This post is sponsored by Meater Thermometer, which makes grilling a new-to-us protein like yak so easy!

One of the great things about cooking at home and doing so on the Traeger grills in our backyard is that we can try new things and experiment with food. A key to being able to do this is finding a great local butcher that carries high-quality and unique items. We have that with our local meat marketplace– called Sams– which has been around for over 50 years. There is the third generation working in the shop now, and they know their meat! When in doubt, we head into the store to see what they have and ‘talk shop’ with the owners to get their creative suggestions for what to cook.

Yak steak with berry balsamic steak sauce

Figuring Out What’s For Dinner

Last time we stopped in, the yak strip steak in the freezer case caught my eye. It looked a lot like a beef strip steak and I know first-hand how delicious those come out on the Traeger. I chatted with the owner a bit about the steak and how to cook it, and decided that was the perfect item for dinner.

Much like other wild game, yak is pretty lean and very flavorful. I’ve read that it’s “jucier than bison and more flavorful than beef” but not gamey. It sounded like the perfect thing to cook up on the Traeger. And what steak isn’t elevated and improved a bit by a tasty sauce? So we knew we had a dinner plan with an amazing yak steak and a berry-forward sauce that we’d cook up at home. Add those combos to the results that come off of a Traeger with the wood-fired flavor and you’re bound to have a great evening.

Primary Ingredients

Yak strip steak
Garlic Junkie (ground with a mortar and pestle)
Blackberries
Blueberries
Chopped jalapeno
Rosemary
Dijon mustard
Berry jam
Balsamic vinegar

Why Cooking Yak Steak with Berry Balsamic Sauce on the Traeger Works

We are really devoted to the reverse sear method and doing it on the Traeger Grill results in flavorful, juicy and perfectly-cooked food every time. Reverse searing imbues the food with wood-fired flavor from the smoke while it cooks slowly at 225* for the first step in the process. Using our Meater thermometer, we were able to keep a close eye on the internal temperature of the meat throughout the cook so that we didn’t end up wtih overcooked or dry steak. The Meater, with its seamless integration with the new Traeger Timberline grill, is easy to use, accurate and always ready to go.

On both the full-color console of the grill and the new Traeger app, you can monitor the temperature of the cook from start to finish with the Meater probe. So while the steak is cooking at a low temperature, we’re able to see precisely how it is cooking and pull it off for the sear the moment it is just right.

For searing this steak, we also used another new element of the amazing new Traeger Timberline, the induction burner! This new addition to the Traeger lineup means that you can get a cast iron pan screaming hot and achieve a perfect all-over crust on your reverse-seared meat. We kept the Meater thermometer in the yak steak during this stage of the cook, too, to keep an eye on the internal temperature and ensure perfect doneness.

To serve this steak, we sliced it and then topped it with a berry and balsamic steak sauce that we whipped up while the steak smoked (also using the induction burner). Blueberries, blackberries, jalapenos and rosemary combined with balsamic vinegar makes for a savory and sweet sauce that perfectly complemented the yak steak. It comes together in no time at all and was so delicious!

Step-By-Step

Preheat your Traeger grill to 225*.
Unwrap the steak and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Pour Garlic Junkie seasoning in a mortar and pestle and grind until a fine consistency is achieved.
Season the steak on all sides with the ground Garlic Junkie seasoning.
Insert the Meater thermometer into the steak, being sure to insert it up to the line on the probe.
Connect the thermometer to the grill and open the app.
Set the app desired temperature to 115*.
Place the seasoned steak in the center of the preheated grill and close the lid.
Allow to cook for at least 20 minutes, monitoring the internal temperature on the app.
While the steak cooks, make the berry balsamic steak sauce.
- In a saucepan, combine the berries, jalapeno, rosemary, jam, mustard, and balsamic vinegar and place over low heat.
- Stirring frequently, cook until the berries burst and the sauce thickens.
- Once cooked, remove from the heat and set aside.
Just before the steak hits 115* internal, preheat a cast iron pan on the induction burner to very hot.
Once the steak hits 115*, sear it on all sides on the preheated cast iron. Using the Meater thermometer to monitor your progress, cook it until the internal temperature is about 120-125*.
The desired finish temp for this steak is about 130*.
Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes, then remove the Meater probe.
Slice and serve with berry balsamic sauce.

Recipes Similar to Traeger Grilled Yak Steak

Steak with a great sauce is a perfect meal. When you make a simple sauce with elevated flavors, you have the opportunity to take a meal from good to great. Here are some steak and sauce recipes that I particularly like:

In this cook, we used the following tools that made our dinner prep so easy:

Meater Thermometer, which is now integrated with the new Traeger grills for ease of use. Some of the features I love about the Meater:
- Longer Range: Bluetooth to WiFi range extension built-in up to 165ft. Stand-Alone Mode: Cook without the use of your smart phone.
- Multiple Probes: Dual temperature sensors in each probe can monitor internal meat temperature up to 212°F and ambient / external temperature up to 527°F simultaneously.
- Guided Cook System: Walks you through every step of the cooking process to guarantee perfect and consistent results. You can also set up custom alerts / notifications based on temperature and/or time.
- Advanced Estimator Algorithm: Estimates how long to cook and rest your food to help plan your meal and manage your time.
Traeger Timberline – the new model with integrated Meater technology and an induction cooktop for searing.
Cast iron pan

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