Grilled Elk Chops with Jalapeño Ranch Sauce

While I normally remove the loin from large game like deer and elk and either package it as roasts or cut into individual steaks, I sometimes like to change things up a bit and make bone-in chops, particularly with elk and their larger backstrap muscle. 

The process is simple with a skinned animal. First, decide how long you want your bones. They can be as short as just outside the loin muscle or as long as full ribs. Or anything in between. Once you've decided a bone length, cut the length of the rib section at that point. To free the loin from the spine, cut down along the inside of the loin where it rests against the backbone to where the rib attaches. Use a saw to cut through the rib just outside the backbone. You can leave several bones attached as a crown roast, or cut between each bone for individual steaks. 

If you hunt in a CWD zone, I strongly advise leaving the back section whole until you have a negative CWD test. I always advise against sawing through bone, particularly around the spine, until you know for certain that your animal is CWD free. 

For these elk chops, we seasoned with a simple spice rub, then grilled them on our Traeger until they hit medium rare. We then mixed up one of my favorite wild game sauces  — a creamy, spicy jalapeño ranch. Drizzle the sauce over the finished steaks just before serving.