Smoked Elk Rack With Blueberry Sauce
Smoked elk rack cooked low and slow and finished with a sweet‑tart blueberry sauce. A tender, wild game centerpiece inspired by pitmaster Chuck Matto.
Smoked Elk Rack With Blueberry Sauce
This recipe comes to us from Chuck Matto, the Bay Area pitmaster behind Chuck’s Flavor Train and a friend of Montana Knife Company.
4
15 minutes
60 minutes
420
American
Main Dish
I’ve been a fan of elk ever since I tried my first backstrap from Bud’s Custom Meats in Penngrove, California. That single bite hooked me on wild game for good. This smoked elk with blueberry sauce is my ode to that first taste, with a blueberry sauce that pairs perfectly with the rich, lean meat.
A rack of elk, frenched and smoked low and slow, makes a tender, smoky centerpiece that’ll steal the show at any dinner table. The blueberry sauce brings a sweet-tart contrast that cuts through the meat’s richness without drowning it out.
Ingredients
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1 rack of elk, frenched
2 cups blueberries
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef stock
1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic, minced with a sharp, clean knife
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. all-purpose rub
4 Tbsp. olive oil
Directions
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Coat the elk rack with two tablespoons of olive oil, making sure to cover all sides evenly. Apply your all-purpose rub generously across the entire surface. Let the seasoned rack sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before it hits the smoker.
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Place the seasoned elk rack on your smoker at 225°F. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 115°F, about 35–45 minutes depending on the thickness of your rack.
The searing and resting steps that follow will bring this elk with blueberry sauce to the proper final temperature.
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Start this step about 10 minutes into the smoke. Combine two cups of blueberries, one clove of minced garlic, half a cup of beef stock, one cup of red wine, a quarter cup of brown sugar, and one sprig of rosemary in a small saucepot. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Crush the blueberries with the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Continue simmering on low heat for 10–15 minutes until the sauce reduces by about a third. Remove from heat and set aside.
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Once the elk reaches 115°F internal, pull it from the smoker. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Sear the elk on all sides until the internal temperature reaches 123°F.
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Let the elk rest for five minutes before slicing. The temperature will climb to about 127–128°F during the rest. Use a sharp kitchen knife to slice between the bones and serve drizzled with that blueberry sauce.
