Venison sirloin steaks (not cubed). Don’t throw the leg meat in the grind pile just yet!

[chrislibby88]

Does anyone else hate the “cube the back straps, grind the rest” mentality that so many people have about venison? Ive got some de-boned venison rear quarters from a 2.5 year old buck that have been cooler aging in vacuum bags for about 2 weeks now, so I decided to try and cut some steaks from the sirloin roast and see what happens. (The sirloin is the large football shaped muscle on the hind leg that wraps slightly round the femur. You can tie it up and make a whole roast, or slice it into steaks, or be like everyone else and reduce it to the grind pile) Sliced it at about a 30 degree angle so I could get some decent sized steaks. May try a steeper cut angle next time, and maybe go a little thinner so I get a greater number of same sized pieces.

Got two nice 2 inch steaks, and some oddly shaped end pieces. Didn’t marinade, mainly because of time, but also to test the flavor and tenderness of just the meat. Put some dry rub on the steaks and they were on the grill 5 minutes later. Cooked about 7-8 minutes per side. When I flipped them I brushed some olive oil on the top side, to keep them from getting too dry.

They wound up about medium done in the middle, just a little pink. Some of the thinner trims got well done.

The rarer areas were excellent. Juicy, surprisingly tender (Not $30 steak tender, but I have had cheap steaks that were much tougher). The flavor was as good as any supermarket beef steak.

The more done spots were pretty tough, and fairly dry.

I’m gonna try an oil and acid based marinade next time and see if it enhances the steaks.

Just thought I would share. Don’t throw those hind quarters in the grind pile just yet! You can get some excellent versatile cuts.

 

[Wudee]

^^Sounds good, I have a couple of whole hind quarters in the freezer I may have to try that. Typically I bone them out and use them for jerky or a Mississippi Mud Roast. I have boned them out and stuffed them with garlic, butter and covered them with mayo and put them on the smoker.

 

[poopdaddy]

sounds/looks great. will have to give it a try... maybe a good tenderizer and some lawry's..

 

[Horsehat]

If people could reconcile themselves to eating venison Med rare instead of well done they would get a whole new perspective.

 

[Treehawk]

I cook it medium rare and find it to be tender and tasty med well to well done totally ruins it and dries it out.

 

[BanjoJohn]

We always separate and trim off they sinew on the muscles of the hams, then slice them and make cubed steaks out of that also.

Processed a 115 lb doe and got 10 lbs cube and 30 ground.

You can't tell the difference between the cubed ham and the backstraps.

 

[chrislibby88]

Next time I try this Im gonna go for a more age, a good chemical tenderizer/marinade, and try to cook it a little less and see if I can get close to good steak tender. Just scared to over marinate. My wife thought these had better flavor than any beef steak we have had recently, and Im on board with that statement.

 

[Horsehat]

Next time I try this Im gonna go for a more age, a good chemical tenderizer/marinade, and try to cook it a little less and see if I can get close to good steak tender. Just scared to over marinate. My wife thought these had better flavor than any beef steak we have had recently, and Im on board with that statement.

Use a marinade light on seasoning and heavy on oil.

 

[jeep78]

Try slow cooking the whole ham (or backstraps or shoulders). 4 or 5 hours at 230 to 250, covered tightly with alum foil in a roasting pan.

It comes out tender juicy, and med rare, just like expensive roast beef in a restaurant.

 

[chrislibby88]

Try slow cooking the whole ham (or backstraps or shoulders). 4 or 5 hours at 230 to 250, covered tightly with alum foil in a roasting pan.

It comes out tender juicy, and med rare, just like expensive roast beef in a restaurant.

Yea. Father and law cooked one for me like that on New Years. Whole front leg. Wrapped in bacon and onion, then wrApped in foil. Low, indirect heat on the smoker for about 6 hours. Tendons turned into jello. It was excellent. And all the bacon kept the meat nice and lubed up. My only slight complaint is all the bacon gave it an almost pork flavor. Kinda tasted more like wild hog I guess than venison. Still very very good. Pulled pork texture. It just fell apart.