How to save a tough backstrap

[Stache Attack]

If you don’t want jerky there always the crockpot, I don’t like to smoke tough meat because it gets the ring around it and adds two layers of tough

 

[Mike Islander]

Pressure cooker solves all tough meat problems.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Nachos! We take most leftover pork, steak and chicken and wife pulses in the food processer (which will get rid of tough chewy texture) and make massive nachos with all the extras. Never lasts long here!

 

[Wrench]

30 minutes in the pressure cooker will turn it as soft as canned tuna.

 

[Jlingle]

I know it can’t be done once you e already cook the meat, but my favorite way to cook tough meat is to cut the backstrap against the grain in 1/2” medallions, lay it beneath a ziploc bag, pummel it flat with a meat tenderizer, then chicken fry it. If you have overnight to soak it in buttermilk, even better. It’s absolutely marvelous. Even people who don’t normally enjoy wild game will like it.

 

[Sand Wrench]

30 minutes in the pressure cooker will turn it as soft as canned tuna.

I concur. I make coconut curry in the Instapot. Chunk your meat and put it in the cooker with a can of coconut milk and 3 Tablespoons of curry paste for 30 min, works great.

 

[Jskaanland]

I made Reubens (in a slow cooker) with the shank from the offending buck and bull. It turned out great. I know my original post was about the backstraps. But if slow cooking made shank great, I think I can salvage anything else.

• Salt and pepper 3 lbs shank then brown meat on all sides
• Caramelize 1 medium onion
• Toss shank and onion in a crock pot, cover in chicken stock.
• Cook 7 hours
• Shred meat
• add sauerkraut(16-24 oz) and caraway seeds
• Cook 1 more hour
• Drain, toss on a hot pan for a few minutes so you're not putting soggy meat on bread.(this can also be a good time to add some swiss cheese on top of a serving size portion to melt it)

Serve on Ryebread with Russian dressing(or thousand island if you're lazy)

Here is the Russian dressing recipe I used

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp. ketchup
• 2 tbsp. horseradish
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. \granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

P.S. Recipe credit goes to @JJBuck

 

[Fogalo]

This is also a suggestion that’s too late but hang the meat before you freeze it. Here with cwd I just keep it the shade - (we’re in wisconsin) so it stays from 30 - 50 degrees. I leave it till I get cwd results back. It’s easier to hang the whole animal but I’ve done the same thing with elk in game bags and it helps

 

[Jbob]

After cooking without over cooking... slicing the loin thin has spared many from having tough steaks.

 

[Nate333kloeck]

Butterfly, soak in marinade 24h (your choice), throw on grill.