Grilled Dry Rubbed Venison Backstrap

Grilled venison backstrap sliced with parsley on side.

5 from 18 votes

Grilled Dry Rubbed Venison Backstrap

Venison Backstrap or loin is thinly coated with olive oil then rubbed with a spicy seasoning featuring hot peppers, chipotle, herbs, and crushed juniper berries. The hot grill seals the outside leaving the inside meat juicy and tender.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Resting time10

Total Time1

Course: grilled wild meat

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Equipment

Ingredients

Wild Game Dry Rub

¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup black pepper
¼ cup smoked paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon juniper berries crushed and minced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon chipotle powder

Meat

2 lbs venison backstrap
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter unsalted

Instructions

Dry Rub

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
For the best results, use your fingers to distribute the crushed juniper throughout the rub.
This makes quite a bit. It's enough for about 8 to 10 pounds of meat.
Keep away from heat and light and it will last for about 6 months.

Prepare Meat

Rub olive oil all over the meat.
Massage the rub onto the meat.
Tie the meat so that it retains it shape.
You can prepare the loin early in the day and keep covered in the fridge. Remove from the refrigerator an hour before grilling. The meat should be at room temperature.
Preheat the grill to 350℉ to 375℉.
Clean the grates and lay the venison on the grill. Keep the grill cover open.
Let the loin cook for 5 to 8 minutes without moving. This depends on how thick the venison loin is. You want a good sear on the outside so that the juices will seal in.
Flip and repeat on the other side.
Check with an Instant read thermometer. Rare is 120℉ and medium rare is 135℉. We find our ideal temperature is at 135℉. Don't forget that the meat will continue to rise in temperature when you take it off the heat.
If the venison needs more time, turn it to the sides that haven't been directly exposed to the heat. About another 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the meat from the heat and and drop dollops of butter on top of the meat. Loosely tent it with foil for 10 minutes.
Slice and serve immediately.

Notes

The caloric content will be off because you don't use all of the rub. Venison is very lean and lower in calories than beef.

Nutrition