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This mule deer backstrap recipe with red wine reduction is an elegant way to prepare one of the finest cuts from your Idaho mule deer harvest. Our guides at Granite Peak Outfitters have been cooking wild mule deer from the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness for over 25 years.

WILD GAME RECIPES

An elegant treatment for the finest cut on your muley

Mule deer backstrap has a slightly richer, deeper flavor than whitetail — some describe it as more mountain-forward with just a hint of the sage and bitterbrush the animal feeds on. That complex flavor pairs beautifully with a red wine reduction that adds acidity and richness without masking the meat. This is our favorite way to showcase a mule deer backstrap when we want something a notch above campfire cooking.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs mule deer backstrap, trimmed of silverskin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry red wine (Cabernet or Merlot)
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon cold butter for finishing
• Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Directions

1. Remove backstrap from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat completely dry and season all sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a cast iron skillet over high heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the backstrap.
3. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side without moving. Remove at 128°F for medium-rare. Rest on a cutting board tented with foil.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots and garlic to the same pan, cooking for 1 minute.
5. Pour in the red wine, scraping up all browned bits. Let reduce by half. Add beef broth and Dijon. Reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
6. Remove from heat and swirl in 1 tablespoon cold butter. Slice the backstrap into medallions and plate with the wine reduction spooned over top.

Pro Tips from Our Guides

• The backstrap will carry over about 5°F during resting. Pull it earlier than you think.
• Use a wine you enjoy drinking. The flavor concentrates dramatically during reduction.
• Shallots give a milder, sweeter flavor than onions — do not substitute regular onion if you can help it.
• The cold butter at the end gives it a glossy, restaurant-quality finish.

This is what we cook on special occasions at the lodge — opening night of mule deer season calls for backstrap and good wine.