Grilled Caribou Steaks

Caribou is lean. Really lean. Without proper treatment those steaks will turn to leather on a grill, which is why this recipe leans hard on a 24-hour red wine bath and a coat of bacon fat before the meat ever sees fire. The wine tenderizes while ginger and hot pepper sauce season deep into the muscle fibers.

The bacon drippings rubbed on right before grilling are the move that pulls this together. Caribou has almost no marbling, so external fat is what creates the sear and keeps the surface from drying out over the coals. Pat the steaks dry first or that fat will steam instead of crisp.

Medium-rare is a hard rule with venison and caribou. Push past that and the meat seizes up. Pull steaks off the grill when they still give to gentle thumb pressure. The basting sauce passed at the table lets each guest dial the wine depth to their liking.

Pro Tips

• Nick the edges of each steak with a knife before grilling to keep them from curling on the grates.
• Let steaks come to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling. Cold meat seizes on the hot grill.
• Reserve some marinade before adding the raw meat for a clean basting sauce. Anything that touched raw meat should boil for several minutes before serving.
• Rest the steaks 5 minutes off heat under loose foil so the juices settle.

Variations

• Swap caribou for elk, moose, or venison loin. Cook times and method stay the same.
• Add crushed juniper berries and rosemary to the marinade for a Nordic forest flavor.
• Finish with compound butter made from blue cheese and shallots for a steakhouse spin.