This butter-basted stovetop venison backstrap recipe is juicy and tender on the inside with a perfect crust on the outside and offers a delicious, herbaceous, buttery flavor in every bite. Cooked on the stovetop in less than 30 minutes, it’s a time-honored classic dish perfect for everything from weeknight dinners to special occasions!
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Featured Comment:
This is now my favorite quick way to cook backstrap. Followed directions exactly (thanks for being so detailed!) and both steaks came out perfectly medium rare. Very juicy and flavorful, this is my new go-to recipe for backstrap! Thank you for a wonderful recipe, Annie!
- Melissa
What is Venison Backstrap?
Backstrap is a cut of meat that comes from the back of a four-legged animal such as a deer, elk, or other wild game meat. It’s the same muscle as the ribeye from a cow. It is often confused with venison tenderloin which is located in the abdominal cavity under the spine, instead of on top of the spine.
The backstrap runs parallel to the spine and is often cut into 1-pound portions, medallions, or butterflied steaks. A tender cut of meat, the backstrap is tender and often considered the best part of a deer but can be easy to overcook.
For more cooking instructions try grilled venison backstrap or smoked venison backstrap. If you're feeling adventurous, try butchering your deer for this rack of venison recipe. Elk backstrap cooks a little differently due to its size.
Recipe Highlights
Perfectly Cooked: This venison backstrap recipe uses a cooking method known as arroser (a·ro·zé), which is French for “to baste.” It involves continuously pouring super hot butter over the steak to finish the cooking process, resulting in an evenly cooked center with a flavorful crust on the outside.
Flavorful: The combination of savory venison, rich butter, and aromatics like fresh thyme and garlic give this steak an irresistible aromatic taste.
Quick to Make: With minimal prep time and quick cooking time, this recipe is ready to eat with a total time of less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Venison Backstrap: This cooking method works for any type of steak. Use whatever works for you! If you have leftovers, consider making these venison steak sandwiches.
- Lard: I like to use homemade pork lard to cook steak, but you can use whatever cooking fat you prefer.
- Garlic: Make sure to use whole garlic cloves, and smash them to release their natural juices and get the most out of their flavor.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme can be substituted with fresh rosemary if you'd like. If you love the flavor of thyme, you'll love to pair these grilled potatoes with your backstrap.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
Recommended
Cast Iron Pan
Cast iron holds heat better than most other pans which really helps to make the perfect steak.
How to Cook Deer Backstrap on the Stove
A fancy word like arroser can be intimidating, but you'll master it in no time! Follow a few simple steps below, and you'll be surprised at how easy it is.
- Step 1: Pat the steak dry really well with paper towels.
- Step 2: Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Step 3: Heat a cast iron pan over high heat. Melt lard or other cooking fat, and swirl to coat the pan.
- Step 4: Add steak to pan, and cook for 2.5 to 3.5 minutes.
- Step 5: Flip the steak and add in the butter, thyme, and garlic cloves. Let the butter melt for about 30 seconds.
- Step 6: Use a spoon to scoop the butter from the pan, and continuously pour it over the steak until it has finished cooking, about 2.5 to 3.5 minutes.
- Step 7: Remove the steak from the pan, and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Step 8: Slice and drizzle with butter from the pan, if desired.
Pro Tips
- Make sure to remove all silver skin before cooking. Save it to make venison dog treats!
- To prevent overcooking, keep your backstrap as a loin while cooking, and cut it into strips or medallions after cooking if desired.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure your steak reaches somewhere between 125°F (medium-rare) and 150°F (well-done), depending on your preferred doneness.
- Letting your steak rest is key to keeping your steak juicy and flavorful. If you cut it too soon, a lot of the juices will run out of the steak.
Storage
If you're lucky enough to have some steak leftover, you can store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
To reheat, heat a pan over medium-high heat and melt a ½ tablespoon or so of butter. Add steak slices and sear for 30 seconds per side, just enough to warm it slightly without overcooking it.
Serving Suggestions
This stovetop venison backstrap recipe is the perfect centerpiece for any meal. Try pairing it with simple, delicious sides like:
Don’t forget to open a bottle of wine to go with it, and enjoy!
FAQ
A lot of answers online will tell you to soak your meat in various brines, milk, etc. But, allowing your meat to thaw on paper towels will also help soak up some of the off flavors that may be found in your venison. Keeping the outside of your steak dry also helps develop the perfect crust when cooking so it's a win-win!
Venison steak can be very tender if prepared properly. Aging your meat is the first step to achieving tender venison meat. You can age it before you freeze it. Or, even leaving it in the freezer for several months before eating it can increase the tenderness. Cooking the meat rare or medium-rare also helps keep it tender. Venison is very lean. So, if it's overcooked, it can become tough and dry.
The exact temperature to cook venison backstrap depends on how you like your meat. I prefer mine around medium, which requires an internal temperature of 125°F. Anything below 130°F will be rare. If you prefer medium-well venison, you’ll want to aim for an internal temperature between 140 and 145°F, and a well-done backstrap steak will need to reach 150°F.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Thank you!
Annie
📖 Recipe
The Best Stovetop Venison Backstrap
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb venison backstrap
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoon salted butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon lard (or other high smokepoint cooking fat)
Instructions
- Thaw meat in the fridge on paper towel lined plate. Change the paper towels out a time or 2 until the meat is thawed. This will help remove any off flavors and will help in the browning process. Let steak sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Heat cast iron pan over high heat. While pan is heating, season meat generously on one side with salt and pepper. Add lard to pan.
- Allow lard to get hot, about 30 seconds. Put steak seasoned side down in the pan. Season the other side of the steak and cook 2.5-3.5 minutes.
- Flip steak and add butter, thyme, and garlic cloves to pan. Allow the herbs and garlic to season the butter as it melts, about 30 seconds.
- Place thyme and garlic on top of steak and continuously pour hot butter over steak until 2.5-3.5 minutes have passed. 2.5 minutes per side will give you a steak on the rarer side. 3.5 minutes will be closer to medium rare. Time will vary greatly depending on the thickness of the steak. Once the internal temperature reaches 120°F, it's time to pull it out of the pan.
- Remove steak from pan and let rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board or plate. Slice into ¼-½" slices and serve with butter from the pan. Enjoy!
Notes
- This cooking method works for any type of steak. Use whatever works for you!
- I like to use homemade lard to cook steak, but you can use whatever cooking fat you prefer.
- Make sure to use whole garlic cloves, and smash them to release their natural juices and get the most out of their flavor.
- Fresh thyme can be substituted with fresh rosemary if you'd like.
- Make sure to remove all silver skin before cooking.
- To prevent overcooking, keep your backstrap as a loin while cooking, and cut it into strips or medallions after cooking if desired.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure your steak reaches somewhere between 125°F and 150°F, depending on your preferred doneness.
- Letting your steak rest is key to keeping your steak juicy and flavorful. If you cut it too soon, a lot of the juices will run out of the steak.
Amos says
I used a muley hind quarter roast cut in half lengthwise instead of backstrap, adjusted the time for thicker cut — thanks, fellow commenters!— and it was absolute perfection. I was afraid my butter would burn but it did not; it just got really nice and brown. Thanks so much for a truly great, not to mention clearly-written, recipe.
Annie Weisz says
Thank you for your kind review, Amos! I'm glad the recipe worked out for your cut of meat!
Amos says
Ugh, *backstrap*!
Beth McCrobie says
This was quick, easy, and delicious!! Just enough seasoning and not overpowering. The only thing I did differently was to use a sprig of thyme and rosemary instead of just thyme. Because my backstrap was about 2 inches think cook time was a little longer. This was perfect!
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm sure the rosemary was an excellent addition!
Melissa says
This is now my favorite quick way to cook backstrap. Followed directions exactly (thanks for being so detailed!) and both steaks came out perfectly medium rare. My husband was on the phone when they were about to finish, so I did remove them from the pan about 30 seconds early and covered them, I assumed they’d continue cooking a bit while resting and it worked out beautifully. Very juicy and flavorful, this is my new go-to recipe for backstrap! Thank you for a wonderful recipe, Annie!
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Melissa! I'm so glad the recipe worked out for you. I hope you have many more delicious backstrap meals!
Chris F says
Awesome recipe!
Cook times are too short for thick cuts. I used two very thick backstraps (about 2.5 inches thick) and the pan time wasn't even close to long enough. I just finished them in the oven for about 10 minutes and they came out beautifully (one was medium rare, the other just shy of medium).
Annie Weisz says
Thank you! The cook time does depend on a lot of factors - steak thickness, steak temperature when raw, pan temperature, etc. I'm glad you still enjoyed the recipe! Finishing the steak in the oven is a great way to go.
Leonard Henry says
A five star recipe if there was one!
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much!!
Lara M says
Even though this smoked up my house in a matter of moments, I still highly recommend this recipe. I didn’t have any lard or high temp cooking oil, so I used bacon grease. It added an extra bit of flavor. The flavor & texture was perfection.
Annie Weisz says
I really appreciate you still giving my recipe a 5-star rating despite the kitchen smoke. 😆 Bacon grease is a perfect substitute for lard. I'm so glad you enjoyed your steak!