Tough Antelope

[wytex]

https://www.brokenarrowranch.com/Articles/AgingWildGameMeat.htm Check this site out. I found it to be right on if you have the means to follow their reccomendations.

 

[Wally Dog]

Antelope is the best tasting, tenderest big game I've eaten and it's also the worst, toughest big game I've ever eaten.

 

[jtm307]

I haven't read every response so I may be repeating something already said. If I were in your shoes, I'd throw the backstraps in the freezer for a year before eating them. I'm used to antelope being the tenderest meat I have in my freezer. Last month I had a fresh [old] doe backstrap and pronghorn sirloin from last year. The sirloin was as tender as anything I've had, but the backstrap, cooked medium rare, was tough as well-done beef. I think a year in the freezer would have been a significant improvement. I seem to recall Steven Rinella saying his brother doesn't touch moose meat until at least 6 months after it's been in the freezer. I think there's something to that.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I haven't read every response so I may be repeating something already said. If I were in your shoes, I'd throw the backstraps in the freezer for a year before eating them. I'm used to antelope being the tenderest meat I have in my freezer. Last month I had a fresh [old] doe backstrap and pronghorn sirloin from last year. The sirloin was as tender as anything I've had, but the backstrap, cooked medium rare, was tough as well-done beef. I think a year in the freezer would have been a significant improvement. I seem to recall Steven Rinella saying his brother doesn't touch moose meat until at least 6 months after it's been in the freezer. I think there's something to that.

Just make sure it has been vacuum sealed so it doesn't get freezer burn.

 

[406LIFE]

Bring up this old thread because I remembered it and the antelope shot yesterday. I put the back straps on the grill they are the toughest thing I've ever eaten. I was supremely disappointed. Now it makes me suspicious of the rest of it.

 

[wyoboypt]

Anytime you eat meat from a fresh kill, it is tougher. For some reason it gets better after going to the butcher where it hangs until it’s ready to be cut, then butchered and frozen. I like to thaw the steaks and leave them in the fridge for a few days and they get even more tender. Hard to beat antelope steak.

 

[Wrong Burgundy]

I shot an antelope on Friday, and it is the toughest animal I've ever eaten. I had some backstrap on Friday night, and the steak (cooked rare to medium rare) was hard to bite through. Rather than butchering it right away like I usually do, I left it in the cooler with block ice (the meat stayed dry) until tonight and the (uncooked) backstraps and other muscles are still hard as a rock.

I've never dealt with an animal this tough before. Freezing it will (hopefully) help some, but as of right now the whole thing is going to be turned into burger & sausage, and even that I'm worried about being too tough. Since I don't have climate-controlled storage, long term aging doesn't seem like a possibility. What are my options?

This may or may not help, but I have had some tougher cuts off a mule deer buck, etc. that I used this packet marinade on and it made it much more tender. I left it in there for about 2-3 hours, removed the meat, dried it and right before grilling to medium rare, some salt and pepper. Rested it for about 8-10 minutes, and it was quite good. That is a bummer to hear, as antelope is arguably one of the best tasting meats around from my experience.

 

[TheJason]

Read this

 

[sbhooper]

I have shot quite a few antelope and I have never had any that were as tough as deer, or elk. That is one reason that we have always liked the antelope so much. Hard to say why yours was tough. Old animal, maybe? A jaccard does wonders for tenderness, when used on the steaks.

 

[Irrelevant]

For those that have had super tough ones, did you de-bone prior to rigor setting in?

 

[JEL]

Read this

Interesting read JLS. Thanks for posting.

 

[TheJason]

For those that have had super tough ones, did you de-bone prior to rigor setting in?

I've boned out a lot of animals prior to rigor mortis setting in. That's not the issue. The issue in the article I referenced is not allowing the full process to complete by cooling too quickly.

 

[WildWill]

Read this

Good stuff thanks for posting.

 

[Arcola]

I've had luck wet aging tough animals. Vacuum seal and place in fridge for a week.

Day 7, open and drain liquid. Reseal and repeat up to 3 weeks total.

Tip: start with a bag that is a few inches too long, so you can reseal the same bag multiple times. Otherwise you'll use four rolls.

 

[Jape]

Read this

Agreed. You either need to age it so the enzymes break down the meat, throw it in a brine or something to accomplish that, or tenderize it yourself. Rinella did a short video on this: