Grilled Venison Carne Asada

Carne Asada loosely translates as “grilled meat,” but the recipe is much more than a simple grilled steak. Traditional recipes include a marinade, often citrus based, to add flavor to an often tougher cut of meat like flank or skirt steak. The marinade helps to tenderize the meat, which then gets grilled to a nice medium rare and sliced against the grain.

This spicy, citrusy marinade packs tons of flavor into a Tex-Mex favorite . All images by Michael Pendley

For this recipe, we used venison eye of round. This cut can be found in the ham of any large game like deer or elk. It sits between the top and bottom round on the opposite side of the ham from the sirloin tip or “football roast.” The eye of round looks like a tenderloin in size and shape, but it isn’t as tender as the inside loin. I’ll usually package both eye rounds together when I process a deer so that I have enough for a meal. If I am processing multiple deer at the same time, three eyes seems to be the sweet spot for a big family dinner.

While the eye of round looks like an inside loin, it isn’t as tender so it benefits from a marinade and quick grilling process.

You don’t have to use eye of round for this one, as any steak from your deer will work. If you have a thicker roast, it is better to break it down into thinner steaks — an inch or so thick is perfect — so that they grill fast without overcooking and drying out the outer surface.

Start by placing the venison in a zip-style bag. Halve the oranges and limes and squeeze in the juice. Go ahead and toss in the halves after squeezing. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and massage the bag to mix everything and fully cover the meat. Refrigerate for 2-6 hours. Don’t go much longer than 6 hours on this, or the acid in the marinade will start to “cook” or break down the meat. The great part of this recipe is how customizable it is. If you want it spicy, dice up a jalapeño and add to the marinade. Don’t like cilantro? Substitute chopped parsley. Customize it to suit your family’s tastes.

Add the meat and the marinade ingredients to a zip-style bag and refrigerate.

When you are ready to cook, fire up your Pitboss Grill and sear the meat for 5-7 minutes per side or until the center reaches about 125 degrees internal for medium-rare. Let the venison rest for five to ten minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.

Rest the backstrap after grilling, then slice thinly across the grain.

I like to serve the carne asada as a taco with grilled corn tortillas but flour tortillas are great as well if you prefer that style.

Serve on grilled corn tortillas and top with favorites like sour cream and salsa.

You can add whatever topping you enjoy, but I like to go a bit non-traditional with a slightly sweet peach salsa and a bit of sour cream to counter the heat from the jalapeño.

Serve with sliced avocados or any sides you like.

You don’t have to use the same toppings I do. Pick your own to match your family or guest’s tastes.