Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Tough Backstrap

What makes a backstrap unusually tough? Daughter shot a doe Monday shot it back a little so waited til Tuesday morning to recover it. Cleaned it and prepped a backstrap to grill Wednesday. Backstrap felt fine when I cut it out of the deer refrigerated it 36 hrs, then got it out to grill and it felt like the center of the backstrap was frozen it did not bend the same as before and just felt tough in the middle. I cut the small end off and made poppers with thin slices then grilled yhe thicker half whole. Both ways the meat was fine on the outside but tough as leather in the middle cooked to medium at the most. Ended up throwing it out. Have cooked a ton of backstraps but never had one like that, anyone know what could have caused it? Was about a 110lb doe.

No clue but had it happen before. I hang mine now for about ten days before butchering.

I typically don't eat a backstrap before freezing and thawing, because I had that happen once. Not sure why, but we haven't had that happen again since we started that process.

Don't want to sound silly, but was it in airtight container? If any air got to it, it could be the reason why

Yes it was but I have aged them open in the refrigerator for weeks and they were not tough.

I usually dont freeze mine and did freeze the other one but threw it out yoo when the one I did not freeze was so tough. Wish I had kept it now to try

I’ve had that happen a time or two on fresh back straps and have no explanation. I freeze mine first now and have never had it happen from frozen. That said, cooked a fresh one recently that was unbelievably tender.

I’ve had the same with fresh meat. I either freeze it now or it ages in a cooler for 4-5 days before I cook it. Hell my buddy shot a fawn years ago bow hunting no spots and we grilled the straps that night. They weren’t fit to eat.

They say if it’s butchered before rigor mortis goes away, toughness sets in. But it sounds like you avoided that before cutting off the bone.

I bet a deer that grows on ag land would have the best meat. One that had all the food and water right there. The more they travel the more lean the meat could be. Just thinking about how cattle are raised.

Sear the back strap in a cast iron skillet on both sides for just a minute. Set the skillet in an oven until the center of the meat is 125 degrees. Remove it and let it rest for a bit. Important: Make sure the center is room temp before you start the process. I sear in butter, olive oil, and a little balsamic vinegar. It’s always tender and delicious.

I stab mine a couple hundred times on all sides with a fork then press it with my finger tips to sort of flatten. Marinate in EVO and Allegro. Season then cook to rare - med rare. Never had a problem.

Eating it fresh might have had something to do with it. I've cooked some before a day or 2 after killing it and had it be tough like that.

Or it could have been something wrong with the deer. I killed a small buck many years ago that was stiff as a board 30 minutes after I killed him. His legs were extended, so we stood him up on 4 legs and made a picture. It looked like I was standing behind a live deer. I cleaned him and tried to eat him, but it was tough as nails. The dogs got the rest of it.

If a deer runs after being shot, it is tougher.

I've eaten backstrap from a deer that was walking less than two hours before frying that was the best ive had.
Deer died in its tracks.

I’ve experienced that several times so I just usually grind them now. My issue could be related to rigor mortis bc I usually have mine quartered or deboned pretty quick.

we tenderize all meat we cook - all cuts

I usually don’t cook backstrap for several days after cleaning. It’s VERY important that the meat be thawed and the center at or near room temp before cooking. That may not explain it in this case, because some deer are just simply tougher than others. The absolute best and most tender meat I’ve ever had consistently are the old mature bucks in October. Promise.

Yeah this one was pulled and allowed to reach room temperature. Guess its just a mystery

Old. Put the meat in a stew, rice or crockpot with some gravy.

Beats me, Idk, never had one that was tough like that. I've eaten it fresh within a couple of hours, refrigerated a few days, frozen and thawed.