
Mature elk can be appreciably fatter than live weight guidelines recommend (Figure 3).

Younger animals display the most desirable carcass composition. They should be young (ideally less than 30 months of age) and selected for rapid growth rate and superior muscle conformation. Producers must ensure that if the market emphasis is on leanness and tenderness the animals put forward for slaughter must qualify. This may be desirable from a nutritional standpoint, but that high iron/hemoglobin content along with their practise of “wet-ageing’ in vacuum pacs tends to make venison taste coppery and feel like the liver. Red deer venison and particularly the New Zealand product has a much higher iron content than North American wapiti. Wapiti meat has one distinct advantage over New Zealand red deer venison or Cervena in its texture. Most of our current knowledge of venison qualities is based on information from New Zealand regarding red deer, but most of the information is applicable also to farmed elk. There is a distinct advantage to selling as “elk” or “wapiti” rather than generic “venison”, since the supply of elk is more limited, and the name venison is commonly associated either with the variable quality of hunter-killed wildlife or with imported red deer venison.

Elk meat may be sold as “elk” or as “wapiti”. Elk meat is not the cheapest form of meat and not found everywhere, but it can be ordered through us here at .North American Elk farmers are still developing the business of a consistent supply of quality meat products for the food and hospitality trade. To some degree, the health value of any meat is influenced by the chemicals, hormones and other additives used to improve the quality and lifespan of the meat, and the same is true for elk meat. In addition to its health benefits, some consumers find elk meat to be more flavorful and appetizing than beef. Excess sodium intake can increase your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Although the recommended intake or sodium is 2,300 milligrams per day, the American Heart Association recommends you aim to eat only 1,500 milligrams per day. By contrast, elk is very low in sodium, at 65 milligrams, or 3 percent, of your daily recommended limit. Each serving has over 60 milligrams of cholesterol, or 21 percent of your daily recommended allowance - not a small number, but on par with other types of meat. Zinc helps boost your immune system and reduces the length and severity of the common cold.Įlk meat features no carbohydrates, including sugars and dietary fiber. Elk is very high in selenium, phosphorous and zinc. Vitamin B-12 can help reduce your risk of heart disease and dementia and increase your energy levels, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Harvard School of Public Health reports that protein foods can help lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer.Įlk meat also features several vitamins, including over 100 percent of your daily recommended dose of vitamin B-12, 15 percent of iron, 20 percent of thiamine, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin B-6, 45 percent of riboflavin and 30 percent of niacin, according to the Grande Premium Meats website. This is slightly more than chicken and several grams per serving more than beef. Although the exact protein content can depend on the type of meat and fat content of the cut, the average cut of elk meat contains about 30.6 grams of protein per 3.5-ounce serving. In this regard, elk products can meet and even surpass the protein content of other types of meat. One of meat's greatest contributions to your diet is its high protein content. This an insignificant amount of fat, and far less than the same-size serving of beef, which has 8.2 grams of fat, 3 of which are saturated. Of these, 26 come from fat, which comprises about 3 grams - about 6 percent of your daily fat allowance only about 1 gram is saturated. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database. One serving contains about 148 calories, according to the U.S.
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Healthy eaters may also appreciate that elk meat is considered a valuable source of protein.Ī 3.5-ounce serving of free range elk meat, or roughly 100 grams, is relatively low in both calories and fats. This meat has a different taste than beef - which some consumers find preferable. Many farms raise elk to sell as food, and in some parts of the country restaurants offer elk steak as a main course. Elk is not among the most commonly raised and consumed meats in the United States, but there is a market for the game meat.
