Miso Backstrap Over the Coals
Venison steaks that soak in a miso marinade at home and hit the fire at camp.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 47
- protein
- 48 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 35 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Venison backstrap | 2 lb | one section, or 3 to 5 steaks cut 1 1/2 inches thick |
|---|---|---|
| White miso paste | 1/4 cup | white, not red, unless you want it loud |
| Mirin | 3 tbsp | |
| Soy sauce | 2 tbsp | |
| Honey | 1 tbsp | |
| Lime juice | 1 tbsp | |
| Garlic | 2 cloves | minced, or 1 tsp granulated |
| Fresh ginger | 1 tbsp | grated |
| Neutral oil | 1 tbsp | for the grate |
Method
- At home, whisk the miso, mirin, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, garlic, and ginger into a smooth paste. Miso clumps, so work it against the side of the bowl.
- Put the backstrap in a zip bag, pour the marinade over, press the air out, and seal. Four hours minimum, twelve at the outside.
- Pack the bag flat in the cooler, meat side down on ice.
- At camp, build a fire and let it burn to coals, or run a grill over medium-high. You want the grate hot enough to sizzle on contact.
- Pull the meat out and wipe most of the marinade off. The sugars in it will scorch if you leave them on thick.
- Oil the grate. Sear the backstrap 4 to 5 minutes a side, turning once, until it reads 130F in the middle.
- Rest it on a plate or foil for ten minutes before slicing across the grain.
Miso is fermented soybean, and what it brings to venison is salt plus the savory depth lean game meat does not have on its own. Backstrap is nearly fat-free, which is why it goes dry and flat when you just salt and sear it. The marinade’s salt pulls moisture in, and the paste itself clings where a thin liquid marinade would run off.
This one stays a cooler recipe. There is no shelf-stable version worth eating, so it belongs at a truck or a basecamp with ice, not in a pack. Wipe the marinade down before it hits the grate: honey and mirin both burn well before the middle of a 1 1/2 inch steak is done, and burnt miso is bitter.
Packing
Marinate at home in a doubled freezer bag. It rides flat under the ice, which keeps it cold and keeps the marinade from finding your gear. Bring an instant-read thermometer if you have one.
Variations
- No fire? A cast iron pan on a two-burner stove does the same job with a little more smoke.
- Instant rice cooked in the same pot's worth of water rounds it into a full dinner.
- Red miso in place of white if you already know you like it.
https://realtree.com/timber-2-table-wild-game-recipes/miso-marinated-venison-backstrap