Pan-seared backstrap nestled in a bed of caramelized onions and topped with melted cheese
French Onion Backstrap Medallions Recipe
20 Min
Prep Time
240 Min
Cook Time
3-5
Servings
Medium
Difficulty
If you enjoy a bowl of French onion soup, you are going to love this venison backstrap recipe. Caramelized sliced onions, slow cooked with butter and red wine, nestle pan-seared backstrap medallions, each topped with a slice of melted Swiss cheese.
While the recipe takes a bit of time, most of it is for the onions to slowly cook down in a Dutch oven. What might seem like a lot of onions at first cooks down into a sweet, savory rich paste. Slice the backstrap into 1.5-inch thick medallions and pan sear on both sides before adding to the pan for extra flavor.
Ingredients
2 pounds venison backstrap, cut into 1.5 medallions
6 slices Swiss cheese
8 to10 medium yellow onions, sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup red wine
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
Salt and pepper
Cooking Instructions
Start by slicing the onions thinly. Add them to a Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot with a tightly fitting lid. Season well with salt and pepper.
Pour in the wine, then sprinkle over the granulated garlic. Cut the butter into pats and place them around the tops of the onions.
Bake, covered, in a pre-heated oven at 300 degrees for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. The onions should be a deep mahogany color and completely caramelized.
Once the onions are nearly finished cooking, heat a tablespoon of oil in a cast-iron skillet. Season the backstrap medallions well with salt and pepper on each side. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side. You don't need to cook them through at this point, they will continue to cook in the oven, and you don't want to overcook the backstrap.
Nestle the backstrap into the cooked onions. Top each medallion with a slice of Swiss cheese. Return the pot, uncovered, back to the oven for an additional 20 to 30 minutes to melt the cheese and bring the venison to medium-rare.
