweeten, more five powder / white pepper for kick, soy sauce for salt. Once you've nailed the flavors / texture to your liking, let the filling cool before assembling buns. Set in the fridge to accelerate the cooling.

Note: The Char Siu recipe linked below outlines steps to cook a larger roast in Cantonese char siu style. I used some of the same marinade / seasoning tips and applied them to slow cook the smaller cuts of meat.

Bun assembly
Dough, cooled filling (see above), 2.5 TSP baking powder and 2 TSP extra water (for final baking powder addition).

Baking powder. Remove dough from the fridge. Knead in (or mixer on low) 2.5 TSP of baking powder and 2 TSP of water. Let rest another 15min beneath a damp cloth or paper towel.
Cut smaller balls. Roll the dough into a long tube, then cut into 10 pieces. Each piece when flattened should form a ~4" diameter disk.
Fill buns. Drop ~1 TBSP of filling into the center of the disk. Pleat the edges of the dough disk, pinching at the top to seal the bun.

Steaming
Bamboo (or similar) steamer and parchment paper.

Paper. Cut 4x4" parchment paper squares (or similar liner like cupcakes) and place beneath buns on the bamboo steamer to prevent sticking.
Steam buns. Pre-boil water for the bamboo steamer, placed in or over a pot, so the steam can enter. I used an electric kettle to pre-boil, then poured hot water into the pot. High heat, and quickly, placed the steamer on its rim. Steam ~10-15min, or until buns expanded / cracked open on top.

Tips: the key steps (according to the "inspiration" recipes below) are cornstarch / baking powder in dough and pre-boiled water to make bun tops crack open.

15) Eggrolls

Makes 40-50 eggrolls.

Originally, I planned to make dumplings, hence the linked dumpling recipe below. Unable to find dumpling wrappers, I bought eggrolls wrappers, suggested as a substitute, cut into circles. Unfortunately, I found eggroll wrappers too brittle to fold into dumplings, so we pivoted to fried eggrolls.

Leafy greens
A few bags of baby bok choy (easy to find in U.S. grocery stores).

Wash and blanch. Thoroughly rinse to remove all dirt, then blanch. Blanching involves a quick submersion in boiling water, then immediate cooling in ice water. Blanching ensures all dirt gets removed from the filling. (It's also useful before storage and freezing veggies.) If pressed on time, skip the blanching and wash extra thoroughly.
Dice. Chop the bok choy into fine chunks for the filling. If you're not cooking meat in advance, squeeze water out of the veggies. Otherwise, you can reduce later on the stovetop.

Alternatives: frozen shepherd's purse (in some Chinese groceries, but we couldn't find), napa cabbage or Chinese chives. For more traditional eggrolls (this recipe started as dumplings), add shredded cabbage and carrots.

Filling
1lb ground meat (we targeted a 1:1 meat / veggie ratio, but adjust as desired). Rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, five spices and white pepper. Optional: hoisin or oyster sauce for a sweeter taste.

Brown meat. Cook on medium-high heat in a saucepan. Chop with a spatula to a fine consistency. (Like Bolognese sauce, above.)
Add veggies. Add the diced baby bok choy (or alternative), cooking until softened and excess water evaporates.
Add other ingredients. Like other recipes here, adjust to taste. Equal parts rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil to start. A healthy dose of five spices and white pepper. Then more as needed. More rice wine for tang or soy sauce for salt. Too bland? More five spices and white pepper. Want the filling sweeter? Add some honey or molasses.

Alternative: other recipes leave meat uncooked until the dumpling or eggroll gets cooked. You'd just need to be more careful to not undercook meat.

Assembly and frying
4 packages of eggroll wrappers (10-pack) and sesame oil.

Fill and roll. Add ~2 TBSP filling to the center of the eggroll. Follow rolling instructions on the wrapper package. Similar to a burrito: one corner over the filling, compress, fold in the two side corners, then keep rolling. Using wet fingers from a nearby water bowl, moisten wrapper edges before sealing, so they stick. (See a link to the steps below.)
Pan-fry. Add sesame oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Toss eggrolls in the pan until crispy, adding more sesame oil as absorbed into the wrappers. Since meat's pre-cooked, timing comes down to desired wrapper crispiness.
Serve. Don't forget sides of soy sauce, chili sauce, etc.

Alternative: go healthy, brushing the eggrolls with sesame oil and baking at 450°F until golden, or unhealthy, deep frying for that Chinese takeout crisp. (See deep frying tips under Papas Rellenas, below.)

16) Sirloin Pad Thai

Makes a large pan of Pad Thai. (We doubled for Elk Night.)

Noodles
16oz of flat rice noodles.

Cook noodles. Boil, following instructions on the package.
Rinse. Once cooked, rinse with cold water while in the strainer, recommended for stir fry, cold dishes or storage. (Removes excess starch and helps the pasta keep its form versus turning mushy.)

Sauce
3 TBSP fish sauce, 1 TBSP soy sauce, 5 TBSP light brown sugar, 2 TBSP rice vinegar, 1 TBSP Sriracha to taste and 2 TBSP creamy peanut butter.

Combine. Stir all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. You'll add to the stir fry after cooking the steak, peppers / garlic and eggs.

Stir-Fry
1-2 steaks. 1 bell pepper and 3 minced garlic cloves. 2 eggs. Cooking oil (peanut, avocado, sesame, etc.).

Steak. Optional marinade (peanut / sesame oil and lime juice would work well) to tenderize. (We skipped, processing steaks directly for the stir fry.) Trim excess fat and cut to 1-2" chunks. Similar to Rocky Mountain Stew recipe (above), pan-fry on high heat to sear, using minimal oil. Remove steak from the pan to avoid over-cooking.
Bell peppers and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-high and add more oil (recommend peanut or sesame). Add thin-sliced and de-stemmed bell peppers and minced garlic. Sauté until tender.
Eggs. Push cooked veggies to the side of the pan. Crack and scramble eggs in a separate bowl, then dump into the pan. Using a spatula, wooden spoon, etc., break up the scrambled eggs as they cook.

Alternative: Cook whole steaks separately to medium-rare (or your preference) and thin slice. Add to stir-fry at the same time as the noodles below.

Combine & garnish
Cooked steak, finished noodles and sauce (see above). 1 cup fresh bean sprouts and 0.5 cups unsalted dry roasted peanuts. Garnishing: 3 green onions, remaining peanuts, 0.5 cups fresh cilantro leaves and 2 limes.

Combine. Once eggs are cooked, add steak, noodles, sauce, sprouts and ~half the peanuts to the pan and toss to combine with veggies and eggs.
Garnish. After a few minutes, top with chopped green onions, remaining peanuts, fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Ready to serve.

17) Red Lentil Curry

Makes a medium-sized pan. (We doubled for Elk Night.)

Meat
1lb ground meat. (A non-traditional take on a vegetarian recipe.)

Brown. Cook meat on medium-high heat. Use coconut oil for consistent flavors. Use a spatula to chop meat into fine chunks. Once browned and fine-chopped, set to the side. Optional: slow-cook on low heat for a ~hour to further soften the elk meat, adding coconut oil as needed.

Fresh & dried spices
1 TBSP virgin coconut oil.

Fresh: 4 minced garlic cloves, 2" piece of fresh ginger (peeled and minced / grated), 1 TBSP minced fresh turmeric (1 TSP ground if easier) and 2 diced serrano peppers (reduce for less spice).

Dried: 1 TSP cumin, 0.5 TSP coriander, 1 TSP chili powder (or 0.5 Indian red chili powder if available), 2 TSP curry powder, 1 TSP garam masala and sea salt / black pepper to taste.

Fresh. Once coconut oil melts, add fresh garlic, ginger, turmeric (if not ground) and serrano peppers (chopped and de-seeded).
Dried. Add dried spices, stirring for a ~minute to release flavors. Don't let the spices burn. (You'll add broth shortly.)

Meat, broth, lentils & tomatoes
Cooked ground meat (above), 1 cup red lentils, 2 cups vegetable broth and 1x 14oz can crushed tomatoes.

Broth & tomatoes. A ~minute after adding dried spices, stir in vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes. Scrape any browned spices at the bottom of the pan, mixing into a consistent base.
Lentils and meat. Rinse lentils in cold water until run-off is clear. Add lentils and meat to the pan, still at medium-high heat. After a few minutes, reduce to low heat and partially cover. Let cook for 25-30min or until lentils soften. Add broth if needed to soften the lentils.

Final ingredients
1x 14oz can coconut milk, 3 TBSP unsweetened creamy almond butter, half a lemon juiced (or equivalent lemon juice) and 0.5 cups fresh chopped cilantro.

Coconut milk & almond butter. Once lentils are soft, remove the lid and add coconut milk and almond butter. Cook on low heat for another 5-10min or until the curry is thick and creamy.
Lemon juice & cilantro. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro (save just a bit for final garnishing) and turn off heat. Leave on simmer if you need additional time before serving. Adjust spices to taste.
Serve. Pair with cubed potatoes, Indian flatbread or rice, and garnish with leftover cilantro.

Variations: skip almond butter, substitute coconut oil for vegetable, add chopped / sauteed onions, separately boil lentils and add at end, etc.

Night #5: Latin American or "Narcos" Theme

March 1, 2024
35-40 attendees

Recipes: Papas Rellenas (50% elk / 50% moose), Empanadas, Steaks Chimichurri (elk and moose), Street Tacos and Paella.

One final elk night, then I'd (actually) hit the road for LA. Two friends planned to visit the weekend of March 1st from SF / LA. Forecasts projected heavy snowfall Friday night into Saturday morning, our third big storm cycle.

To level up the fifth (and final) elk night, we booked DJ Scutty, printed custom stickers, tripled the decorations and set a new party theme: Narcos Night with Latin American cuisine. Plus, we'd include challenging recipes like papas rellenas / paella and a return to steaks a la Chimichurri sauce.

After spending Thursday afternoon and Friday in the kitchen, I slipped away for Snow King's last $10 night skiing session (see Night #3, above). Thick snowfall filled the streets. My tundra slipped climbing the hill back to the house.

The next day, we shook off hangovers and drove to the Village. For the first time in my Jackson tenure, the mountain didn't opened. Record 48hr snowfall and high avalanche risk that patrollers couldn't mitigate. In lieu of skiing, we migrated to the Mangy Moose for an afternoon of dancing and avalanche probe limbo.

18) Papas Rellenas

Serves 16 papas rellenas, tracking with the original recipes. Scale as desired. For Night #5, I prepped ~50 papas rellenas or ~4x below.

Mashed potatoes
6-7 large russet potatoes (~1 bag) and cornstarch.

Peel potatoes. Check out these peeler tips, or try the boil method.
Boil potatoes. Add salt to the pot. Cube potatoes to speed up the boil. Remove when soft enough to pierce with a fork and drain well.
Vent. Most recipes suggested letting steam escape. Drier potatoes make for better dough. Can also add some cornstarch during mashing.
Mash. More than you'd usually mash, the gummier the better. I also added an egg to help bind the dough, recommended by a few recipes.
Vent again. Before refrigerating, I let the mashed potatoes sit, stirring / flipping a few times, so more steam could escape.

Sofrito (2 TBSP)
For 4-6 cups: 3 bell peppers, 3 Spanish or sweet onions, 1 head of garlic and a large bunch of cilantro. Traditionally, also recao / aji dulce peppers, but hard to find. (Sofrito's similar to French mirepoix or Cajun holy trinity.)

Process ingredients for blender. Quarter and remove stems / seeds from peppers. Peel and quarter onions. Peel garlic.
Blend. Until finely-minced. Store excess in the refrigerator or freezer (recipe below recommends freezing in ice cube trays for 1-2 TBSP servings).

Picadillo filling
0.5lbs ground meat, 2 TBSP sofrito (see above), 0.5 cups of tomato sauce, 2 TBSP chopped Spanish olives, 1 TSP adobo, 0.5 TSP garlic powder and dried oregano / salt / pepper to taste. (Recipes recommend potato chunks, but I skipped.)

Brown meat. I prefer slow cooking for elk on medium-low heat. I also aim for very fine meat particles, so lots of patient spatula chopping.
Add sofrito. Once meat's browned and finely chopped, add sofrito and sauté for a few minutes to let the flavor absorb. I'm pretty sure I doubled or tripled the suggested sofrito ratio (worth it).
Add remaining ingredients. Cook on medium-low heat, then reduce to simmer for at least 20-30 minutes. (Or longer if able.)

Assemble
Corn starch and a bowl of water. Room temp (or close) potatoes and picadillo.

De-stick hands. Lay out a bowl with some corn starch to apply to your hands, otherwise potatoes will stick.
Create balls. Take ~0.5 cup potatoes by hand and flatten into a disk. Scoop ~1 TBSP of picadillo into the center. Using hands, create a cup from the disk and close the top over the picadillo. Add some potatoes to the top if needed. Smooth ball by rolling in your hands. (Optional: some recipes recommend rolling the balls in panko breadcrumbs for an extra crunch.)
Store. I pre-made papas rellenas and refrigerated for later deep frying. I stored in large Tupperware, cornstarch between layers to minimize sticking.

Deep-fry
Oil suitable for frying. (Most people use vegetable / canola oil, but I substituted Avocado oil for a less artery-clogging result.)

Prepare. Fill a deep, heavy-bottom pot with oil, a bit deeper than the height of your papas rellenas. Insert a clip-on deep-frying thermometer (worthwhile purchase if you don't have one). Heat to 350°F.
Deep-fry. I recommend a splatter guard and spider for cleanest deep-frying. Gently lower a few papas rellenas into the hot oil with the spider (or a slotted spoon). Remove rellenas from the oil when golden brown.
Rest. Prepare a drying / cooling rack on a pan lined with paper towels (or similar set-up). Place the papas rellenas on the rack for a couple minutes.

Mayo-ketchup
Ketchup and mayonnaise.

Prepare. Mix equal parts ketchup and mayo for a traditional dipping sauce.
Serve. Serve papas rellenas with mayo-ketchup.

19) Empanadas

A full elk shoulder makes ~40 empanadas (+/- depending on filling ratios).

Slow cook shoulder
1 defrosted elk shoulder (can take 2-3 days to defrost in the fridge).

Liquids to keep shoulder moist: a bed of veggies (e.g., mirepoix) with less added liquids, or mostly submerging in water (neutral), beef broth (enhances natural flavor), cooking wine (less fitting for this recipe), etc.

Additions for flavor: pickled jalapeños, Latin spices, crushed garlic, etc.

Sear. I left the shoulder in it's butcher netting to hold form. Season with spices like paprika, cumin, salt and pepper (limited impact given the slow cooking and filling processes, below). Sear on high heat without oil to help keep moist through slow cooking. (Some recipes skip this step.)
Slow cook. Use a slow cooker or Dutch oven. If skipping veggies, partially submerge the shoulder in other liquids. We used ~3 containers of beef broth. (Alternatively, place the shoulder on a bed of sliced onions that you can reuse for filling and add ~1 container of broth.) Add additional flavors like pickled jalapenos / red pepper flakes for spice, crushed garlic cloves, lime / orange juice, etc. Don't go crazy at this stage, since the filling will be separately spiced later. (If serving the pulled elk directly after slow cooking, take more care with slow-cook flavors.) Cook at 200-230°F overnight or 8-12 hours.
Pull. For some reason, I struggled to pull this shoulder versus my 2nd attempt (Shoulder with Tortellini, above). Stiffer, I needed to let the shoulder cool and use my hands, in addition to forks, to separate strands and remove stubborn fat. More veggies (e.g., bed of onions) and broth might've helped.

Similar steps as the Shoulder with Pappardelle recipe (above).

Filling
Pulled elk shoulder.

Veggies: ~2 yellow onions, ~3 poblano peppers, small bag of frozen peas, 1 fresh jalapeno and a few minced garlic cloves.

Other: 1 small tin of tomato paste. Latin / universal seasonings (e.g., paprika, black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes and oregano) to taste. Olive / avocado oil. ~2 cups of beef broth (to deglaze).

Prep veggies. Wash and slice yellow onions (thin against the grain, not diced), poblano peppers (or bell for less spice) and jalapeno (skip for less spice). Mince garlic cloves.
Sauté veggies. Add onions and garlic first, medium-high heat with olive (or avocado) oil. After ~10min, add poblano peppers, cooking on medium-high heat until soft. De-glaze as needed with beef broth or more oil.
Other ingredients. Once veggies are tender, lower the heat and add tomato paste (to thicken and sweeten), frozen peas and seasoning to taste.
Add meat. Assuming your pan's large enough, add the pulled shoulder. We switched to a larger pan, swapping with the picadillo pan, once it hit the fridge to cool for papas rellenas. Adjust to taste: more cumin / paprika / black pepper for kick, beef broth for moisture, etc. You can also add cheese in the pan, or save for the assembly step.

Endless possibilities: improvise with other veggies, seasonings or themes. Steak and potato, sweet plantain and ground meat, breakfast with scrambled eggs (we made with leftovers later that week), etc.

Other cuts: if using ground meat instead of a pre-cooked cut, you'll want to brown separately. Can also slow-cook stew meat or cube rounds (similar steps without searing) and dice. Steak also works, but I usually save those cuts for cleaner recipes (e.g., Chimichurri, below).

Assembly & baking
4 packs of pre-made wrappers (10-pack, in frozen section). Filling (above). Egg wash. 1-2 cups of preferred cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, etc.).

Fill and fold. We used pre-made wrappers in the interest of time (like the eggrolls, above), versus our own dough, though I'm sure that'd be even better. Scoop a couple spoonfuls of filling into the middle of a circular wrapper, sprinkle cheese (if skipped above), then fold in half. Wet the edges with your finger (water bowl on the side). Using a fork, crimp the edges forming a half-moon empanada.
Egg wash. If baking, space empanadas on a pan (lined with aluminum foil for easy cleaning). Beat a few eggs in a bowl, and using a basting brush, spread wash evenly over the empanadas for a shiny, golden brown exterior.
Bake and serve. Bake at 400°F for ~15min, or until golden brown. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.

Alternatives: make your own dough (see linked recipe below), and for a crispier finish, pan- or deep-fry (see Papas Rellenas above for deep frying tips).

Empanadas prep and results (lefthand photo includes papa rellenas filling)

20) Steaks Chimichurri

Fills a small container, or enough garnishing for ~5 steaks. (We doubled for Elk Night #5.)

Chimichurri
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, 8 garlic cloves, 6 TBSP red wine vinegar (can substitute with lemon juice), 2 TSP dried oregano, 1.25 cups high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, 2 shallots (skip for more authentic recipe or substitute with ~half a yellow onion), 2 TSP red pepper flakes (or 1 fresh red chili if available) and 2 TSP salt.

De-stem parsley. Strip parsley leaves from the stems until you've filled the req'd number of cups.
Prep other veggies. Wash, peel and chop garlic, and if using, shallots and red chili(es) (also de-seed).
Process. Combine veggies with spices and all ingredients except olive oil. Add mixture to a processor, very slowly processing until diced, not blended. (Some recipes recommend chopping by hand.)
Combine with oil. After the processor, combine with oil and let sit, ideally for 2 hours to release all flavors, but at least 15min.

Very versatile: sauce can be used with chicken, shish-kebobs and basting, in addition to garnishing and as a side.

Steaks
Mix of elk and moose (donated by a friend) steaks, 4-5 total. Simple marinade: olive oil, fresh orange slices, salt / pepper and minced garlic.

Marinade. We used a simple marinade, substituting fresh orange slices for lemon juice as an acid. (Worked great.) We also skipped the typical soy / Worcestershire to avoid interfering with Chimichurri flavors. Marinade overnight, so oranges can tenderize the meat.
Pan-fry or grill. We pan-fried in olive oil to rare / medium-rare (a few minutes each side on high heat). To develop a sear, don't use too much oil. Slice and top with Chimichurri. (Or guests can DIY.) Optional: baste with Chimichurri before cooking, just be careful not to contaminate the main dish.

21) Street Tacos

Makes ~30 tacos.

Steak
1 package cube rounds. Marinade: 2-3 cups orange juice (or fresh slices) (substitute with lemon / pineapple juice if desired), 2 TBSP lime juice, 1-2 minced garlic cloves and Latin spices (we used salt, black pepper, ground cumin and cayenne pepper; see Empanadas, above, for more ideas).

Marinade. Combine steaks with marinade ingredients in a gallon ziplock. Marinade overnight or 8 hours. (Our bias is longer marinades for elk meat, but whatever time you have.)
Pan-fry. Pre-heat pan to high heat and drop in steaks. Add oil if needed, but you should have enough sticking to steaks from the marinade. Too much oil prevents searing. 4-5min on each side should be enough. When you see a golden-brown crust, remove. Thin slice.

Alternatives: grill steaks on medium-high heat. Slow cook lower-quality cuts with marinade.

Serve
1 bag corn taco tortillas. Toppings: 1 fresh diced white onion, fresh cilantro leaves, salsa(s), guacamole, shredded cheese, fresh lime wedges, sour cream, hot sauce, etc. (Improvise toppings to your preference.)

Fresh. Peel and dice fresh onions. Pull fresh cilantro leaves off stems. Cut fresh limes into wedges. Alternatives: cabbage, fresh chopped or pickled jalapenos, shredded lettuce, pickled onions, etc.
Other ingredients. Salsa, guac, shredded cheese, etc. Serve any desired topping alongside your steak and tortillas.
Tortillas. If able, heat in the microwave, covered with a wet paper towel (or grill in aluminum foil if used for steaks).
Serve. Let guests DIY with steak, tortillas and toppings.

Other options: sauté onions and poblano peppers, swap steaks for ground meat adding similar spices from the marinade, etc.

22) Paella

Makes a medium pan of Paella. (We doubled.)

Steak
1-2 steaks. Olive oil. Salt and pepper.

Marinade. I recommend an overnight marinade if possible. Simple ingredients like olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic and salt / pepper.
Cook. Pan fry until medium-rare using olive oil as needed (less oil leads to a better sear). Thin slice and set aside for final Paella steps.

Veggies
1 diced yellow onion, 2 diced bell peppers (your preference on color), 3-4 minced garlic cloves, fresh parsley leaves and 1x 8oz can chopped tomatoes. Spices: crushed bay leaves, 1 TSP paprika, 1 pinch saffron threads (most important ingredient) and salt / pepper to taste.

Prepare. Peel, wash and / or de-seed onions and peppers. Dice. Mince fresh garlic. Remove parsley leaves from stems and chop.
Sauté. Add to the large skillet on medium-high heat with olive oil and sauté until onions are translucent and peppers soft.
Other veggies. Add tomatoes, fresh parsley leaves and a bag of frozen peas. Add spices. Cook for ~5min on medium heat.

Combine & serve
0.25 cups white wine (cooking wine or whatever's on hand), 2 cups Spanish rice (or other medium grain), 5 cups chicken broth. Thin-sliced cooked steak (above), 0.5lb peeled & cooked jumbo shrimp and 0.5 cups frozen peas.

Wine. Add white wine, stir and cook another ~10min on medium heat. Add spices to taste as desired.
Broth and rice. Add rice and chicken broth. Stir gently (for the last time) to distribute rice and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and cook uncovered for ~20min. Avoid stirring to allow a crust to form at the bottom of the pan, known as socarrat. Give the pan a gentle shake 2-3 times at most. If the rice isn't fully cooked, add broth and extend cooking time.
Final ingredients. Add steak and cooked shrimp to the top of the mixture and give a gentle shake. Cook for another ~5min.
Serve. Remove from heat and allow ~10min for cooling. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

Many paella variations possible, but saffron and undisturbed cooking after broth / rice are common threads.

Runner-up Recipes

More select recipes from our "brainstorming" list for inspiration:

Lo Mein
Swedish Meatballs
Pho
Stromboli
Meat Pies
French Dip Squares
Quesadillas
Bon Mi
Bourguignon
Dumplings
Risotto
Croquetas
Pizza
Burger Sliders
Korean BBQ
Cuban Sliders

Endless possibilities...