Have you Ever Tried to Hunt a Deer?

One of the key advantages of deer hunting is the ability to properly prepare venison tenderloin or backstrap, a vital skill that every deer hunter should master.

Grilling meats, in general, may be difficult, but venison is especially difficult since it is so lean that there is little room for error between excellent and overdone — and overcooked venison is grey, dry, and livery. Blech.

By the way, everything I mention here for this venison tenderloin recipe also applies to elk or antelope, as well as beef, moose, or bison fillet mignon.

Any venison steak may be grilled, although backstrap or loin is a superior cut for quick cooking. And here’s your first piece of advice: Maintain the venison backstrap in its whole. Don’t make medallions out of it. Yes, you can grill venison medallions, but it is much more difficult to do so without drying them out.

Besides, you’d be cooking the medallion’s sliced sides, leaving the sides reddish. It’s not looking good.

Grilling the sides of a complete loin allows you to see the pink perfection when you cut into it.

How to Backstrap Venison Tenderloin

• The venison should be seasoned. I do this up to 12 hours in advance, the morning before we expect to have backstrap for supper. This not only flavors the meat but also tenderizes it! (If you forget to season the venison in the morning, you may do it an hour before grilling.)
• Remove from the refrigerator. It’s critical to allow any protein to come up to room temperature before cooking. A chilly backstrap on a hot grill can result in tough meat. I remove the deer from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before cooking.
• Backstrap grilling Over a screaming hot stove. Approximately 7 – 10 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your backstrap and the level of doneness required.
• Allow the venison to rest. Remove it from the grill and place it on a clean platter to rest. As a result, the juices redistribute!
• Cut into slices and serve.

How to Grill Venison Tenderloin

Ingredients Required

• 1 pound tenderloin of venison
• 1-quart red wine
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, mashed
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried and crumbled
• 1 tbsp currant jam or jellies (substitute grape)

Directions to Follow

Step 1-Trim the meat by removing any visible fat and the majority of the silver skin (translucent membrane). If the loin has a long tapering end, curl the thin end back and toothpick it to keep it from overcooking.

Step 2-In a zipper-top plastic bag, combine the wine, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, and rosemary. Add the loin and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, rotating the bag regularly (longer if meat is from an older animal).

Step 3-Start the grill. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry. Allow coming to room temperature before grilling.

Step 4-While the grill is heating up, pour the marinade into a small pan. Cook down to approximately 1/2 cup over high heat. Mix with the currant jam or jelly. Remove particles using a strainer.

Step 5-Grill the meat over direct heat until it is golden on both sides. Allow 6-8 minutes for each inch of thickness. To verify doneness, use an instant-read thermometer (125 degrees F is medium-rare) or make a tiny incision. Don’t overcook the meat or it will become dry and flavorless.

Step 6-Allow it to stand for a few minutes on the heated surface to allow the juices to circulate throughout the meat. With the present sauce, serve the entire or cut into 1″ rounds.

How to Thaw Frozen Venison

Our deer hunt has been a blessing to us throughout the years. Seth killed three deer in two days last year. That left us with six back straps that needed to be consumed or frozen as soon as possible. Back straps are usually frozen in two-piece parts in vacuum seal containers. When we’re ready to cook, we take the venison out of the freezer 24 – 36 hours ahead of time. The frozen packet is placed in a 9×13 cake pan and placed on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator to defrost. If the bags have been perforated or are not securely sealed, this will capture any liquid.

Three Common Mistakes to Avoid When Grilling Venison

Mistake 1- Cooking it Like Beef

Beef has fine marbling that makes it juicy no matter how you cook it. Venison does not have the same marbling hence it becomes dry and loses all moisture. When you cook beef it leaves fat and moisture in the pan but if you cook venison the moisture rises up in the air.

One of the easiest ways to trap the moisture of venison is to sear it in a cast-iron pan with olive oil, in this way venison moisture will remain.

Mistake 2- Adding Salt in The Venison Steak

One of the common mistakes we all do is season the venison steak like any other beef steak. As mentioned above that venison easily dries out so there is no need to add too much salt in it when you season the steak. If you want to add salt then do not do it directly, add the salt in the margination process. Otherwise, all your guests will get is a salty Venison steak.

Mistake 3- Slicing the Venison Steak too Thin

If you have planned to make Venison steak then do not slice it too thin or it is better to rather cook it in a roast form. As Venison does not quick slowly, as compared to beef it will cook faster.

To Wrap it Up

There are advantages and disadvantages to using brines or marinades with your steaks. A genuinely exceptional piece of venison needs neither brine nor marinade. Backstrap or tenderloin from an elk or moose – or a deer that ate a lot of hay or maize – should be a show stopper without any added tastes. This is by far the greatest venison steak if the meat was treated properly from the minute the animal touched the ground.