The Backstrap

 Backstrap 

What is the backstrap? It is okay if you have never heard of it, I would not expect most people to know what I am talking about. Its deer. Specifically, the filet of the deer. In this week’s installment of Sunday Steaks, we will introduce backstrap or deer tenderloin. 

Disclaimer, my roommate killed this deer last year in South Dakota. A beautiful young buck, that he drove back and he and I (well mostly myself), skinned and trimmed it out. This meat we are eating was frozen and the last of his deer steaks. A special dinner required me to do a special post. 

This meat is called the filet of deer. Just as tender and lean as beef filet, but with a wild game flavor. These steaks are cooked very similarly to that of a filet but require a higher internal temperature due to it being wild animals. One thing that sucks for all of yall, buying deer meat in Illinois is illegal. So if you want some, find your nearest hunter and I am sure he would be happy to let you come over for a meal or two. 

Seasonings 

Deer backstrap gets different flavors in my opinion. I like to stick with salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce. All of these ingredients bring out the gamey flavor of the meat but also compliments so that is not all you taste. 

The number of ingredients used is in the following order: 

 

• Sprinkle salt (too much is not bad on this meat

• Generous amount of pepper 

• Sprinkle of garlic

• Shower of red pepper flakes for kick (use as much as YOU want) 

• Dash of Worcestershire sauce 

• Half stick of butter

• Two cloves of minced garlic 

• Oil 

As I cook these, I add butter throughout the process.

 

Cooking

 

Okay do not judge me, but these were not cooked on the grill. Since its a delicate piece of meat to cook, I thought using the stovetop would work best. I heated up the griddle on my stove. Started out by putting some oil and minced garlic on the griddle. Once you see the oil start to heat up, add your minced garlic. Let that garlic cook in the oil for 3 minutes, continuously stirring the garlic and oil. After three minutes, lay your backstrap on the griddle. While your griddle is still hot, rotate the backstrap every 3-5 minutes depending on what the outside of the backstrap looks like. If you like your steaks more crispy on the outside, do 5 minutes or more. As you rotate you want to see it get golden/brown. This means its ready for the next stage of cooking. 

As seen in the picture above, I cut the backstrap into little steak medallions. I cut it up with an internal temperature of 90-100°. Once cut up, flip the inside of the steak onto the hot griddle and add your butter. Turn down the heat to medium and let that butter melt into the steak. Once the heat is on medium just casually keep checking your steak to make sure it does not burn. The butter adds flavor and a little more juice at the end. As the steaks cook on medium give each side about 5-10 minutes to cook (depends on the thickness of the backstrap/medallion). Once it reaches an internal temperature of 140-150°, yall are ready to devour that juicy, savory deer backstrap. 

I apologize for not posting a video this week like I said I would. Turns out I do not save the video and since there is no more backstrap, looks like the video will have to wait for the full grill surprise coming this weekend.