Venison Tenderloin Recipe - Pan Seared Deer Tenderloin (2024)

FAQs

What do you soak deer tenderloins in? ›

Saltwater Brine:Mix water with salt to create a brine solution. A typical ratio is about 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Submerge the venison in the saltwater brine and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. Rinse the meat thoroughly with cold water before cooking to remove excess salt.

Backstraps are the large muscles that run parallel along both sides of a deer's spine and rest on top of the ribcage, whereas the tenderloins are much smaller, and are located inside the abdominal cavity underneath the backstrap and the spine.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook venison in oil in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°).

Soak the Venison in Vinegar

Soak the venison in white vinegar for one hour after you've finished soaking it in the salt water (you don't have to dilute the vinegar with water). This will help tenderize the deer meat and remove any leftover "gamey" flavor.

This is one of the worst things to do to any animal carcass after its slaughter. Putting the meat in water allows bacteria (primarily E. coli) to grow and spread over the entire carcass. It also removes all of the flavor from the meat.

"Freshly butchered venison — especially when it is in rigor mortis — will be super tough," Cihelka said. When rigor mortis sets in, the animal stiffens. Hanging the animal prevents the muscles along the spine from shortening. This is why backstraps and tenderloin are tender.

Once you've got your deer, elk, or other venison dressed, aged and butchered, you're left with a variety of cuts. Some, like the backstraps and well-named tenderloin, can be as soft as butter. Others, particularly those from the neck, front shoulder, shanks and parts of the hindquarter, are generally tough.

The tenderloin is the first cut that is usually taken off a deer. This cut is so tender that it should be treated simply – salt and pepper is all it needs, with a quick hot sear with butter on the grill or in a pan.

Working cuts of venison must be cooked for a relatively long time at a low temperature (220° to 325° F) to allow the connective tissue to breakdown. Once this happens you will get a fork-tender, flavor packed piece of meat.

You can simply pat the venison dry and season with salt and pepper before cooking, or you can marinate the cut of meat for a few hours or overnight. Personally, when it comes to venison steak and venison backstrap, I like to use a simple marinade to enhance the flavor of the venison without overpowering it.

Can you eat venison rare? ›

The number one mistake people make when preparing venison is that they overcook it, rendering the meat rubbery and gamey. Tender cuts of venison should be served rare or medium rare unless you are braising it or mixing it with pork to add more fat.

As you can see, between butter and oil, butter has a dramatically lower smoke point. Because of this, if you heat up a pan hot enough to sear your steak, putting a dollop of butter in first means it is likely to burn up. However, that doesn't mean you can't still get the delicious flavors of butter with your steak.

Go for oil, it has a higher smoke point. You need a hot skillet to properly sear a steak, hot enough that a pat of butter will begin to burn before it melts completely. You don't want to sear your steak in burnt butter. So reach for some oil when searing steaks.

The Keys to Successful Pan-Searing

Use a high-heat oil: Make sure to use a stable, high-heat oil to prevent excess smoking (some smoking is okay!). Don't be afraid of browning: One of the most common mistakes I see with beginner cooks is that they are afraid of burning their food, so they flip it too early.

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water. Use enough solution to cover the game completely.

In a bowl, mix together water and 2 tablespoon salt. Soak sliced deer meat in salt water overnight if you're able, or at least an hour. Remove deer meat from refrigerator, and discard salt water (It may be best to leave it sit out for 15 minutes or so, so you won't be frying very cold meat in hot oil.)

Buying farm-raised venison like this roasted tenderloin is one option for taming the gaminess of deer meat, but it isn't the only option. Many cooks swear by a method of soaking the meat in saltwater overnight, then in milk to draw out the gamy flavor.

Soaking it

Many hunters suggest soaking your game meat in vinegar. However, vinegar's acidity can often dry the meat, making it especially tough. Instead, try soaking the meat in milk or even buttermilk, which will produce better results with most wild animals, especially when dealing with backstraps.