7.62NATO

I eat the tenderloins straight…no seasoning whatsoever. I do cook ‘em, but, to me, they’re pretty much done when you pull ‘em off the deer. 

For the backstraps, I like to do a variety of things, depending on the mood:

If I just want something simple, I cut steaks, soak in eggs an hour or so, dredge in flour seasoned with various spices, and fry it up for a just about 2 minutes each side (maybe less…I like it red!!).

If I want that marinated steak flavor, I keep the backstraps whole, and marinate in a mixture of soy, ketchup, oil, garlic and a few other things for a few hours, then throw on the grill until browned, then cut up into steaks and serve. I know that ketchup sounds weird for a marinade, but it is actually really good once mixed with the soy. I’ll will post the recipe later.

But my favorite way is similar to the OP’s recipe, except I don’t use any seasoning. Take a bunch…I mean a bunch of garlic and use a garlic press to mince it and set it aside. Lightly fry a pound of bacon and set aside (you do not want it crispy, just cooked…it will cook more later). Take a package (or several depending on how much you’re making) of Philly cream cheese and slice ½” chunks out of it, set aside. Cut 1” steaks from your backstrap and pound them out until they’re about ¼” thick (maybe even thinner), then rub a bunch of that minced garlic into each pounded steak (use a bit of olive oil to rub the garlic in). Then roll up the steaks so that you have a slice of bacon and a chunk of cream cheese on the inside and a slice of bacon rolled on the outside as well, and hold together with a toothpick. Grill on charcoal for a few minutes and enjoy!! The garlic, bacon, cream cheese and venison compliment each other so well that you do NOT need any other spices.

I made that last recipe for the Super Bowl last year, and the guests gobbled it up so fast I didn’t get any. And they didn’t know it wasn’t beef until after, LOL!! Halfbakedi420 may think Philly and backstrap are heresy, but I say try this recipe, then call it that. In the words of Semisane, “If you don’t like it, you’re probably dead!!”