If you’re the one doing the butchering, get ready for a little ritual. You don’t just hack it out. You trace it. You use a sharp knife and gently slide it along the backbone, separating the muscle from the bone. It feels almost like peeling a sticker off a window, if that sticker were expensive and made of meat.
The best part? You get two backstraps from one deer. One on the left side of the spine, one on the right. It’s like the deer was built with a backup plan for your dinner. Symmetry never tasted so good.
But Wait—What About the Tenderloin?
Ah, you’re paying attention! Good question. People mix these up all the time. The tenderloin is a different cut. It’s a tiny, even more tender muscle that sits inside the body cavity, under the backstrap. Think of the backstrap as the big, cool older brother, and the tenderloin as the shy, even more delicate little sister. Both are stars, but the backstrap is the headliner.
So if someone offers you a “backstrap,” you’re getting the big guy. If they offer a “tenderloin,” you’re getting the secret treat—and they really like you. (Pro tip: never say no to either.)
Deer Backstrap Location
