Recipe: Venison with Blueberry Bourbon Sauce

by
posted on December 4, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
venisonwblueberrysauce_lead.jpg

Combine Bourbon and blueberries in this five-star treatment for your venison backstrap.

Meat
2-3 pounds of venison backstrap trimmed and ready for the grill

Blueberry Bourbon Sauce Ingredients
2 cups of fresh blueberries
½ cup bourbon whiskey (Good old Canadian rye whiskey can be a substitute)
½ lemon juiced
⅔ cup of white sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch
½ cup water

1. The loin can be cooked whole or sliced into 1- to 1 ½-inch steaks. Sprinkle with Montreal steak spice of similar seasoning. Do not use anything to overpower the natural flavors of the venison.

2. Meat is to be prepared in a sizzling hot cast iron fry pan. Approximately 3 tbsp. of lard or olive oil is required to grease the pan. Sear back strap or steaks until rich brown, which normally takes about 2 minutes per side. I prefer to cook the meat as one piece, as it will hold the juices better and make it more flavorful. It is important not to overcook the venison if you want tender meat. Medium rare is ideal and anything done past medium will make meat tough.

3. Combine berries, whiskey, lemon and sugar in a small saucepan and heat to a gentle boil. Simmer the contents for 10 minutes until well blended, allowing the flavor and juice of the berries to cook into a sauce.  Stir carefully to keep berries from being crushed in the sauce.

4. To thicken the sauce, add corn starch and water and whip together with a fork. Add starch mixture to simmering berries. Maintain on heat until the mixture is well blended and consistent in texture. Use a spoon to see if the sauce is thick enough to stick to the metal surface and you’ll know it’s ready to serve.

5. When your meal is ready to serve slice the back strap into thin medallions or place steaks on serving plates and top each piece with several heaping tablespoons of the blueberry sauce.

Latest

W H2026 07 Membershunt Oakley Buck
W H2026 07 Membershunt Oakley Buck

Member's Hunt: The Dogger’s Window

A dogger’s goal while pushing deer is to drive the prey into a pocket formed by others in his gang, those hunters who are posted about a hundred yards apart along strategic locations up to a half-mile away from the dogger’s starting point. When everyone is in position, the dogger weaves his way through the woods into the wind and pocket formed by the other hunters. The approaching sound of the dogger snapping twigs and crunching leaves alerts unsuspecting deer.

Federal Ammunition Awarded Contracts to Provide Rifle and Shotgun Ammunition to the Canadian Government

Federal Ammunition was recently awarded contracts to supply two Canadian law enforcement organizations with rifle and shotgun ammunition for duty and training purposes. These agreements will supply the Department of National Defense (DND) with .300 Blackout duty and training rounds, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) with 12-gauge slugs and buckshot duty loads.

Hardware Review: Steiner ePredator LRF & ePredator 8 Riflescope

Looking for a surefire solution for long-range shooting? Look no further. Check out our review of the Steiner ePredator line.

Buckmasters’ New Record Book Reveals Hot Spots, Revamped Rankings

Deer hunters will have the rare opportunity to decipher the current state of whitetail deer when Buckmasters releases the ninth edition of its record book this fall. The 600-page tome shows where, when and by what means these world-class whitetails—25,000 in total—came to be included.

Clean 'em Up—Gun Cleaning 101 for Hunters

Ever wonder how often to clean your gun? How about what to clean it with? How about what to clean it with if you're hunting at 40-below? Phil Massaro answers all these questions and more, in this clean-freaks primer.

Hunting Show Attendance Shattering Records

Attendance records have been shattered at this year’s major hunting shows. The latest, Ducks Unlimited’s DUX (Ducks Unlimited Expo), set a new high-water mark in Memphis, Tenn. According to the Commercial Appeal, the July to Aug. 2 event attracted roughly 30,000 attendees. The 2025 event, also held in Memphis, drew a crowd that numbered nearly 20,000.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.