Recipe: Teriyaki Backstrap Skewers

This recipe comes from our friends at Gauge Wines, just in time for the early whitetail season.

OK. Here’s an easy one. We had this dish the other night, and it lasted maybe eight minutes on the table. Venison backstrap teriyaki skewers: real easy, really good. We don’t have to tell you that backstrap is good anyway you slice it, but here’s a crowd pleaser, for an appetizer, or a main course if you’re generous. You can just buy some teriyaki off the shelf in a jar, or you can make and tailor your own to your liking. Basic teriyaki is soy, wine, and sugar, and there are all kinds of variations after that. Don’t be afraid to try different ingredients. Scallion, cucumber, yellow fruit like mango or pineapple… This list is endless. –Bjorn Larson

Ingredients:
Backstrap
1 cup red wine (12 Gauge Cab would do nicely)
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup shiro goma (sesame seeds)
2 cloves garlic minced

Directions:
Take the silver skin off of the backstrap and cut into ¾- to 1-inch chunks–not too big. Mix the rest of the ingredients to make the teriyaki sauce. Marinate the chunks in the sauce for at least 4 hours. Skewer the meat. (I like the little bamboo or wooden ones, but any skewers will work.) Do not put vegetables on the same skewers. This leads to overcooked meat, because the venison cooks faster than vegetables. This is hot, fast grilling. Grill the backstrap over a hot fire, 3 minutes per side. The wine that you put in a marinade usually pairs well with the food. Enjoy.