Pair blackberries with blue cheese and grilled backstrap for a refreshing summertime meal
Black and Blue Backstrap Salad Recipe
10 Min
Prep Time
10 Min
Cook Time
5
Servings
There are times when a hot summer evening calls for a light and simple meal. It doesn't get much easier than a section of seasoned, thinly sliced, grilled backstrap atop a leafy green salad. We're able to make one of our favorite blends this time of year, during wild blackberry season.
We top the salad with sliced backstrap, freshly picked sweet blackberries, tangy blue cheese crumbles and crunchy walnuts. The salad gets tossed with a simple homemade vinaigrette dressing that we make by adding the ingredients to a mason jar, screwing on the lid, and giving it a good shake to emulsify everything.
The sweetness of the blackberries and vinaigrette pair perfectly with the tang of the blue cheese and the spice of the backstrap.
Ingredients
Salad
A section of well-trimmed venison backstrap, about 1-2 pounds
1 pound mixed greens
6 ounces blue cheese crumbles
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup walnuts
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe below)
backstrap seasoning rub
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
basic balsamic vinaigrette recipe
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Start by adding all the dressing ingredients to a pint jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake well to emulsify everything. Refrigerate the dressing while you assemble the salad.
Mix the spice rub ingredients and coat the backstrap evenly on all surfaces. Place the seasoned backstrap on your grill over medium heat, about 350 on our Traeger, for 6 minutes or so per side or until the center of the backstrap reaches about 130 degrees for medium rare. Remove the backstrap from the grill and loosely tent with foil. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Add the greens to a large bowl. Slice the backstrap thinly, across the grain. Layer the backstrap over the salad. Sprinkle over the walnuts, blackberries and blue cheese crumbles. Toss with the homemade vinaigrette just before serving. You might need to give the dressing another good shake before adding to the salad if the ingredients have separated.
