Bacon Wrapped Venison Backstrap Medallions

This was my last venison backstrap from my deer last year.  I'm hoping to replace it with more in the freezer when I hunt on my birthday this year.  Venison is a very lean meat and takes a little extra care to cook it right.  Here is a break down of how I prepped and cooked this backstrap.

  

 

 

Ingredients:

• Venison Backstrap - cut into medallions
• Applewood smoked bacon
• Marinade: fresh thyme, brown sugar, honey, molasses, red wine, worchestershire, pineapple teriyaki marinade
• Fresh okra
• Baby bella mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic
• Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar
• Reduction: cherry marmalade, balsamic vinegar, red wine 

Step 1: The day before I will prep the medallions and marinade them overnight.  From here it is the evening of the dinner: Precook the bacon.  Cook it about halfway so it doesn't take as long when you put it on the grill.  I do this because I want to cook my venison medallions medium rare to medium and cooking the bacon entirely on the grill would result in a well done backstrap.  The purpose of the bacon is to add flavor and some fat into the venison.

 

 

Step 2: Season the venison medallions, wrap in bacon, and put them on a skewer.  Quarter the baby bellas and cut the tops off of the fresh okra.

 

 

 

Step 3: Add 3-4 heaping tablespoons of cherry marmalade to a sauce pan.  Splash in red wine and balsamic vinegar.  Let simmer over medium heat.  Add minced garlic cloves and mushrooms to the leftover bacon grease. Sautee over low to medium heat. 

 

 

 

Step 4: At this point I will have the BGE preheated to around 400 degrees.  Put the venison medallions on the grill and turn ever 3 minutes.  The cherry marmalade reduction should be pretty syrup like at this point, continue cooking over low heat.  Add the okra to the sautee pan and cook for a few minutes.  Okra is best crisp and can get overcook if left on too long.  Right about the time the okra is cook and the reduction is finished you can pull your venison from the grill.  Again, it's best to cook backstraps medium rare to medium as they can dry out if overcooked.

 

 

 

Plate the vegetables and venison medallions, and drizzle some of the reduction sauce over the meat.  Enjoy with some red wine and watch the Falcons beat the Saints!