wilcam47
Ultimate Member
backstraps and tenderloin is basically a T-bone steak, just smaller portions. Outrider has a good description. Here is a good stew recipe I use with the tenderloins and or stew meat. Ive had some gamey deer that was horrible. The MD deer werent very gamey at all. Just prior to the rut is the best time to get the bucks...IMO.
http://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=1359295&postcount=109
Tenderloin= hanging tenders or some call them the 'fish'. They are located on the inside cavity on the latter half of the deer.
Back straps run the length of the body on either side of the spine(where the ribs meet the spine). Also called loin roasts or rib roasts depending on how they are cut. You can also make chops out of them. I grill them like filet Mignon cut 3" thick wrapped with bacon and grilled med. rare. The trick about venison is: you can't cook the gamyness out of it, only into it' meaning don't over cook venison. It ruins the texture and flavor.
EDIT: I've grown to like the taste of venison and I gave up trying to change it's flavor. I eat the backstraps as steaks, I use the leg steaks for stew meat(it's the best!), burger makes the best chili in the world and I slice the roasts up for jerky or into the crock pot whole for pot roast.
