Axis Backstraps Reverse Sear

Killit_and_Grillit

I did a few ribeyes and filets like this on Friday for practice and everything went well so it's family night so I had a right crowd to justify pulling out the top shelf venison. 

Salted for 2 hours, then olive oil and a little Dizzy Pig Cow Lick. Cooking to IT of 120 then I'll kick up to about 600 and I think I may toss a cast iron in and do them on it since it has such a low fat content. 

More to come. 

Biggreenpharmacist

Awesome. I never had any interest in hunting exotics but damn you keep on with the axis deer posts. You're killin' me man. 

Hntnhrd

Waiting on the money shot!

Killit_and_Grillit

@Biggreenpharmacist I actually fell backwards into this guy when I told you I was down hunting in texas this year. The rancher offered me a trophy deer hunt since we have been down there eradicating his hogs and I declined (mostly because his trophy whitetails are high fenced...didn't seem very sporting)

Then he said I could take one of his axis that are just loose on the ranch. Everyone kept talking about how good the meat was so I took him up on it. 

I definitely wouldnt have paid the sticker price on one (some of those hunts are $2-5K) but hey, I don't turn down a free meal. 

Dang thing yielded 60 lbs of meat after processing. 

Biggreenpharmacist

Wow. Thats big. 

Killit_and_Grillit

Biggreenpharmacist said:

Wow. Thats big. 

Yeah. He was a b!tch to get out of that thorny Texas brush. 

Biggreenpharmacist

Yeah I bet. 

bgebrent

Outstanding!  Who gets the skins and how can I get a couple.  Axis deer skins are gorgeous.  Let me know brother.

Killit_and_Grillit

Ok gents. Money shot. My mom busted out some top shelf Beringer on accident...my dad was less than amused but it was like silk. 

If i had to vote I swear I would rather eat this than beef tenderloin. It was amazing and didn't have an iota of gamey flavor. @bgebrent @Biggreenpharmacist @Hntnhrd since y'all waited so patiently. 

Killit_and_Grillit

@bgebrent my wife is going to make throw pillows out of it. Hibler Taxidermy is doing mine. I think they sell the ones nobody claims. 

Hntnhrd

Nailed it!!! Beef tenderloin is maybe forthrnon my list Elk , moose , bison loins come way before. Though these look fantastic . I would tear into those like it was my job!!

bgebrent

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Ok gents. Money shot. My mom busted out some top shelf Beringer on accident...my dad was less than amused but it was like silk. 

If i had to vote I swear I would rather eat this than beef tenderloin. It was amazing and didn't have an iota of gamey flavor. @bgebrent @Biggreenpharmacist @Hntnhrd since y'all waited so patiently. 

Cooked to perfection!!

Killit_and_Grillit

@Hntnhrd agreed. Elk is the gold winner for me but I'm starting to like this Axis better. I love moose and bison as well. That overly fatty flavor turns me off to red meat. 

Biggreenpharmacist

Awesome!  Now I'm putting you with @bgebrent meaning I hate you. 

Focker

Killit_and_Grillit said:

Ok gents. Money shot.

There are a lot of things I'd eat over the overrated beef tenderloin, rare backstrap is one of them no doubt.

Perfect IMO.
Nice post.

RedSkip

@Killit_and_Grillit. Any trophy pics of the hunt?

Killit_and_Grillit

@RedSkip here he is. I stalked this herd for 3 days (in the rain, I was so over it). I wanted to see if another male would come in challenging these guys.  He was obviously the biggest body but I was a little concerned shooting him in such an early velvet stage.

here he is next to a whitetail so you can get an idea on size 

RedSkip

@Killit_and_Grillit. nice, did the velvet hold up for ya?

Killit_and_Grillit

@RedSkip the taxidermist checked on it last week (60 day mark which is usually the danger period due to all the blood getting out and shrinking) and he said they look fine. He is down by Kings Ranch in Texas so he does a lot of stuff like this so hopefully everything works out. 

Im sure the day he shows up I will be posting. He usually does 6-8 month turn around.

spray

Wow!  Cooked to perfection - that's how you cook leaner wild game.  Great job.  That looks delicious.

gmac

Looks great. You will have to go shoot another one next year. Damn the price. The forum needs it.

Killit_and_Grillit

@gmac my wife said the same thing to my dad last night. (He is the purse strings who usually gets drunk with these guys and inspires expensive BS shenanigans)

but...nobody has lost the bet of "next year's dumba$$" yet. The bet is bareback horse hunting a buffalo with a spear. I can almost guarantee that dumba$$ will be me. The rest don't have the stones. 

Biggreenpharmacist

I wanna go.