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Outdoor Life published a guide to three ways of cooking venison backstrap: simple skillet steaks, bacon-wrapped backstrap with blackberry sauce, and venison Wellington. The recipes are based on whitetail and the article emphasizes trimming silver skin and avoiding overcooking the lean cut.
Outdoor Life published three recipes for venison backstrap on Nov. 5, outlining ways to prepare the lean deer cut as skillet-seared steaks, a bacon-wrapped roast with blackberry sauce, or a Wellington-style dish. The guide by Alice Jones Webb says the recipes were refined with whitetail and can also be used for other big-game meat.
The simplest option is skillet-seared backstrap steaks. Webb’s recipe calls for slicing trimmed meat against the grain into three-quarter-inch steaks, seasoning them with salt, pepper and smoked paprika, then searing them in butter for about one to two minutes per side. Sliced mushrooms and onions are cooked in the same pan with Worcestershire sauce and served over the steaks.
The second method wraps an eight-inch section of backstrap in bacon and pairs it with blackberry sauce made with orange juice, balsamic vinegar and sugar. The recipe browns the wrapped meat in a skillet, then transfers it to a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven. It calls for cooking to an internal temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a five-to-10-minute rest before slicing. Webb recommends chilling the bacon-wrapped roast for four to five hours, or overnight, to help the bacon stay in place.
The third preparation is venison Wellington, described in the article as a more involved version of the traditional dish. The supplied article excerpt names the recipe and says it can be served with roasted potatoes and winter vegetables, but does not include its full ingredient list or directions.
Three Approaches to a Lean Cut
The guide gives hunters and home cooks three different levels of preparation for a cut that Webb describes as prized for tenderness but much leaner than beef ribeye. The skillet recipe keeps the process short, while bacon wrapping adds fat and a fruit-based sauce; Wellington offers a more elaborate presentation.
Cooking temperature is a central practical point. Webb says backstrap is best served medium rare, at 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, and warns that cooking it hotter can leave it dry and chewy. That advice matters because the recipes depend on keeping a lean cut from losing moisture. The article is a cooking guide, not a test comparing the recipes or a food-safety authority.
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Why Backstrap Needs Care
Backstrap is the long strip of meat that runs along each side of a deer’s spine, from the shoulder-blade area toward the last vertebra. Webb says a whitetail has two backstraps, each weighing about one to three pounds depending on the animal’s size. The article compares the cut with ribeye and filet mignon but stresses that venison backstrap has less fat than beef ribeye.
The meat is covered by a tough layer of connective tissue commonly called silver skin. The guide advises removing it before cooking because it toughens when heated. Webb’s recipes reflect her experience cooking venison after growing up eating deer meat; she says she developed the preparations through culinary research and kitchen experimentation.
“Sometimes simple is better. It lets the natural taste really shine through.”
— Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life
Details Missing From the Excerpt
The supplied source text cuts off during the Wellington recipe, so its ingredients, method and cooking temperatures are not available here. It also does not provide independent testing, nutrition information, or a comparison showing how the three methods perform against one another. The article’s temperature guidance is presented as Webb’s cooking advice; readers should not treat the recipe excerpt as a substitute for food-safety guidance.
Choose a Method and Cook
The source reports no scheduled follow-up or further testing. Readers can select among the published approaches based on the time and preparation they want: quick skillet steaks, bacon-wrapped backstrap with sauce, or the more involved Wellington. For the full Wellington directions, consult the complete Outdoor Life article rather than relying on the incomplete excerpt provided here.
Key Questions
What are the three ways to cook venison backstrap in the guide?
Skillet-seared steaks, bacon-wrapped backstrap with blackberry sauce, and venison Wellington.
What temperature does the article recommend for backstrap?
Webb recommends serving it medium rare, at 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Her bacon-wrapped recipe specifies removing the roast from the oven when it reaches 130 degrees, then resting it for five to 10 minutes.
Should silver skin be removed before cooking?
Yes. The article says to remove the tough connective tissue because it can become very tough when exposed to heat.
Are the recipes limited to whitetail?
Webb says the recipes were refined with whitetail meat but also work well for other big-game animals.
Source: outdoorlife.com
