ELK Lasagna

I started this dinner last hunting season... I shot my first elk. I have hunted deer, pigs, an alligator and birds but an elk was a dream come true for two reasons. One, for the excitement, my heart was beating so hard, ohhhhh... and two, for the meat! I love ELK MEAT! Elk meat is lean and flavorful.

Even though I live on a cattle ranch I used venison and elk meat a lot... like 90% of the time (Okay we do have an outfitting business too... Four Horse Outfitters! Let me know if you are interested) So today, I made lasagna with ground elk meat.

My meat sauce starts with browning the meat and adding seasoning... I really like flavoring the meat as if I would eat it alone! I add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic and Italian seasoning (Basil, rosemary, thyme and parsley).

I cook it long enough that all of the 'juice' is cooked off...

Chop onions, mushrooms and green pepper... and cook in oil and butter... salt and pepper!
(Matt loves olives so I add them at the end with the parsley...)

Cook it so that the onions are translucent then you can add the garlic... make sure that the peppers and mushrooms have some color... Color is FLAVOR!

Add Whole San Marzano Style Tomatoes... I have heard so much about them... they are sweeter and less acidic and they are from a small town of San Marzano sul Sarno, near Naples, Italy where the soil goes the best plants! One of these day I am taking a trip... goal? To eat and drink! ***Day Dreaming!

Now it needs to simmer... the tomatoes will break down. For a little more intense flavor I add tomato paste...

You will see how bright the color was when I added the tomatoes. As you cook it down it will be deeper in color and it picks up all of the good bits from the bottom of the pan... You can add the meat now. I add a lot because thats how the cowboys like it... also the more you cook the veggies before adding the tomatoes and simmer for a long time the less the guys see the veggies but you get all of the flavor...

*** If I made this for me I would have added red wine... My guys don't like wine in cooking so I guess I save it for another day!

And I love anything herb-y... grass-y...

In a sauce pan, add four tablespoons of butter and melt...

Add the same amount of flour as butter.... and whisk!

Salt and Pepper... whisk in milk... Just enough simmering away as it thickens. I love this roux in place of ricotta. Have you ever tried this before... It makes it stable and you can cut through it. I like it so much more than ricotta.

Okay... grab a spoon and make sure that it "grips" a spoon... you will get it.

Meanwhile... boil water and salt it for the pasta.

I think that we are ready to put this together...

Okay... If you do not know me... I have a confession!

I AM THE CHEAPEST PERSON YOU WILL EVER MEET!

BUT... get fresh good mozzarella please...

And slice it....

Sauce, noodles, sauce, white sauce, mozzarella, parmesan... again and again... top with anything left over! Kinda sounds like a dance...

Right? Right!

I am sorry... They ate it before I could take a baked finished product... OH Buckets!

Garlic bread and a nice salad! Happy Hunting! Thank you for checking in... Blog  you soon!