By T. Edward Nickens

Thoughts on eating venison from Editor-at-Large T. Edward Nickens.

Sure, the tenderloins are a more immediate delicacy, but they are a fleeting pleasure, really, small and flirtatious and destined to leave you wanting more. It is the longissimus dorsi muscle—the vaunted backstrap—that aids the deer in its soaring bounds, its ­nitrogen-​powered, zero-to-see-ya-later speeds, and its incomparable edibility.

The backstraps lie just to the sides of the transverse processes of the vertebrae. They are easily freed of gristle and connective tissue and are perhaps the leanest meat on the carcass. They can be removed with a paring knife and cut with a fork. Like good rice or stone-ground grits, backstraps are both step-side pickup and Lamborghini Murciélago: They can stand alone on a plate, seasoned with little more than flame and pepper, or serve as a canvas for individual expression.

Every serious deer hunter has a secret preparation—a coveted recipe handed down by a grizzled uncle or stumbled upon thanks to just enough beer to make you forget the strictures of culinary decency. I’ve had backstrap slathered in mustard and Coca-Cola, split like a pig and stuffed with tomatoes, and stewed with onions by a Cajun spiritualist.

And each time, it was delicious. I’ve also had backstrap bad many times, but the sin was the same: overcooking. Do with the backstrap what you will, but serve it as rare as you can get away with. That way you may very well eat in one sitting as much backstrap as a single human being can stand. But never so much that you are not wanting more.

Comments (14)

from gman3186 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

a good cook never tells all his secrets......... alittle mustard and some special seasoning and alittle dr.pepper is a good one

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from Walt Smith wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

It still shocks me how many hunters let the inner tenderloins dry up and get spoiled because they either don't know what they are or think the backstraps will get spoiled if they take them out. It's the biggest sin in hunting to me.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Walt Smith wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Oh yeah-- Tenders cleaned and cut into 1/2 slabs cooked in real butter ,garlic,and onions in a hot pan, 1 minute 30 seconds each side. MMMMMM Yummmy!!

+4 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fliphuntr14 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

we usually eat venison tenderloins with in a couple of days of killing the deer its great usually just fry em up the night after its so good i start craving it after i shoot and drag the deer out.

+4 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from stickbow13 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

wrapped in bacon and set on the grill yum yum, or as uncle Ted says <<<>>> i'm getting hungery just thinking about it

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from coho310 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Not wanting more and backstrap don't go together in the same sentence.

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from prairieghost wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

it s really simple. can you spell R-A-R-E??? any thing else is a sin against man and venison.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Salt, pepper, and a hint of my secret dry rub. Sear in a dab of butter and dash of olive oil about 2 mins. a side on all FOUR sides. Let rest 5 mins. See my profile to see what backstrap should look like when it's served.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Big O wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

I am under oath, under "penilty of DEATH" NEVER to divulge "our secret".(lol)
Lets just say the first "cooking" takes place same night as the harvest !

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from GiantWhitetails wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

oh god! Backstraps! the single most delicious meat in the world. makin my mouth water. i just finished one off the other day.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from earlyriser81 wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

There is nothing like starting your day with tenderloin and egg with a hot biscuit. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Don Mitchell wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

Just had a big plate of "B" strap for supper, and I'm ready for more. yum yum.
Don

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from JW7MM-08 wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

There is nothing better than a backstrap, eggs, and biscuits deer camp breakfast cooked up on a coleman stove the morning after that first kill of the year.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from dleurquin wrote 2 weeks 1 day ago

Eat 'em like tenderloins. Some marinated in a teriyaki sauce first, some plain, grilled medium to medium rare.

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from Walt Smith wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Oh yeah-- Tenders cleaned and cut into 1/2 slabs cooked in real butter ,garlic,and onions in a hot pan, 1 minute 30 seconds each side. MMMMMM Yummmy!!

+4 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fliphuntr14 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

we usually eat venison tenderloins with in a couple of days of killing the deer its great usually just fry em up the night after its so good i start craving it after i shoot and drag the deer out.

+4 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from stickbow13 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

wrapped in bacon and set on the grill yum yum, or as uncle Ted says <<<>>> i'm getting hungery just thinking about it

+4 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from gman3186 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

a good cook never tells all his secrets......... alittle mustard and some special seasoning and alittle dr.pepper is a good one

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Walt Smith wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

It still shocks me how many hunters let the inner tenderloins dry up and get spoiled because they either don't know what they are or think the backstraps will get spoiled if they take them out. It's the biggest sin in hunting to me.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from prairieghost wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

it s really simple. can you spell R-A-R-E??? any thing else is a sin against man and venison.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from coho310 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Not wanting more and backstrap don't go together in the same sentence.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from steve182 wrote 2 years 9 weeks ago

Salt, pepper, and a hint of my secret dry rub. Sear in a dab of butter and dash of olive oil about 2 mins. a side on all FOUR sides. Let rest 5 mins. See my profile to see what backstrap should look like when it's served.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from GiantWhitetails wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

oh god! Backstraps! the single most delicious meat in the world. makin my mouth water. i just finished one off the other day.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Big O wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

I am under oath, under "penilty of DEATH" NEVER to divulge "our secret".(lol)
Lets just say the first "cooking" takes place same night as the harvest !

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from earlyriser81 wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

There is nothing like starting your day with tenderloin and egg with a hot biscuit. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Don Mitchell wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

Just had a big plate of "B" strap for supper, and I'm ready for more. yum yum.
Don

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from JW7MM-08 wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

There is nothing better than a backstrap, eggs, and biscuits deer camp breakfast cooked up on a coleman stove the morning after that first kill of the year.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from dleurquin wrote 2 weeks 1 day ago

Eat 'em like tenderloins. Some marinated in a teriyaki sauce first, some plain, grilled medium to medium rare.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.