Photo courtesy of Field to Grill
November 24, 2025
By Rydell Danzie
Print Recipe
Elk backstrap is a prized piece of meat that requires hot and fast cooking. See how Rydell Danzie of Field 2 Grill cranks up the heat for a juicy and tender meal.
Elk Backstrap Serves: 4-6 people Total time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
2-3 pounds of elk backstrap (1/2 pound per person) Any rub/seasonings that suit your tastes Cactus (nopales) Handfull of serrano peppers, chopped Yellow onion 3 cloves of garlic, chopped Coconut oil Directions:
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Gather all of your ingredients and pull your backstrap from the fridge. Let the meat sit out while you prep the other ingredients. Cut up your nopales/cactus and cook them in the same pan (hopefully a cast iron) that you will eventually cook the elk in. Cook them on high just until the liquid starts to cook out. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cut up the remaining ingredients and set aside. In a separate pan, pour about 3 tablespoons of Coconut oil and add your serrano peppers, onions and garlic. Cook these at about a med-high. While that is cooking, take whatever rub you like and generously rub all over the backstrap. You really can’t go wrong here. I chose a sweeter rub since I was using a ton of heat with the serrano peppers. Uncover the cactus that you started with and turn the heat to high. Push the cactus off to the sides of the pan and add another tablespoon of Coconut oil. Place your backstrap in the hot pan, searing on all sides (including the ends). This will take about two minutes on each side. You should be at a temperature between 130-140 (definitely no more than 140) Remove your backstrap and tent with foil (let it sit for about seven minutes). The center should still be pink and have a slight chill to it. If you don’t like it that rare, tint it for 10-12 minutes. Slice the backstrap and serve with the vegetables.
