A great game meat, elk is more flavorful than deer and not as dry as ostrich. At Coyote Café, elk is a signature dish of chef and partner Eric Destefano, who I say makes the best elk dish in the United States—very juicy and not at all gamy. The trick is to marinate the meat, cook it rare, and let it sit for awhile before slicing. When purchasing elk tenderloin, be sure to have your butcher trim off all the silver skin. If you cannot find elk, axis deer can be substituted (see Sources, page 167). Sautéed wild mushrooms, such as morels, are a nice accompaniment.

　　

Ingredients

makes 12 tacos

　　

Spice Rub

1 tablespoon green chile powder (medium heat), page 151

　　1 teaspoon smoked salt (page 163)

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground (page 164)

　　1/2 teaspoon dried juniper berries, ground (page 159)

　　1/4 teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and ground (page 164)

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground (page 161)

　　1 1/2 pounds elk tenderloin, cleaned and trimmed

　　15 (5 1/2-inch) flour tortillas (page 16), for serving

　　Garnish: Sautéed wild mushrooms (such as chanterelles or morels)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine all the spice rub ingredients. Rub the mixture liberally all over the meat. In a large, heavy, ovenproof sauté pan or cast-iron skillet, sear the meat over medium-high heat to caramelize the surface and adhere the dry rub, about 1 minute per side. Remove the pan from the heat and place in the oven. Bake to medium doneness (130°F), about 11 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut into thin slices, and serve immediately or keep warm until ready to serve.

　　

Step 3

To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with garnish and salsa. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with garnish and salsa, fold, and eat right away.

　　Tacos by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Copyright © 2009 by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Mark Miller is the acclaimed chef-founder of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has started and owned thirteen different restaurants on three continents from 1979 to 2008. He is the author of ten books with nearly 1 million copies in print, including Tacos, The Great Chile Book, The Great Salsa Book, and Coyote Cafe. Mark currently works in International Culinary Consulting and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Benjamin Hargett is a travel-loving chef who has cooked in Europe, the Carribean, Mexico, and the United States, where he worked with Mark Miller at the Coyote Café for many years.