Steak Diane Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Steak Diane (2024)

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4.98 from 125 votes

By Hank Shaw

August 11, 2011 | Updated June 23, 2020

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Steak Diane Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Steak Diane (2)

Steak Diane. What can I say? This dish was already passé when I first began going to restaurants as a boy in the 1970s; its heyday in America was in the 1950s and 1960s, when French cooking was all the rage. (Thanks, Julia!)

Most people who remember this dish remember it as beef filet mignon with a zippy sauce of mustard, Worcestershire sauce, demi-glace, creamand shallots — all flambéed at the table with cognac.

Ritzy, eh? Well, my version of steak Diane is a little less flamboyant, and it hearkens back to the dish’s roots. Diane, you see, is really Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt. And Sauce Diane, at least in its proto-form, was first mentioned by Escoffier in his Le Guide CulinaireSteak Diane Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Steak Diane (3) back in 1907. And it was a sauce not for beef, but for venison.

It is a classic for a reason. This sauce is so good you must have lots of bread around to sop it up. If you don’t, you will find yourself licking the plate, and that’s not very polite.

I developed this recipe more than a decade ago, and I am more than happy with my version, which is a little stronger flavored than a typical steak Diane; it seems appropriate considering that venison is more strongly flavored than beef.

Over the years it has become one of my most popular recipes. Not a week goes by that I don’t get a note from someone who made this and loved it. I am very happy to have played a small part in reviving this classic.

Serve steak Diane with a big red wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Petit Verdot or Graciano.

This is absolutely a date-night dish, but it is also so easy to make you can whip it up on a Wednesday night. So I suppose if you have a Wednesday night date it would be perfect…

4.98 from 125 votes

Venison Steak Diane

Steak Diane really needs a tender cut, and with venison that means tenderloin or backstrap. The best way to cook this is with a large piece of backstrap that you then cut into medallions right before you serve. If you have regular medallions, it will still work. While it is important to use heavy cream for this recipe (lighter creams will separate), it is not that important to have fancy brandy for this recipe -- just use something you would drink, OK?

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Servings: 2 people

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound piece of venison backstrap or tenderloin
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1/2 cup venison stock or beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mustard (I use Dijon)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • Minced herbs for garnish (basil parsley, chives, etc)

Instructions

  • Bring the venison loin out of the fridge, salt it well and let it come to room temperature, at least 20 minutes.

  • Heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat for about 90 seconds. Pat the venison dry with a paper towel and cook it on all sides. Turn the heat to medium so the butter doesn't scorch, and take your time. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes or so to get a nice brown crust on the venison without overcooking the center. Remove the venison, tent loosely with foil and set aside.

  • Add the shallots to the saute pan and cook for 1 minute, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Don't let the garlic burn. Deglaze the pan with the brandy, scraping off any stuck-on bits in the pan with a wooden spoon. Let the brandy cook down almost to a glaze, then add the venison stock, tomato paste, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Let this boil down until a wooden spoon dragged across the pan leaves a trail behind it that does not fill in for a second or two. This should take about 3 minutes on high heat.

  • Turn off the heat and let the boiling subside. Stir in cream until the sauce is as light as you like. Don't let the sauce boil again or it could break.

  • Slice the venison into thick medallions. If you find you have not cooked it enough, let the meat swim in the sauce for a few moments to heat through. If the venison is to your liking, pour some sauce on a plate and top with the meat. Garnish with some chopped herbs. Chives are traditional, but basil and parsley are also nice.

Video

Notes

Looking for another classic to make with venison tenderloin? Try Venison with Cumberland Sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 505mg | Potassium: 871mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 909IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
French, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Steak Diane Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Steak Diane (2024)

FAQs

Does venison get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Large cuts of venison taste best when pot-roasted for several hours. If you have access to a crock pot, use any recipe for beef pot roast and you'll be pleasantly surprised. However, instead of cooking for two to four hours, venison may require substantially longer cooking time for the meat to become tender.

What is a Steak Diane sauce made of? ›

"Diane" refers to the pan sauce made with mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cream, and cognac. Make it in under 30 minutes for a delicious date night in. Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

How do you cook venison so it's tender? ›

Whenever I pull a package of venison from the freezer, I always make a point to remember to match the method to the meat. That means cooking tender cuts like steaks and chops with high heat, fast and dry, such as grilling or pan-frying.

How is venison steak best cooked? ›

When hot, lay the venison into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat for 1 min on all sides. Lower the heat slightly and cook for another 1 min on each side. TIP: Venison is best served rare but if you like it more well done, cook for another 2 mins on each side.

What do you soak deer meat in before cooking? ›

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

What spices go best with venison? ›

Ideal flavours for venison
  • Fruits: quince, cherries, prunes, blackberries, apples.
  • Herbs: thyme, rosemary, bay, sage.
  • Spices: star anise, allspice, black pepper, cloves, juniper.
  • Alcohol: red wine (e.g. Grenache, Zinfandel), cider, ale. Other: chestnuts, celeriac, red cabbage, chocolate, mushroom.
Mar 7, 2016

What does Worcestershire sauce do for steak? ›

Recipe blog One Good Thing notes that the vinegar in Worcestershire sauce tenderizes steak, its sugar and molasses bring both sweetness and sheen, and ingredients such as onion, garlic, tamarind, and anchovy pack a wallop of umami flavor.

Why is Steak Diane called Steak Diane? ›

While its exact origins remain a topic of debate, it is believed that Steak Diane got its name from the Roman goddess Diana, the huntress. The precise birthplace of Steak Diane is a matter of contention among food historians, but it is often associated with French cuisine.

What is the best oil for venison? ›

To help tenderize and "add fat," the secret is olive oil and a fork. Every venison recipe I have created uses this heart healthy oil. Olive oil helps to prevent the meat from burning while providing a medium for seasoning (Tony's, black pepper and seasoned salt).

How do you make venison taste like steak? ›

Incorporating fat into venison is key to mimicking beef. This can be achieved by wrapping the venison in bacon or barding it with beef fat before cooking. Alternatively, cooking venison in beef stock or adding a bit of beef fat during the cooking process can also impart a richness closer to that of beef.

Why is my venison steak chewy? ›

In the middle of these muscles are a big wade of fat and gland which also alters the flavor of the meat. This fascia is what makes the meat chewy, taste gamey, and makes the muscle contort out of shape when it cooks. The result of trying to cook these muscles as one steak is a tough, chewy, gamey, piece of meat.

How to tenderize venison steak quickly? ›

Soaking the meat in milk or buttermilk for a couple of hours before cooking helps. Store bought tenderizers can work too, just be careful of the flavors it can add. One thing that specifically helps is not to over cook your venison.

How do you know when venison steak is done? ›

Venison behaves in many ways like beef, albeit very lean. You can cook the tender, steaky cuts of venison to the same doneness levels as you would beef, namely 130–135°F (54–57°C) for medium rare and 135–145°F (57–63°C) for medium. Hitting those temperatures just right is important for maximum enjoyment.

How do you know when venison is fully cooked? ›

Cook all venison thoroughly and serve hot or very cold. Venison should be cooked to at least 165° to ensure harmful bacteria are killed. The color of the meat is not a reliable indicator of when the venison is fully cooked. Use an accurate, calibrated thermometer for monitoring the cooking temperature of the venison.

Why is my deer meat tough and chewy? ›

There's really very little fat in venison, so it's a pretty tricky meat to cook quickly. Most wild game cooks recommend medium-rare because if too much moisture is cooked out of the meat, it'll become tough and chewy.

How long does it take for deer meat to get tender? ›

So, how do you cook venison roast so it's tender? The best way that I've found to make sure a venison roast (bone-in or out) tender is to cook it in the crockpot or slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours, or until it is falling apart. If you cook it on low you won't dry it out.

How long does it take to tenderize venison? ›

Like any meat , Deer meat to is tenderized by beating it, by marinating it with mild acids like lemon juice, sour curd, buttermilk, vinegar etc for minimum 4 hours . The fibers need to be cut across if you cut along the fibers the meat will be tough and chewy.

How long should you cook deer for? ›

Cooking your farm-raised venison
Venison cutSuggested methodApprox. cooking time (rare)
RoastsSear, then oven roast at moderate temperature15 minutes per 500g @ 180C
Diced venisonSear, then gently casserole at low temperature1 hour @ 100C
Frenched racksSear, then finish in the oven at 180C10 minutes per 500g @ 180C
2 more rows

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