Air-Fried Backstrap: A Quick, Tasty Treat

Air fryers are a great way to cook backstrap, which is a cut of meat from the loin of a deer. It's a lean, tender cut with a mild flavour. To cook backstrap in an air fryer, you'll first need to slice the meat into steaks, tenderise them with a meat mallet, and season with salt and pepper. You can then coat the steaks in flour, egg, and buttermilk, before frying in the air fryer for around eight minutes. While the steaks are cooking, you can make a gravy with bacon and milk, which is a great topping for the cooked backstrap.

How to tenderise the meat

To tenderise the meat, pound the steaks with a meat mallet. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. You can also dredge each piece of the deer tenderloin in melted butter to coat each side.

To cook the backstrap in an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place the steaks in a single layer in the air fryer basket. If your basket won't hold all the steaks, fry in two batches. Fry for eight minutes or until the coating is a crisp golden brown and the venison is medium-rare.

How to season the meat

To season the meat, start by pounding the steaks with a meat mallet to tenderise them. Then, season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. You can also add some extra spices to the flour mixture, such as cayenne, paprika, garlic, and onion powders. Mix the flour with the spices, and then dip the steak into the flour mixture. Shake off the excess, and then dip it into a milk and egg mixture. Finally, dip the steak back into the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

How to make the flour mixture

To make the flour mixture, mix the flour with cayenne, paprika, garlic, and onion powders. You can also add salt and pepper to taste. The flour mixture is used to coat the steaks before frying. To do this, dip the steak into the flour mixture, then shake off the excess. Next, dip the steak into a milk and egg mixture, and then back into the flour mixture.

How to make the gravy

To make the gravy, start by browning some diced bacon in a skillet. Once it's crisp, add flour and stir well to cook the flour and mix it into the bacon drippings. Next, add milk and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a light boil, stirring constantly. Once the gravy has thickened, remove it from the heat.

To serve, place the fried backstrap and a helping of mashed potatoes on a plate. Top both liberally with gravy.

You can also make a butter-based gravy by melting butter in a small dish and dredging each piece of deer tenderloin or backstrap in the butter to coat each side.

What to serve with the backstrap

To cook backstrap in an air fryer, pre-heat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place the steaks in a single layer in the air fryer basket. If your basket won't hold all the steaks, fry in two batches. Fry for eight minutes or until the coating is a crisp golden brown and the venison is medium-rare. While the steaks cook, make the gravy. Brown the diced bacon in a skillet. Once it is crisp, add the flour. Stir well to cook the flour and mix it into the bacon drippings. Add the milk and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a light boil, stirring constantly.

Backstrap is a cut of meat found near the top of the backbone of a deer. It is equivalent to the ribeye in beef and loin in pork. It pairs well with a variety of dishes. For example, you can serve it with mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables. You could also serve it with a fresh green salad drizzled with honey mustard dressing and Dutch oven sourdough bread. If you want to get fancy, serve it with risotto and red wine mushrooms.

Frequently asked questions