The bold and rich flavors of these tenderloins epitomize Texas cuisine

When it comes to food, Texans love fire-cooked meats, native wild game, thick-cut bacon and the sweet and smoky flavors associated with good barbecue. This dish brings all of these together into one wild and tender treat.

There isn’t a meat eater in the state who would turn their nose up at these sweet and savory white-tailed deer tenderloins.

These tenderloins are wrapped in bacon and topped with a maple syrup glaze, bringing forward the bold and rich flavors in every bite. We should enjoy and cherish recipes like this, made possible by the hard work of conservation-minded stewards.

Paired with a Texas-sized beer or a glass of cabernet, these venison tenderloins soon will become a favorite at your dinner table.

WHITE-TAILED DEER TENDERLOINS

Photo by Capt. Nate Skinner

1 white-tailed deer tenderloin per person

Thick-cut maple flavored bacon (1 large slice per tenderloin)

Salt

Pepper

Maple syrup

Toothpicks

Salt and pepper each tenderloin.

Wrap one large slice of thick-cut maple flavored bacon around and down the length of each tenderloin. Use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place.

Grill over a bed of hot coals or on medium to high heat (400-450 F).

Cook on one side for 7-10 minutes and then flip. Grill with the opposite side down for another 6-8 minutes.

Drizzle maple syrup over each tenderloin. Let the meat sit on the grill for another 1-2 minutes.

Remove from grill and allow tenderloins to rest for 3-5 minutes before serving.