Get your bourbon fix with this tasty Bourbon BBQ Venison Backstrap Recipe (Photo courtesy of North American Whitetail Magazine)
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes
Venison Backstrap Ingredients:
- 1 venison backstrap with all silver skin removed
- 1 cup Zatarain’s Creole Mustard
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1⁄3 to ½ cup fresh cracked black and white peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons pink Himalayan sea salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh puréed garlic
- 1 tablespoon marjoram
- 2 ounces Dale’s Seasoning (liquid meat marinade)
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 2 tablespoons Louisiana “Extra Hot” Hot Sauce
Bourbon BBQ Sauce Ingredients:
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 chopped banana, serrano or jalapeño pepper
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, diced very fine
- 1 cup bourbon or Tennessee whiskey
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup apple cider
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄3 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1⁄3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (I use pink Himalayan sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
1. Mix all venison backstrap ingredients in a bowl. Rub ALL of the marinade into and all over the meat. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
2. While the venison marinates, prepare the BBQ sauce. Heat oil and butter in a cast iron skillet, then add onions and peppers to cook just long enough to soften onions. Remove from heat to carefully add bourbon, then return to heat. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat and add remaining sauce ingredients. Then cook for 20 minutes to reduce by a third. Let BBQ sauce sit at room temperature for about ½ hour to thicken before use.
3. With grill preheated and left on high, place entire backstrap on the grill and cook until its internal temperature reaches 130 degrees. Turn ¼ turn every 4 to 6 minutes until done. If you have a smoker, smoke backstrap first until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees.
4. Remove meat from heat and let sit for about an hour; place on the grill to reheat. Do not overcook; just get internal temperature back up to 130 degrees. Remove from heat and let stand for about 10 minutes prior to serving.
5. Using a grill mop, cover venison backstrap in bourbon BBQ sauce.
