Bacon Wrapped Venison Back Strap

These tender flavorful venison back straps are sure to please!

When my husband's uncle brought us some venison back strap, I was thrilled! What's so special about back strap? It. Is. So. Tender. Especially when prepared properly! Back straps are best cooked at high & fast, and served rare to medium rare. Grilling them is one of the best ways to prepare them, but unfortunately we live in an apartment and cannot grill, and I do not own an indoor grill or grill pan. The next best option is to broil, which was my chosen method.

"Properly prepared"also includes prep. So, let's get right down to the nitty gritty of venison prep.

Prepping Your Venison Back Straps

As with any cut of venison, you will want to trim off any white portions-- including fat. Venison fat doesn't taste good at all. Some deer that have lived in agricultural areas feeding on corn and soy crops can have good fat, but it's hit or or miss and you do not want to risk it! After you've trimmed the meat, soak it in salt water overnight. This draws out the blood from the meat. Place the meat in a large bowl. Fill with water to cover the meat and add 2 tablespoons of salt. After you've soaked the meat overnight, remove it from the salt water, rinse and pat it dry.

Marinading is a great way to tenderize your venison. This will make the back straps even more flavorful and tender. For these back straps I used a red wine based marinade. I always use wine when cooking venison. Not only does it add to the flavor, but the wine also acts as a tenderizer. You will want your meat to marinade for a minimum of 3 hours, but closer to 6 hours is better.

Back Strap Marinade (for 8 pieces)

Ingredients:

1 liquid cup red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon are best)
1 liquid cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Place your back straps in a large bowl or casserole dish. Pour marinade over the meat. Cover the dish well and place in the refrigerator. Allow to marinade for 3-6 hours. The longer the better.

Once your back straps have marinaded you're ready to get cooking!

Cooking Your Venison Back Strap

Ingredients:

8 pieces of marinaded venison back strap
8 pieces of high quality bacon
Parsley (dried or fresh) for sprinkling

Directions:

Turn oven broiler on high, make sure oven rack is in the middle. Wrap each piece of venison back strap in a piece of bacon. Sprinkle both sides with some parsley. Place in a pan and put into the hot oven. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes on each side until the internal temp reaches 125-135*F. Once finished, remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. The meat will continue to cook up another 5*F as it sits.

Serve with your favorite Paleo sides and ENJOY!