Antelope with 8 Legs
Grilled Antelope Steak – Surf and Turf Style! Embark on a culinary adventure with my unconventional yet utterly delicious grilled antelope steak and octopus fusion. I created this concoction that marries steak and octopus for my brother-in-law's bachelor party weekend where I spent a few days cooking for a group of hungry guys who were willing to try just about anything as long as they could wash it down with lots of beer.I used antelope steak for this recipe, but you could use elk, deer, or even beef.HOW TO COOK OCTOPUSOctopus is just one of those proteins that seems to make people squeamish. If you’ve never tried it before, you should know that octopus can be notoriously tough and rubbery. Boiling is the most common way to soften the meat, and that’s the step I found most successful. The more wet the surface of the protein is, the harder it is to get a decent sear (due to the Maillard reaction). The only way to counteract that is to add in the extra step of drying the octopus in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours before searing. WHAT DOES ANTELOPE TASTE LIKEWhenever I’m asked what my favorite game meat is, I always quickly blurt out the word – antelope! And that bold statement also rings true for my wife and daughter.I believe antelope, more correctly known as the American Pronghorn, is the best-tasting game meat there is. No matter what you've heard, I'm here to tell you antelope meat has the most tender texture and a sweet, mild flavor. My whole family agrees we would take pronghorn antelope meat over elk, whitetail, or mule deer any day of the week!The key is getting the meat cooled down right away, instead of driving around for hours with the carcass in the back of your pickup truck. Get that animal quartered and in a cooler with some ice right away! But the most important step to great tasting antelope is dry aging it. The best way to describe dry aging is that you are slowly removing moisture and allowing enzymes in the meat to break down connective tissue, tenderizing it. I dry age our antelope backstraps and hindquarters for two weeks. Then before cooking it, we tenderize the steak with a Jaccard meat tenderizer. The result is a fork-tender steak that can compete and win over any cut of beef you'd find in a good steakhouse.HOW TO COOK ANTELOPE WITH 8 LEGS1. On a cutting board, tenderize the steak using a Jaccard meat tenderizer, then set aside at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before cooking.2. Thaw frozen octopus and rinse well. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a 6-quart pot. Add octopus to water with 1/4 cup salt and juice from 1 lemon. Boil for 10 minutes.3. Drain water and set octopus on paper towel in the fridge for about 2-3 hours. The drier they are, the more char you will get without overcooking them.4. Coat antelope backstrap with 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Grill over high heat until internal temperature is 130 degrees F using an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove and let rest for about 10 minutes.5. While the antelope steak is resting, toss boiled octopus with 1/4 cup olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and grill over high heat for about 5 minutes.6. Slice antelope backstrap on a clean cutting board with a sharp knife and arrange on plate with grilled octopus. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and enjoy.MORE ANTELOPE RECIPESIf you are looking for more recipes for your pronghorn antelope, check out my Antelope Bulgogi and my Pronghorn Antelope Steak and Panzanella Salad.MORE GREAT VENISON RECIPESIf you are looking for more great ideas on how to cook with some of that venison in your freezer, be sure and check out these family favorites:Easy Pizza Roll UpsDeer BBQ Sandwiches with Pimento CheeseShawarma Spiced Deer ShanksVenison Rogan JoshVenison Shank Frito PieVenison Tikka MasalaVenison Pinchos MorunosCONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYDid you make this Antelope with 8 Legs Recipe? I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of this dish and all of your wild game and fish creations. Be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #wildgameandfish and tagging me @wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Antelope with 8 Legs Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
- 1 pound antelope backstrap
- 2 pounds frozen baby octopus
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 fresh lemon
- 1/4 cup salt plus 2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- On a cutting board, tenderize the steak using a Jaccard meat tenderizer, then set aside at room temperature for up to 30 minutes before cooking.
- Thaw frozen octopus and rinse well. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a 6-quart pot. Add octopus to water with 1/4 cup salt and juice from 1 lemon. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Drain water and set octopus on paper towel in the fridge for about 2-3 hours. The drier they are, the more char you will get without overcooking them.
- Coat antelope backstrap with 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Grill over high heat until internal temperature is 130 degrees F using an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove and let rest for about 10 minutes.
- While the antelope steak is resting, toss boiled octopus with 1/4 cup olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and grill over high heat for about 5 minutes.
- Slice antelope backstrap on a clean cutting board with a sharp knife and arrange on plate with grilled octopus. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and enjoy.
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