Venison Backstrap, Bacon Wrapped with Brown Butter Herb Sauce
This venison backstrap recipe turns your harvested deer meat into a gourmet, restaurant-quality meal. Actually, I have better venison dinners at home than I’ve ever had in restaurants! If you follow a few tips, your venison will never be tough or gamey.
What is the difference between deer tenderloin and backstrap?
Venison tenderloin are small pieces beneath the deer’s spine that are extra tender, like the most expensive beef filet mignon. But venison backstrap also can be cooked to tender perfection. This cut is a lean, flavorful strip along each side of the spine, equivalent to beef strip loin. It is an excellent larger cut if you want to grill up good venison steaks.
For backstrap loin, the venison recipe below is a must-try. It keeps the meat tender and juicy while adding enough richness to please even the folks who say they don’t like wild game.
If you prefer a red wine sauce for your venison, see my recipe for Venison Medallions with Wild Mushroom Cabernet Sauce.
If you’re looking for a tenderloin recipe, Chili Cocoa Crusted Venison with Berry Reduction is perfect for Valentine’s Day. You can also make the recipe below with tenderloin, just in smaller portions.
What’s the best way to cook venison backstrap?
Venison is one of the leanest, most healthful proteins you can eat. In my opinion, it’s also one of the tastiest. My 10 Tips for Cooking Venison article shares all I’ve learned from my years of working to perfect tender and flavorful venison. Be sure to check out these important field-to-table steps, which apply to all deer meat.
A question I often get asked is “how to make deer meat less tough” or “why is my deer meat so tough”? The trick is: don’t overcook it! You want to sear venison and then let it rest and continue cooking internally.
If your concern is a gamey flavor, the key is to enhance venison’s flavor instead of trying to mask it. Cooked right, it won’t taste gamey! Fresh garlic cloves and herbs like fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano complement venison beautifully. And of course, bacon—especially applewood smoked—gives everything extra flavor.
In this recipe you cook the steaks in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 120 degrees F on a meat thermometer. Then you tent the steaks with foil to allow them to rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
The brown garlic-butter herb sauce in this recipe adds richness to these succulent steaks. To brown the butter evenly, the key is to whisk it constantly over medium heat until it turns light brown. Then you remove the skillet from the heat, add the herbs and lemon, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To hold all the herb butter and meat juices, consider serving this dish in a shallow bowl on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes or wild rice.
How should I store leftover venison steaks?
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternatively, freeze the venison in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Applewood Bacon Wrapped Venison Steaks with Brown Butter Herb Sauce
Ingredients
For the Venison Tenderloin
- 2 pounds venison loin, cut into 6 2-inch-thick steaks
- 1/2 pound applewood bacon
- kosher salt plus more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Brown Butter Herb Sauce
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons chopped basil
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
- juice and zest of one lemon
- 2 ounces shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Liberally salt and pepper all sides of the steak. Wrap the steak with applewood bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and butter, and 2 steaks to the skillet. Allow each steak to cook on one side for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Then flip the steak and cook for another 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches around 120°F. Remove to a cutting board, tent the steaks, with foil and allow the meat to rest for at least 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining venison steaks. Ladle Brown Butter Herb Sauce over each steak, and then top with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.
For the Brown Butter Herb Sauce
- In a cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat, whisking constantly. Continue to cook and whisk for about 3 minutes, or until you see brown bits on the bottom of the pan and the butter turning a light brown color. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the herbs, lemon juice, and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Click for all my Venison Recipes, grouped by cut of meat.
