Here’s a great way to cook your back strap during deer season from Chef Kathleen Hassett!

Ingredients:
3 pounds venison back strap (tenderloin) — with all silver skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt 

     ¼ teaspoon basil

     ¼ teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped 

     1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 pound bacon
1 white onion, sliced

Add sea salt, basil, marjoram, and pepper into a spice grinder and pulse to combine into a fine grind.
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan.
Season back strap with the seasoning mixture; add to pan and sear well on all sides. Remove from pan and rub with rosemary, thyme and garlic.
Wrap back strap with bacon and place on a baking pan, on a thin layer of sliced onion.
Place into a 300-degree oven and roast to an internal temperature of 135 degrees for medium rare.
Remove from oven and place onto a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Remove bacon and slice into 8 portions.

Venison Red Wine Jus

Servings: 8

Ingredients

Directions

1 In a medium saucepan, render the bacon over low heat. Add the shallots, carrot, garlic, celery and onion; cook until tender.
2 Add the red wine and reduce to a glaze.
3 Add the stock and reduce by two-thirds. Pass through a fine strainer and check the consisten-cy. Return to the saucepan and reduce further if necessary.