Beef or Sheep?
Wild Sheep
I know the answer to that question! I just finished cooking a strip steak and a few ewe sheep steaks. I’m no fine cook, but it’s hard to believe how significant the difference is. It never ceases to amaze me.
Knowing everyone has access to different game and certainly different opinions made me wonder what everyone’s number one game meat is?
As of this year ram steaks are #1 on my list. Good stuff!
I shot a young caribou years ago that was the best game meat I ever tasted! It was a sad day when I pulled the last package out of the freezer.....
My son with a nice yellowfin
My son with a nice yellowfin
No sheep ram or moose in va so I'm stuck with venison. But on the other hand I get to eat fresh yellowfin tuna all summer so it kinda makes up for it
I’m on the wild sheep camp as well hard to beat.
Elk, antelope, and deer are all I’ve ever had. Elk and lope tie for first with mule deer being last.
I shot a fawn antelope once that was the best ever. Oryx is next. Calf or yearling cow elk right up there too.
Definitely moose for me.....I thought bison was good but the moose even topped that.
Moose is my favorite N American game that I’ve had, but we had several different African plains game dishes, while on safari that were unbelievable.
Am I the only one that saw this?
For turf, Caribou is the best I've had with Moose being a close second. My whitetail venison is really good also if you don't shoot the older ones.( I tend to shoot some smaller ones) ;-)
Being close to Lake Erie and having a boat I also have a lot of walleye fillets when it comes to surf.
Pronghorn is my favorite although I've never had sheep.
I've taken Elk, Caribou, Bear, Mule Deer, Whitetail, Hogs, Buffalo, Exotic Sheep (Mouflan), Antelope, Axis & Fallow Deer. Buffalo, elk, Caribou, Axis are for me ALL excellent. Everything else BUT Sheep is good.. Sheep, what I have had is NASTY.. Buffalo & Caribou is a toss up for "best".
You need to go easy on those Red Bull/vodka shooters, sitO! ;-)
I'm on the Kratom now, it's all methed up
Zebra killer , I have heard those and black buck are the best on the continent. Of course not native. For native animals a properly handled moose is my favorite . My first AK moose we were sloppy and got rutted up pissy hair on the meat. And most of the meat tasted that way. Next time I knew to be more careful and what a difference. Eland, Zebra, are excellent too. But I love all venison. I have never been served any domestic sheep that I could get past the smell. Lamb or sheep. Never eaten wild sheep
Tough one. Bison, orynx (tough meat), sheep, gator (REALLY good), cow elk
re deer meat it depends on feed imo. I've eaten older bucks that were corn-fed and sweet, younger soybean-fed that were also delicious. Acorn-fed, meh. Winter browse? No thanks!
Our family generally has a mix of elk, deer [whitetail and mule deer], and antelope every year. Once in a while we get some Moose from friends. Never had caribou or sheep.... in our taste tests, antelope is always near the top. Cow elk, too... I would like to try sheep.
“ I shot a fawn antelope once that was the best ever.”
Fawn mignon of about any specie is going to be hard to beat. I had a friend one time kill a pair of 40 pound whitetail with milk mustaches. Hung them from the rafter of the garage, jerked the hide off almost without a knife and threw the back straps straight on the grill. You aren’t going to beat that with any mature animal.
I think the very best meat I've ever eaten was Mt. Lion. Elk tender loin is darn tough to beat tho.
I’m on the wild sheep camp as well hard to beat.
Dall Sheep up on the mountain after days of eating freeze dried food!
Dall Sheep up on the mountain after days of eating freeze dried food!
Not sure I have a favorite as it really depends on the cut and how it is prepared, I love it all. But wild sheep is hard to beat.
I've bow killed both a ram and ewe bighorn. The December rutting ram was better eating than the ewe. Go figure. But sheep not even in my top 5.
Posted the before so I'll make it short.
Cooked a Dall backstrap and a big bull caribou backstrap. Kept them separate and 2 guides, the outfitter, and 2 clients spent 10 minutes arguing before they decided which was which. They did get it right.
Wow my dall tasted muttony. It was edible but not great. Moose tops my list.
The one bighorn sheep I had was excellent. I didn’t like caribou. I like elk, oryx, and antelope quite a bit.
Overall, since the op asked beef or sheep? I’m going with grain fed beef every time! Lol
Alfalfa fed antelope is probably the best red meat on earth.
Agreed Butcherboy!….Nothing better than a well marbled ribeye.
Altitude Sickness……I’m not much of a fan of mutton, either, but we had some lamb chops grilled over a wood fire at a braai (South African BBQ) when we were on Safari. They were unbelievably good. They were grilled medium-well. No hint at all of that muttony smell or taste. Kind of reminded me of a well seared ribeye.
Definitely a good beef fillet over sheep.
On a derail the thread note
It’s funny how in every part of the nation hunters complain about not getting their entire game animal back from the processor.
If any knowledgeable processor was stealing meat, they would steal beef.
People shoot an animal 2 times, drag it through the dirt, drive it around in a truck then think a 150 deer will produce 100 pounds of meat.
I don't know how you can eat Pronghorn antelope, the two I had were awful. They were taken care of pronto, dog wouldn't eat them.
Moose at the top for me from the species I’ve had. Elk second. And whitetail right behind it. Man I used to not like deer so much because we ate so much of it growing up but I actually really look forward to it now. I’m weird but I’m putting caribou behind deer. I feel like I can actually taste lichen. If anyone could donate some wild sheep to my cause I will gladly revise my list. Just haven’t tried it. But then you can have a true unmolested opinion on it, because it won’t have a 30k price tag attached to it ;)
As for the beef thing, it’s a no brainer, but I view beef a little like potato chips. I have much healthier options in the freezer that should comprise most of my diet, but dang it, I sure do like a big ol fatty bone-in ribeye every now n then.
Altitude sickness, spot on! I agree 100%
Altitude I’ve had beef done about 6 different places over the past 5 years. I’ve yields anywhere from 48-70% of the carcass weight. I understand some of that can be how much bone in you have and what the animal is. That said my beef is all very similar and fed with the same formula. I know two of those guys that yielded below 50% were taking meat. I was at ones house as he was grilling steaks and he told me if he didn’t ever raise beef he was buying mine as it looked the best. I have no doubt that’s what he had on his grill at the moment. His dad later fired him for steeling cash. The other outfit was a mess I just didn’t learn about them until after I used them. In this covid mess of trying to get animals in I’ve had to use some far enough from home that I didn’t know their reputation. I agree most don’t steal meat but some sure enough do. Now that I’ve gotten the processors within 2 hours figured out there’s about 4 out of the 6 that I’ll use in the future. The one that was eating my steaks was selling half a beef a week on Facebook. I have no doubt he was skimming 10% off every beef and coming up with halves to sell. It’s no different than any business, there’s dishonest folks in every industry. I dropped live animals off at these places and they weren’t drug through the mud. I get your point though that many probably do lose meat from their own poor field care.
Antelope seems to be a mystery wrapped in an enigma..... =D
The lope I've had was awesome and I'd have to put it at the top of my list of wild game, at least that I've tried. I know folks like above who fed it to their dogs, couldn't eat it. How that is I don't know, the guys referenced know how to care for game. Maybe rutted up or what they've been eating? Don't know.
Haven't had NA sheep, but have had feral sheep and that was real good. Strange enough, eaten a bunch of mouflon sheep and would rate it between mule deer and feral goat.
A dead heat for second is axis deer and elk. Then it gets animal dependent combined with who's the chef with a side order of how starving I am. Have gone back and forth. Young is always gonna beat old. Kinda makes sense as both animals are grazers rather than browsers. In many ways axis are just mini-elk.
Moose was excellent too, and hands down by far my favorite browsers. Which moves a good deal of other venison farther down the list..... =D
I'm waiting on reading Fuzzy's list though. Should be interesting if not entertaining!
Pronghorn, Dall sheep, Caribou, Kansas whitetails, Columbia blacktail, Sitka blacktail, and axis deer all are pretty well tied for first. Not sure I could figure out which was best out of them. My wife was not a fan of sheep but the rest are her favorites as well.
Not a big fan of oryx, moose, bison, late season mule deer, mountain goat, aoudad, lion, or bear but they can be made edible.
For caribou, do not cook well done. It can develop what I refer to as "liver" taste.
Sitka for me is tops but I agree with Timex, Yellowfin Tuna is great. I used to drive down to the Outer Banks of North Caroline to catch them. Too far for me to drive nowadays but my daughter brings me some from time to time. They also have some of the best hot sauce on the planet.
Caribou, Dall sheep, moose and elk....
But I have a beef pot roast in the oven as I type :)
Beef, Beef, nilgai antelope, any and all African game, moose, caribou, the rest of the North American game
Antelope and Whitetail are probably my tops but I've had great meals from most popular species. Had some not so great as well. Last trip to AK I brought a big box of halibut we caught home. Seasoned like steak and grilled it was a sad day when it ran out.
Just cooked the second 1/2 of a huge prime rib my brother bought at Christmas. I could be happy eating just wild game but maybe not quite as happy as that first bite of prime rib with some outside crust dipped in really hot au jus.
Injected and smoked beef brisket
Cooking both strip steak and ewe sheep steaks must have been quite the culinary adventure! The difference in flavor and texture between various game meats can indeed be surprising. It's fascinating how personal preferences can vary.
If you're interested in exploring more unique and premium meat options, you might want to consider trying some Wagyu beef from a reputable provider. Wagyu beef is known for its exceptional marbling and flavor, offering a delightful alternative to traditional game meats. Ultimately, everyone's number one game meat is a matter of taste, and it's fantastic that you're open to trying different options.
So far Sitka blacktail but moose is a close second. A young black bear is hard to beat.
Buffalo or Moose is my favorite meat.
I have been fortunate to have taken the NA 29. A lot of good eating there! I am often asked what is my favorite meat. Tough call, but I have to go with sheep tenderloins.
Where’s Medicineman’s answer on here??? That’s usually one of his first questions on a harvest thread. What say you, Jake??
For those of you listing something other than Dall Sheep…Have you had Dall Sheep?
Haven’t had dall sheep but I have had bighorn sheep. It was pretty darn good! I don’t like domestic mutton but I really like domestic lamb.
Didn’t care too much for an antelope I shot a few years ago. Meat wasn’t bad at all. I just didn’t like the flavor. Turning it into summer sausage today.
Favourite meat period is a beef ribeye. Eating wild all my life that flavour because of fat is the best.
Game in order would be Elk/Caribou, moose, deer. Surprised moose ranks so high for so many. On my 4th now and it's OK. But elk is way better to me. And if you can get that white fat on it yet then you're in the chips.
Beef ribeye, prime rib roast Beef t bone. In wild that I’ve had kudu wild sheep impala
Nothing beats a good marbled beef steak, but bighorn was up there with the best wild game that I’ve had. And that was a mature December ram. Followed closely by caribou/elk, pronghorn and river bottom whitetail. Mt goat was good eating also, haven’t really ran into something I didn’t like yet. And for the soccermom types from Colorado, my buddies mature lion was good also.
I've never killed a Dall, but I've had a couple meals of Dall and I'd have to say that's the best. Right behind that would be Muskox and Sitka blacktail from Kodiak, followed by pronghorn and elk.
My ex-roomate who's tasted every specie I've killed thinks pronghorn is the best. My kids prefer muskox, but definitely prefer pronghorn and elk over deer.
My mountain goat was tough as nails and the entire animal had to be ground, but with some pork fat added, it made one of the best burgers I've had.
The only thing I've had that I'd say was "not good" was my buddy's old rutted Columbian Blacktail and Canadian goose.
The best birds I've eaten were hands down green-winged teal followed by Sandhill crane and then brants.
Just this week, I had two SH crane legs/thighs slow-cooked in red curry/coconut milk. It's a PITA picking out the strands of cartilage, but it was delicious.
I’ve had elk calf, antelope that I took off an Alfalfa field but my 10 1/2 year old desert ram was far better than anything I’ve ever eaten. It was tender and so mild that the three of us said there was no game flavor. If you compared beef and this particular sheep you say the beef had a little stronger flavor. It was just fantastic.
Moose is the best. My stone sheep was great, because it was on coals, on top of the world. I like cow elk, whitetail.
I've also not tried Dall or Bighorn. A lot of folks don't like caribou but I really enjoy it.
Bison ribeye.
Bison ribeye.
Bison tomahawk
Bison tomahawk
Bison brisket.
Bison brisket.
Elk, pronghorn, deer. If bison counts then bison moves to number 1.
Just added Oryx to the top 3 of my favorites
I've eaten a lot of wild game over my six decades which I harvested. Is rewarding to eat meat, fowl and fish that have shot, trapped or fished for yet. But, I rarely felt was a mouth-watering event.
Here is what I have eaten which I harvested: Whitetail Eastern deer, Coues deer, Mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, Pronghorn, Shiras moose, Rocky Mountain goat, Rocky Mountain sheep ewe, Aoudad, Alligator, cottontail rabbit, grey squirrel, red squirrel, opossum, raccoon, beaver, muskrat, several varieties of duck, Canada goose, Blue goose, Snow goose, Bob white quail, Mourning dove, Eastern wild turkey, Rio wild turkey and Merriam wild turkey. Several types of panfish and trout. Ocean fish from the bottom, reefs and by trolling. I also have eaten mountain lion, bison and black bear other people shot.
I have eaten a lot of jerky. I have consumed a lot of ground wild game meat in pots of chili over the years. Have done a few roasts and steaks. I have never felt I would trade a nice beef steak for any of the above. My Super Bowl chili feeds are legendary among my friends and co-workers which are 95% non-hunters. I cook up a batch or two of chili from whatever I shot that autumn then also make a pot of just beef chili. People react to eating some wild game chili as if they have summited a mountain for the first time. They seem giddy as down that first bowl then prod everyone else as they walk in the door to try some alligator chili or pronghorn or goat, etc. I reacted the same way as a kid when had my first bison burger roadside as a kid bouncing around in a station wagon headed through Colorado to visit California. That burger made me fell as "one" with every cowboy who ever lived on the range back in the "old days" and having that bison put a little more hair on my chest as a ten year old!
I want to eat at PushCo's house.
1-Cali Bighorn 2- Doe Pronghorn 3- Yearling Whitetail 4- Elk veal
1-Cali Bighorn 2- Doe Pronghorn 3- Yearling Whitetail 4- Elk veal
I forgot I’ve had moose, caribou,Buffalo and Muskrat. I have a friend I tricked him giving him muskrat to eat. It’s been 60 years and still hasn’t forgiven me
My list: 1. Cow elk, axis, antelope 2. Whitetail 3. Mule deer 4. Everything else
I’m not a big fan of most big game meat, but pronghorn is great. And I had lots of different plaines game in Africa. That meat was fantastic. In my view, how it’s cooked/prepared makes a huge difference. On the surf side, king salmon.
