Did you cut your elk with pork? If not I would recommend about 30% to 40%. Do you recall anything else about the glaze? In Jackson all the trendy restaurants have a little different profile, but many serve a meatloaf of sorts. Bison is more popular than elk. I would bet the glaze was a Sauce au Poivre or had a splash of cognac or bourbon. Give panko a try instead of Ritz. This came by way of a Jackson chef I met many years ago, and is quite good, I make it with bison, or bison and wagyu blend.
Game Meatloaf, Bison - Elk - Venison
2 1/2 pounds ground meat
1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped garlic
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dried thyme
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1 large egg
3/4 cup panko crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
Ice cold water or beer – enough to make the mixture a little sticky
4 strips of bacon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Form into four small loaves, about 10 ounces each. Arrange on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Top each loaf with a strip of bacon and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 154° degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
