I recently got my first deer here in ND. I separately packed the backstraps from the meat I’ll use for sausage. I don’t have much experience with cooking venison so what are your favorite recipes for the backstraps? I have a Traeger grill. If this has already been discussed here please point me to the thread.
Thanks!
The Backstraps is usually where you cut the chops from and it is the most tender of the meat on the animal, well except the tenderloins. So I usually do a light seasoning on it use whatever you like, I use garlic powder, season salt and some pepper and cook them either on the grill or in a pan. Just make sure like all venison to not over cook it and it will be awesome.
Season with salt/pepper, while grilling melt butter on the meat and sprinkle a heavy dose of onion soup mix or beefy onion on the meat (most of it falls off). Do it to both sides. I grill my backstraps in big pieces (like half of a strap) then cut like prime rib after grilling.
As the butter melts/drips off it helps for a nice flame grilled piece of meat.
Do NOT overcook it
This works awesome for venison, beef, pork chops, etc
I recently got my first deer here in ND. I separately packed the backstraps from the meat I’ll use for sausage. I don’t have much experience with cooking venison so what are your favorite recipes for the backstraps? I have a Traeger grill. If this has already been discussed here please point me to the thread.
Thanks!
my former boss is from ND. south of mandan actually, i just talked to him yesterday, he said they lost a good 75-80% of his deer herd to CWD, some really nice bucks too!!!!!!!
backstraps……..like John said on the grill. i used to cut them into pieces, not anymore. cut them in small roast like pieces season them ahead of time. i like to let the seasonings meld into the meat a good 12 hours before grilling. and i way prefer cooking over charcoal!!!!!!!
there are other good steaks in the hind quarters to, give that a whirl. merely a suggestion with the other meat. sticks, hot dogs!
Butter onions in cast iron skillet. Salt and pepper. Cook to rare.. Easy and delicious
my former boss is from ND. south of mandan actually, i just talked to him yesterday, he said they lost a good 75-80% of his deer herd to CWD, some really nice bucks too!!!!!!!
Yeah it was actually EHD that killed a ton of whitetails out here. I was lucky enough to get an “Any antlered deer” tag for my zone, so I was able to get a decent 3×3 muley.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>glenn57 wrote:</div>
my former boss is from ND. south of mandan actually, i just talked to him yesterday, he said they lost a good 75-80% of his deer herd to CWD, some really nice bucks too!!!!!!!Yeah it was actually EHD that killed a ton of whitetails out here. I was lucky enough to get an “Any antlered deer” tag for my zone, so I was able to get a decent 3×3 muley.
ok, i may have not heard him correctly, i know they died of something!!!! 
bearcat mentioned another good way to cook venny steaks..gotta have mashed taters with it though…plenty of onions……and toss them onions in the mashed taters!!!!!! 
I’ll probably get beat up for saying this, but the best venison steaks I’ve ever had were cooked in the air fryer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mine were cut really thick so I did 13 minutes at 40 degrees for a perfect rare steak. Wrap it in foil and let it set for 5 minutes after cooking.
DT
My GF runs a food blog. She likes her steaks a little more done than rare. Here is a picture she posted.
DT
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Grill as suggested, salt and pepper meat to taste and cook to medium rare. Top with mushroom sauce, use this recipe when cooking a big chunk of backstrap:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms (such as button), thinly sliced
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup red wine
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom slices and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the juices evaporate. Add the wine and rosemary. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour or spoon the sauce over cooked meat.
I marinade all my steak/chop cuts. It’s not to “hide” the taste, marinades all contain acids that tenderize the meat. I don’t have one that I think is better than others, basically they all contain similar ingredients. I use the Heinze “marinade in a bag” types a lot because it’s just so convenient to slip the meat into the pouch and zip the zipper, less mess and takes up less space in the fridge. The smokey flavor of one of them is really, really good.
The key with marinades is to think ahead and give the marinade time to work. IMO the time given on the packages is the minimum and more is more as far as letting the marinade work.
As has been mentioned, do NOT overcook. Venison has a natural pink tone in cuts even when way overdone, so get a proper meat thermometer and use that as your guide, not color.
Mrs. Grouse is from England where, as with all of Europe, venison is considered a great delicacy and that is exactly what it is. Unlike other meats, however, it needs more care because the relative lean quality of the meat makes precise prep and cooking a necessity to take full advantage of the flavor.
I marinade all my steak/chop cuts. It’s not to “hide” the taste, marinades all contain acids that tenderize the meat. I don’t have one that I think is better than others, basically they all contain similar ingredients. I use the Heinze “marinade in a bag” types a lot because it’s just so convenient to slip the meat into the pouch and zip the zipper, less mess and takes up less space in the fridge. The smokey flavor of one of them is really, really good.
The key with marinades is to think ahead and give the marinade time to work. IMO the time given on the packages is the minimum and more is more as far as letting the marinade work.
As has been mentioned, do NOT overcook. Venison has a natural pink tone in cuts even when way overdone, so get a proper meat thermometer and use that as your guide, not color.
Mrs. Grouse is from England where, as with all of Europe, venison is considered a great delicacy and that is exactly what it is. Unlike other meats, however, it needs more care because the relative lean quality of the meat makes precise prep and cooking a necessity to take full advantage of the flavor.
I am with FG on this one. I also do some marinate and let it set at least overnight. I have done this style with many people that have NEVER had deer meat and think they won’t like it. I will sum it up with the comment from my 10 year old granddaughter ” BEST meat I have every had Papa”
We usually do a half a strap for one dinner for our family (myself, wife, two little girls), and I’ll cook the whole piece and slice after it rests. Rub with a light coat of olive oil and season with salt/pepper/garlic powder or Montreal Steak. Good and hot cast iron pan, sear both sides and finish in the oven until med-rare. Absolutely fantastic. Haven’t cooked a true backstrap steak since I’ve started doing this.
Totally agree with Grouse, get a decent instant read meat thermometer. Works for venison, also for turkey, beef steak, chicken and every other meat you can think of. I have given them as stocking stuffers to family members, always hear back that it was a great gift. Decent ones can be had for less than $20.
If you’re talking backstraps/tenderloin or chops, a little salt and pepper is all you need, maybe a dash of cayenne if you like spicy. Cook on a super hot grill, frying pan or cast iron in butter and just long enough to get a decent crust on all sides. Let rest for 5-10 and it’ll melt in your mouth! If you want to impress someone, or someone says they don’t like venison, try this recipe. My wife doesn’t like regular venison steak, but she loves this.
I marinade mine in olive oil and montreal steak seasoning.
I will admit that I am not a big venison guy. I could go with or without it. I’ve had some tough, leathery vension and some very good, tender vension. I have found that the bucks are generally tougher than the does are, and their diet also plays a role. Young corn fed deer have been better than older, rutting bucks as a general rule. I realize not everyone has the option to choose which deer they want to consume though.
With the current price of beef, it was a no brainer to fill the freezer with one.
I like to use a southwest style seasoning like Emeril’s or similar and grill a larger piece or pan fry in olive oil with a little garlic. If you pan fry you should go hot and fast.
BTW If you cut your steaks or back straps into pieces, leave them 3/4 to an inch thick. Any thinner and you run the risk of drying them out which will leave them tough.
I accidentally overcooked some sliced backstrap frying in pan last night and it was tough. Not horrible and still tasted great but I blew it. I dont every remember doing that to BS before.
Just a good reminder that overdone venison is wrong.
I usually cook whole or half backstraps because it helps prevent overcooking thin steaks. Salt, pepper and garlic powder, or just a commercial steak seasoning. I used to use a probe thermometer in the meat, and light a fire on one side of a charcoal grill, put the meat on the opposite side. When the temp hits about 110-115*, I’ll pull the probe and sear the outside right over the coals. I don’t bother with the thermometer anymore. Let it rest about 10min covered loosely with foil before slicing into 1/2″ thick slices. Spoon the juice from the resting plate or cutting board over the slices.
Does Mule deer taste any different than whitetail deer? I had Elk for the first time last week. To me that tasted different than whitetail. As much as I like whitetail, I thought the elk taste even better
I don’t think there is a wrong way to cook a blackstrap as long as you don’t overcook it. I have ate it so many ways and they have all been great. To me simple is best. Some try and do to much with it and that takes away some of the great taste of the pure meat.
I’ve only had mule deer twice (as a guest), didn’t notice much difference in taste. Did not have mule deer and whitetail side by side so the comparison was based on my (faulty) memory.
Elk is different, as is moose. Never shot either species but friends have shared. Both are great, even better than whitetail.
Pretty sure I saw Steve Rinella on Meateater say mulies were more gamey than whitetails. I believe he was talking about rutted up bucks though. I haven’t tried it yet. I agree that elk tastes better than whitetail and moose tastes even better.
I’ve had Dakota farmland muley. One of our original IDO members gave me a bunch of it fresh. I remember it being mild, tender and overall outstanding. I was impressed.
Crush up saltine crackers or ritz crackers real fine and put on a plate. Beat an egg or two on another plate. Slice steaks 3/8-1/2″ thick. Dip in egg. Then in crackers. Do the same for all steaks. Get a pan hot. Add some olive oil and a good pad of butter. Once it melts throw the steaks in with a little room around each. Cook 3-4 minutes a side. Once blood starts to seep out of the crackers I usually flip. Take it out once it starts to seep through again. These will be on the rare side, so leave in a bit longer if you desire. If you like to smoke, leave in a good length piece. Coat with what you like for a rub and put it on until internal temp of your liking.
Does Mule deer taste any different than whitetail deer? I had Elk for the first time last week. To me that tasted different than whitetail. As much as I like whitetail, I thought the elk taste even better
From what I have heard, they are more a product of their diet than their subspecies. Muleys up in the mountains of Colorado feeding on sagebrush will taste different than muleys eating crops in North Dakota. Muleys and whitetails are eating the same stuff out here so there shouldn’t be much difference. At least that is what I have been told.
My GF runs a food blog.
What’s her blog?
Does she do a lot of venison / wild game recipes? If so, where does she get the venison?
Okay, okay. I had to do it. I’m fine now. Carry on.
Grouse
To repeat everyone – do not overcook! Use a meat thermometer. So many people have been turned off to venison because they ate some overcooked, dry, gamey hunk of meat.
I love back straps on the pellet grill – either use a marinade with some oil, or wrap them in a strip of bacon due to their lower fat content.
I trim and cut them into half or quarter of the strap. Light smear of olive oil and season with favorite steak rub. Roll up in basket weaved thick bacon and lower heat on grill. I add chunk cherry wood with charcoal.
As said a lot – never over cook. Remove about 5-7 degrees below desired temperatures and let rest for 10 minutes
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Slice them about an inch thick season with Montreal steak seasoning. Just a touch. Hot pan with some butter. About 30s each side maybe 45s.
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