Need a mid-week pick-me-up? Look no further than these venison steak roll-ups. Filled with spicy jalapenos and savory cream cheese, this delicious entree is bursting with flavor. Treat yourself to lean, yet juicy steak with this recipe that takes just minutes to make. So fire up your grill and let’s get cooking!
Gather Your Ingredients
There are very few ingredients in venison steak roll-ups, which means you must get the highest quality ingredients possible. Each flavor must be able to stand out on its own while also mingling with the others to create a juicy, savory meal. Aside from salt and pepper, you’ll need a few other simple ingredients, some of which you may already have.
3 to 4 Round Steak
Venison rounds are large pieces of muscle that make great steaks in both young and old deer. The bottom round tends to be more tender while the tops can be a bit tough, lending themselves well to marinades. You’ll need three to four rounds — of either kind — for this recipe. Get them from a local butcher or buy some off one of your hunter friends.
2 to 3 Whole Jalapenos
You’ll be rolling roughly half a jalapeno into each steak roll-up, so it’s important that you pick quality peppers. If you appreciate a bit of heat, pick red or green ones with plenty of white stretch marks and add a few seeds to each roll-up to really turn up the temp. Not a fan of spicy foods? Choose peppers without any stretch marks and remember to remove any seeds and ribbing before adding the chiles to the dish.
Your Favorite Seasonings
What spices go well with venison? Salt and pepper are obvious choices, but herbs can add a bit more flavor. Bay, juniper berries, sage and rosemary all pair well with wild game meat like venison, as do seasonings like garlic, parsley and red pepper. If you have a favorite steak seasoning that you use on everything, feel free to sprinkle some of that on, too. You’re the chef so anything goes.
Cream Cheese
If you pick especially spicy peppers, the cream cheese will help balance out the heat. It’ll also keep the steaks nice and moist as they cook, which is especially important if you’re using tougher top rounds. Use herbed cream cheese if you’re feeling adventurous or simply don’t feel like using seasonings. Get the spreadable kind unless you want to nuke solid blocks when it’s time to make the venison steak roll-ups.
Bacon
When it comes to bacon, you tend to get what you pay for. Make sure your meat is top-notch by ordering bacon from the deli or meat counter. Stay away from the cheap stuff as it often contains chemicals like sodium nitrate and liquid smoke. Look for fresh center-cut bacon instead and get ready to pay a bit extra for it. You’ll be rewarded with thick, flavorful strips that crisp up perfectly in this delicious recipe.
Making Venison Steak Roll-Ups
If you’re using round steaks, use a meat mallet to hammer both sides of each steak until they’re thin. Resist the urge to pound them so thin that they tear. You need the meat intact when you go to roll it up. Pro tip: wrap the steaks in plastic wrap to minimize splatter and reduce cleanup time before you start pounding. If using cubed venison, you can skip this step completely.
Lay the steaks flat on a cutting board and spread a thick layer of cream cheese onto one side. Remember to nuke it if it’s too hard to spread. Then, add a dash of your favorite seasonings atop each schmear. You can even use fresh herbs if you have them on hand.
Next, slice a large jalapeno longways into four sections. Remove and discard the seeds and ribs and lay one to two slices across one end of each venison steak. You can also substitute bell peppers for chiles or go completely pepperless to keep things simple. Your roll-ups might just be a bit milder than the original recipe intended. Start rolling the steak from the jalapeno end so that the meat completely encapsulates the pepper.
Once the steaks are rolled up, wrap each one in a slice of bacon. If you want crispier bacon, precook the slices before wrapping the steaks. Use a toothpick or skewer to secure the meat. Then, place them on a hot grill and cover them with a lid. Allow them to cook for three to four minutes on each side before removing them from the grill. Venison can be dry if overcooked, so it’s best served medium-rare to medium.
Remember to clean your grill shortly after removing the meat. Use a steel brush to remove buildup and leftover pieces of meat. That way it’s ready to go whenever you go the next time you go to fire her up.
Making a Meal of Venison Steak Roll-Ups
Venison steak roll-ups are practically a meal in and of themselves. However, if you want to round out dinner with a few healthy options, try adding a few more food groups to your plate. Serve the roll-ups with rice, coleslaw, a side salad or even mashed potatoes and broccoli.
Making sure there are plenty of healthy grains and vegetables on the dinner table is a must, especially if you plan to prioritize health in the new year, so get creative in the kitchen. As long as you cater to your family’s taste buds, this meal’s sure to be a huge hit.
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