Last week I said I was going to write a series of articles on cooking deer meat. The recipe on today’s two cuts will apply to antelope, deer, elk and moose. It’s just that on the latter two that the cuts will be a whole lot larger.

Since I cook them almost the same, I’m going to combine the recipe for the tri-tips and flank steaks together in this article. I’m betting 99% of hunters grind the tri-tip into hamburger or sausage and I bet 99.999% of the hunters leave the flank steaks for the coyotes. This is a shame since these two cuts make great appetizers.

Once you learn how to properly cook these two cuts you’re going to really look forward to eating them every year and wish that they were larger. Sorta along the same order of what my old Meats Lab professor said years ago. “Due to the sudden popularity of chicken wings, chicken farmers now wish that chickens had six wings instead of two!”

First things first though. Where the heck is the flank steak and tri-tip located!!! It is going to be hard to describe with words. At best I will do a mediocre job describing the process so find a meat cutter and have them show you in person.

Lets start with the flank. When you make the slice in the belly line to eviscerate your deer, starting up near the crotch you will cut between the two flanks. At the top it comes to a point and as you cut towards the chest they will flare out in a tear drop shape. Remove them and pull/cut off the heavy tissue on top and bottom.

Look at the patella bond (knee cap). The big tear dropped muscle below the patella bone is the knuckle. About ½ to 1/3 down the muscle you will notice a muscle overlaying the knuckle. Slowly make a shallow cut at the top and both sides of the tri-tip.

At the top it will come almost to a point and it will flare out and curl around the knuckle as you move down. It will curl in under the knuckle. When you remove it, it will somewhat resemble an ice cream cone due to its shape.

Here’s how I cook them. To begin, marinate both cuts in your favorite marinate. I use a vinegarrette or zest Italian dressing for about 4-hours or more. I poke the meat with a fork so it absorbs the marinade better. Then lay on a plate and heavily sprinkle on some McCormich coarse seasoning.

Chop up finely some onion and green peppers and lay on the flank. Roll it up and pin it together with toothpicks. You can soak the toothpicks in water to prevent toasting them.

Lay both cuts on your smoker for 30-45 minutes and then turn up the heat to finish cooking. After smoking for 30-45 minutes, they won’t take long to finish off. I like mine about medium. Pull off and slice paper thin. You will love these. On deer and antelope, they’re not very big but still, they make awesome appetizers. You’re going to love them.