Al McClane’s Butterfly Venison

This is my favorite venison marinade, which can be frozen and re-used.

Take a ham (steak or backstrap, too), bone it so there are thick pieces and thin pieces, and marinate the whole hunk of boned meat (overnight is best in the refrigerator). Cook on hot coals, like a beef steak. It will flame and you’ll think it’s burning, but it’s not. It takes about 30 minutes for rare big pieces. This is great for guests as there are well-done, medium, and rare cuts of meat (as a boned ham has thin and thick portions).

This meat is superb with grilled, whole onions. I use Vidalias, but plain, big, sweet yellow/white ones are okay. Well before you grill the meat, do the onions, whole, right on the fire. Takes about 15 minutes, grill them black, and roll them around. Push off to the side of the grill and then do the meat (bloody rare and juicy is best). When ready to serve, “pop” the inside steamed onions out of the black husks with a hot glove, and it is great with the meat.

Serve with a nice dry red wine (Merlot, Burgundy, cabernet sauvignon), and toast the meal to the late A.J. McClane (angling and cook book author, and bonafide gourmet), who devised the recipe at least 40 years ago. A.J. was a close family friend, and made this meal often with deer, though it works well with any venison, as well as lamb and goat. It is without peer for elk, moose and caribou, even with mountain lion.

It’s also great cold, in sandwiches with mayonnaise and pepper, like beef. This venison is so good that I eat it before my first deer hunt of the season. It makes me sure not to miss!

It can be made with ANY venison, including moose, elk, antelope, wild sheep, and goats. It also is superb with domestic lamb.

1 boned deer ham

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1/2 cup Wesson oil

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon Lawry’s Season Salt

1 tablespoon Paprika

1 tablespoon meat tenderizer

4-6 garlic cloves (chopped fine, or through a press)

juice of 1 whole lemon