Venison Backstraps

[blue_healer_guy]

My niece shot a young deer this weekend and for Sat. night of the opener, I suggested cooking one for the camp. My dilemma is most in our camp don't like the taste of venison (like the sausages, jerky etc.) We have a grill and/or crockpot,stovetop but no oven. We all like onions and mushrooms with meat. Any suggestions with our tastes and cooking limitations? Thanks.

[Deitz Dittrich]

With the backstraps, I would just soak in Milk for about 30 mins(milk does remove a little game taste). Then I would grill it with McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, I have found for those in my family that also dont care for game taste much, that this is the stuff...

Make sure to cook to only medium rare... the more you grill it, the more game taste you will have.

[Tripleplay]

Since your group isn't the greatest at eating venison I don't know if this will cut it but I hunted with a group for years that while butchering on Monday after the weekend the backstraps were the butcher's treats!

Very basic, sliced to about 3/4" to an 1" thick. Salt and pepper. Grilled to medium rare (just like Deitz said, rarer is better with venison). Heated up a bottle of barbecue sauce (cheap was fine) for dipping. We also threw them on whole and grilled them slower sometimes, but then you risked somebody grabbing the whole thing!

[harvey lee]

This is probably not healthy but good.

I start out and saute a bunch of onions in butter in one pan.In the other I will brown the straps in butter for a very short bit just so they start to get a lite brown color.Then I will add a little water and add the onions and slowly cook for say 15 minutes on low heat and let the onions carmalize.

Use low heat and dont overcook.

[Mike89]

Lightly seaoned with cajun seasoning is our choise! and cooked medium! great stuff!

[Jim Uran]

This is great with no oven, you have a crockpot right... take a nice size frying pan with your straps cut into steaks and a little butter or whatever and cover tightly on low to medium. try to keep the moisture in the pan. In another pan saute the onions and mushrooms in butter. Cook the meat until it's done to your liking, preferably medium rare. If you happen to have some flour thicken up the drippings in the pan to make some great gravy (you can add bouillon too) to add to your shrooms, onions, and straps in the crock pot. Keep it in the crock pot on low for an hour or so it'll tenderize even more, or just serve it right away with some boiled spuds. I"m not that great at explaining things but if you give it a whirl it turns out deadly.

[blue_healer_guy]

Thanks guys, they all sound awesome! Harvey, don't think of it as "maybe not good for you," we all have to think about that day coming. Maybe think of it as cheatin' for a day.

[harvey lee]

Problem is the doctor says I cheat every day,but its fun.

[mncarphntr]

My current favorite backstrap recipe is cut them thick, fry in butter, saute mushrooms and onion with the meat, cook med-rare and throw the whole greasy mess on a bun with a slice of swiss cheese. If you don't like the taste of that I can't help you!

[BobT]

Quote:

---

Make sure to cook to only medium rare... the more you grill it, the more game taste you will have

---

Yes, Yes, Yes! Overcooking is probably one of the most common mistakes made when cooking wild meat. Wild meat is lean and requires less cooking time. Too much time on the fire and you end up with something similar to chewing on your boot.

Bob

[BigWadeS]

Harvey I do the same thing, except I add mushrooms to my onion mix...simply awesome

[BLACKJACK]

I'm also a big fan of the McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, I use it all summmer long on steaks and burgers and vension!

[LABS4ME]

One of my favorites (and I have many ) is to:

- butterfly the chop

- marinate in Havanna lime and garlic marinade for a couple hours

- lay in 3-4 pickled jalapenos inside the butterfly, close

- sprinkle on some Kansas City steak seasoning and wrap in bacon

- Grill to MEDIUM RARE, usually when bacon is done

- Let stand on plate for about 5 minutes, slice each chop into 4 slices about 3/4".

Last year at Christams I had a friend's wife that was a sworn venison hater, standing at the grill demanding to be served first as round 2 came off! They really do turn out fantastic.

If you don't want to slice up the entire backstap into chops, I bet this would still work leaving the meat whole. Just a little more work securing the bacon. Slice along the strap the entire length for the peppers, marinate, season, wrap in bacon grill... you'll probably have to roll it on the grill... let stand and serve...

Good Luck!

Ken

-

[irvingdog]

That last one's a keeper!

[Hotspotter]

Ken:

Directions for the Havanna Lime and Garlic Marinade? If store-bought, who makes it?

Thanks!

Joel

[LABS4ME]

It's store bought... I believe Lawry's makes it.

We were in a pinch once, the town we were in didn't really have too much much for marainades, they did have a garlic and herb marinade, bought that and squeezed in half a fresh lime... the results were good, but I still like the Havanna Lime and Garlic if available.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Ebiz]

Be Careful - Lawry's also makes a "Tequila Lime" marinade that in my opinion is absolutely terrible. I'd hate to see you ruin a good backstrap with that stuff. I've had the Havanna Lime & Garlic and there is a BIG difference.

[Mrs Boilerman]

A quick and easy way to remove some of the gamey flavor from venison is by sprinkling on some lemon pepper - I do that if I'm grilling. In the oven or crock pot, onions are great. I'd try mushrooms, but all the manly men in my house are afraid of them.

[Mark Gangl]

one of my favorites is to slice thin, bread in ground up soda crackers(not cracker meal) and fri quick in a pan with 1/8-1/4" of vegtible oil. Fri at med/hi and make sure the pan is hot before adding the venison. usually i use the hind quarters, but i guess whatever works.

that jalapeno one sounds good to, my dad does a variation with fried onions and mushrooms in it instead, everything else is the same(he makes a marinade out of italian dressing)

[hoggsback]

Here is a marinade I have used for 2 years now. It will work for backstraps or any venison cut. I used this and my wife, who would not eat venison, had me grilling all the time until we ran out of meat. This is great for those who don't like the venison taste!

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbs ketchup

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix together and add meat. Let sit in refrigerator covered for 12-24 hours.

Enjoy!

[joe_stack20]

I just tried a new one last night and boy i think i am hooked! take your Tenderloing and slice in the middle almost all of the way through so it basically has the "hinge" affect going on....then stuff with Mozzarella cheese...then add Motreal Steak Seasoning to the center ontop of the chess and on both sides of the tenderloin....throw on the grill on low and wehn the center is pink your ready to go. Best Tenderloin i have ever eaten!!

[Kodiak]

WOW that sound good!!

[LundExplorer]

harvey lee,

I tried your recipe last night... MMmmm good! I added a few things - soaked meat in milk before browning, and added Montreal steak seasoning.

Even the wife was happy with it!

[Blair Nelson]

I use the following Cuban marinade on tenders and backstrap.

Slice either into 1/2" medallions, trimming all fat and silverskin.

Soak in marinate 1-2 hours with extra fresh cracked pepper on the meat.

Either grill or sautee over medium high heat until Brown outside and bright pink inside. I prefer the frying pan method myself as carmelizing left over marinade makes a great sauce for the medallions and whatever potatoes or rice you serve on the side.

Best venison I have had ... Goes great with a chilled pinot grigio to cut the citrus and spice.

The Mojito (Mojo) Marinade - Dinosaur Barbeque Receipe

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups orange juice

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 diced (seeds removed) jalepeno - OPTIONAL (but makes the Mojo into a GREAT Carne Asada marinate as well)

Mix together garlic, onions, orange and lime juice. Heat oil in large saucepan until almost smoking, now be careful (wear your oven mitts!) and slide the mixture into the hot oil simmer for 5 minutes until garlic and onion are soft. Season marinade with rest of ingredients. Pour everything into a blender or food processor and pulse three times. Cool to room temperature.

Makes 2-1/2 cups.

[remington 300]

Heres my favorite way to prepare veni,tenderloin,steaks,ect.

I cut the tenderloins into 3/8" thick medallions ,steak into strips, then marinade in soy sauce, worchestershire sauce and topped with liberal amount of canadian steak dry seasoning,marinade at least 24 hours then pan fry in med/hi heat in 2or3 tblspns butter,flip the meat as soon as edges start turning brown 2or 3 more mintutes and there done,medium rare, also in seperate pan saute onions and portabella mushrooms (preferably have these done before putting meat on) because meat only takes about 5 minutes, when meats done add onions and mushrooms serve immediatly.

Try it you'll love it.

As far as the marinade i put the meat in a tupperware and first add enough soy sauce untils it starts to pool up in bottom then add worchestershire sauce, about 4-5 tablespoons,then the canadian seasoning on top, mix well,thats it