If there is a way to cook it, I have tried it:
- Stuffed with cream cheese, jalapenos, and yellow onion; wrapped in bacon; rubbed down with brown sugar before and after bacon wrap
- Stuffed with cream cheese, red bell pepper, yellow onion; wrapped in bacon; same as first...
- Stuffed with a piece of jalapeno and cheddar deer sausage (casing removed), wrapped in bacon, etc.
- Stuffed with a piece of chorizo, wrapped in bacon, etc.
- (similar to a cast iron skillet steak method but with a large piece of meat): Half strap, Marinated over night, butterfly the half, stuffed with chopped apples that have been rolled in brown sugar, sear on super high heat on a griddle, move to high heat oven, remove, cover with an orange marmalade and jalapeno glaze, place back in oven for 1 minute, remove, and let rest, slice thin. Cooked to medium side of medium rare. This one is interesting to get out of the oven just right.
- Butterflied, hammered thin, and then cooked as Deer Spiedini (like this pic but with deer instead of chicken
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/newintown/files/2011/10/Grilled-Chicken-Spiedini-2.jpg); This recipe has a lot going on but is definitely one to introduce a non-deer eater to. I don't make the topping they have in the picture though. I make a garlic infused olive oil and brush it when it comes out and hit with some some sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Cut into thick medallions and battered and deep fried medium rare
- Cut into small bite size pieces, battered, and deep fried rare
- Cut into small pieces, hammered thin, battered and deep fried medium (have done this one before with more of a Tempura style batter and it was good too)
I typically like my fried deer with the inside loin but have grown to like the backstrap if it is done right.
I could go on. Like I said though I have moved on to simplistic lately and do the cast iron method with a nice 10 to 12 ounce cut of back strap. The most basic is just olive oil, S&P, and take it to med rare. You would be absolutely surprised how much deer cooked in the cast iron skillet method tastes like a restaurant style steak. My dad didn't believe me until I cooked it for him last time they came to visit. I also like adding some fresh chopped garlic (not a lot) and press it into the meat. I typically use the hot *** skillet to my advantage too. I pull the steak, and immediately throw in a half of a sliced yellow onion (home grown is preferable) until nearly translucent and pile that up next to the steak. More complicated but good too is the same with the onion and after it is translucent then add 1/2 tablespoon of soy, 1/2 tablespoon of Worcestershire, 1/2 tablespoon flour, 1/4 cup of beef or chicken broth, S&P, and make gravy. This is a very thick gravy that I put on the side rather than on top of the steak. Better for dragging it through than smothering it. (edit to add: fresh mushroom with the onion is good here too).
