In my family, we grew up eating a lot of deer meat or venison, including Grilled Deer Tenderloin Wrapped In Bacon. We ate this because my dad was a hunter and our family friends were butchers, so we always got some great cuts of meat.
Grilled deer is fantastic meat to feed anyone because it really doesn’t taste all that different from beef. If you have a good butcher, you will get tenderloin that is absolutely some of the best meat you will eat.
If you have never worked with deer or venison before, it isn’t difficult and this recipe will help you to dip your toes into meats that you can’t necessarily get in your grocery store.
Grilled Deer Tenderloin Wrapped In Bacon Recipe
Grilled deer tenderloin is the type of meat that you think about when you are extremely hungry. It is filling, falls apart in your mouth, and the type of meat that everyone wants.
Marinate your chunks twice, wrap them in good quality bacon (maybe even deer bacon) and then grill until it is crispy on the outside. It is an extremely filling and satisfying meal.
Tenderloin is really the deer version of the filet mignon, meaning it is the best cut of meat. You can personalize this recipe a little bit by using different forms of BBQ sauce or cuts of bacon. The recipe takes 25 minutes to prepare (along with a few hours of wait time), 20 minutes to cook.
It will take a longer time to soak the meats to ensure that everything melds well together, so you should plan ahead, as it will take about 5 hours to make.
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Venison Backstrap, Cut Into 2-inch Chunks
- 1 Quart Apple Cider
- 1 ½ Pounds of Thick-Sliced Bacon Of Your Choice (Use Regular Bacon or Deer Bacon)
- 2 (12 Ounce) Bottles Barbecue Sauce Of Your Choice
Directions
- Place the chunks of venison into a shallow baking dish and cover them with just enough apple cider vinegar. Cover them tightly and allow the mixture to sit in your refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but no more than 4 hours.
- Remove the chunks from the apple cider vinegar and pat them dry. You can throw away the apple cider vinegar. Put the chunks back into the dried dish.
- Pour barbeque sauce over the chunks, cover again with a new cover, and refrigerate this mixture for at least 3 hours. The longer you allow the chunks to sit in the mixture, the more flavorful they will be.
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow it to stand on your counter for at least 30 minutes. You want it to be room temperature when you cook it.
- Wrap each chunk of venison tenderloin in a slice of bacon. You can secure using meat pins or with toothpicks.
- Preheat your outdoor grill to cook your meat on high heat. I prefer to use charcoal, but you can use any other type of heat that you want.
- When your grill is hot, brush the grill grate with olive oil.
- Place the venison pieces on the grill. Space them out so that they are not touching each other, or they may stick. Be sure to stand back and be prepared, as bacon fat can sometimes trigger flames.
- Grill the pieces of meat, turning occasionally, until the bacon burns ever so slightly. Depending on the thickness of the bacon, it should take somewhere between 15 to 20 minutes. Remember that the more slowly you cook the meat, the better it will be.
Make sure you eat while they are still hot, as this is when the meal is at its best.
What Can I Serve Grilled Deer Tenderloin With?
If you want to make a full meal out of this, there are many, many things you can pair. It is a complete protein and fat, so you will need to add some carbs to your meal. I’d suggest:
- Buttered Noodles
- Vegetables Like Corn, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Jicama, Brussel Sprouts, and More
- Mixed Vegetables
- Roasted Vegetables
- Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Salads
Really, you can pair this with just about any side dishes you can imagine. I like to make it with some more child-friendly dishes because they tend to be a bit standoffish about deer meat.
Store Tips
To store your grilled deer tenderloin, you should put everything into a glass container that has a very tightly fitting lid. You want to eat this fairly quickly, as most deer doesn’t have preservatives like some meats do.
Make sure that you put it into your refrigerator as soon as possible and keep it away from foods that tend to absorb flavors, as it is quite pungent.
How To Reheat
This meal is so beloved in my family that we don’t often have leftovers, there have been a few times when we did.
I’ve reheated it in two different ways. You can wrap the tenderloins in foil and put them into the oven and bake them until everything crisps up again. You can also put them back onto the grill and make them that way. I tend to nuke them in the microwave or oven for a few minutes before I do this.
You should know that reheating will take some time, but once again, the slower, the better.
Have you tried grilled venison before? It is truly one of the best meats that people are afraid to eat.
