Deer Backstrap (Loin)

[jermoQ]

I like the duck breasts more than deer. Soak in water 12 hrs or marinade to help get rid of the stronger flavor. I really enjoyed bacon wrapped and grilled, but teriaki marinade makes them really good! Cook to medium at the most. They also tasted good at a friend's house, with a tandoori marinade.

 

[SGH]

So the venison came out relatively tender, but I didn't enjoy the flavor. I utilized the "marinate in milk" method for a couple of hours, and then I wrapped in bacon and grilled it off until I hit 120° internal temp. The flavor was quite "earthy" and it just wasn't for me. My mother, on the other hand, absolutely loved it so she took home probably 2Lbs of deer meat.

Again, thanks to everyone who chimed in to help with this cook. I'll give it another try in the future and do "chicken fried" medallions and see how that turns out. Cheers!

Before you write it off entirely, if you get your hands on any more back strap try marinating it milk or buttermilk at least 12 hours then fry it as others have already suggested. If you don’t like it that way you probably won’t like it no matter what you try. As much as I love grilled/smoked meat, back strap is one of those things that’s just better fried. Give it a go and see what you think.

 

[NavarreQ]

We use a mix of zesty Italian dressing, minced garlic,soy sauce,w sauce and Montreal steak rub as our go to marinade overnight

 

[gcs]

A lot depends on how the deer was treated, did it die quickly, bled out well, was it stressed and running, was the meat cooled properly, an old buck, ...and so on.

If done right, venison isn't very gamey, but does have it's own flavor, I've eaten tons of them, just quick grilled or pan cooked, no marinade, sauce, or tricks.. I love the stuff, but it can go south quick if it wasn't handled properly.

 

[kfdvm]

Butter fly the long way. Season with Larry’s season salt. Stuff with cream cheese jalapeño peppers and cheese. Wrap with bacon. Grill to 125. Let rest then cut into medallion and serve. I serve with a Cabernet.

 

[halfcocked]

A lot depends on how the deer was treated, did it die quickly, bled out well, was it stressed and running, was the meat cooled properly, an old buck, ...and so on.

If done right, venison isn't very gamey, but does have it's own flavor, I've eaten tons of them, just quick grilled or pan cooked, no marinade, sauce, or tricks.. I love the stuff, but it can go south quick if it wasn't handled properly.

Agree 100%. A driven animal will have a lot of adrenalin running through its system and that may make the meat taste different (although still not "gamey" to my thinking). An animal killed in a still hunt or from stand or blind will not have a gamey taste at all unless the kill is mishandled in gutting, skinning, butchering or preservation. If you load the meat down with seasonings, you might as well eat domestic goat or lamb, it won't make a difference. The less seasoning the better.

 

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Again, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to offer some advice. I have some of the best customers in the world ; another customer of mine dropped of 2 deer backstraps, some wild boar sausage, and some duck breasts yesterday. So I've got another chance to follow the advice given here.

I'll keep this thread updated as I get around to cooking these things over the next few days.