Hunting & Cooking: Elk Pho

One of the perks of harvesting your own animal is the opportunity to utilize different parts of the animal. An elk can provide a family with a freezer full of various steaks, ground meat for hamburger or sausage, and cuts for roasts, stews, and even homemade jerky. Expanding past the basic harvesting narrative of steaks and burgers, a hunter can also process and prepare meals from the heart, tongue, kidneys, and liver.

Beyond cooking, other parts of the animal can be used for a variety of purposes. The list is only bound by the limits of one’s creativity. I have seen antlers, horns, feathers, and teeth manipulated into gorgeous jewelry pieces. The ivory teeth from elk make incredibly beautiful rings or pendants. Antlers are fantastic yard art. There are even projects like crafting a Christmas tree from antlers.

One of my favorite extras from harvesting my own game is homemade stock. I try and make as much stock as possible from any animal I hunt, such as pheasant, chukars, wild turkey, elk, and deer. The process is pretty much the same every time, roast the bones and any desired supplemental vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, and season to fit the desired recipe.

For this elk pho, the bone stock is seasoned with coriander, lots of star anise, and salty fish sauce. The marrow from the elk bones adds hearty fat to the broth and makes for a silky and smooth texture. The elk steak is gently cooked using the homemade stock and then the entire bowl is seasoned to one’s personal desires. I personally like to make mine sweet and salty with the hoisin and soy sauce, then kick up the heat with chili paste and fresh jalapeno slices. And of course, you can’t forget the fresh basil leaves, crunchy bean sprouts, and a squeeze of tangy lime wedges.

Stock ingredients

Suggested garnishes and condiments

Instructions

Lindsey Bartosh is an eighth-generation Moab girl who loves hiking, hunting, fishing, cooking, writing, photography and working on her website: www.huntingandcooking.com.