Venison Steak Diane

4.98 from 125 votes
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Venison steak Diane on the plate
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

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, cream and 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 Culinaire 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…

Venison steak Diane
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?
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Servings: 2 people
Author: Hank Shaw
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 32 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!

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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.

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190 Comments

  1. Can’t wait to try it. One question: The recipie calls for mustard. Is this just plain ‘ol prepared yellow mustard or dry ground mustard?

  2. My wife and I made this tonight, and yes it is a Wednesday night. The aroma in our kitchen drove us nuts and when it was done, well, we didn’t talk at the table. This is by far the BEST recipe we have found for back strap as well as one of the easiest. Well done Hank, well done. I highly recommend this to anyone. Perfect.

  3. This is delicious. Just made it last night and brought left overs to work. Not a speck left and everyone loved it. I doubled the recipe but did not double the garlic. Fantastic!

  4. thanks, this worked beautifully for a backstrap from my son’s first pronghorn. My wife does not much care for venison as a rule but cleaned the plate this time..
    We’ve eaten all the good bits now, have to check the other receipts for the less tender bits..

  5. We had about 100# of mahi that we were trading for venison and assorted goodies. A friend gave us a bavkstrap and ham for some mahi. Last night I made the venison diane and holy moly, this has just become my favorite dish I’ve ever made. My father in law just took a 8point last night so hopefully I can make this dish for the family.

  6. That was fantastic. Thank you Hank for coming through again. I couldn’t stop mopping up the delicious sauce with the delicious bites of venison. I will make this again!

  7. I really have never left a comment for a recipe but this was outstanding!! I made it last night exactly as written. I used regular mustard but might try next time with Dijon. Very very good recipe. Thanks for posting and sharing.

  8. I am a novice at preparing game. I used white tail loin from Southern Illinois. Very mild flavor. I did salt it first – don’t think I need to do that next time. This recipe was excellent served over steamed potatoes with green beans. BF said this was the best venison recipe he had ever tasted. Thank You!

  9. I just had an orgasm in my mouth, this was quite possibly the best dish I have had in a while. I used Elk backstrap and paired the dish with a Primitivo wine by Layer Cake (vintage 2010) Thank you for sharing this recipe as it will be a moment in time I will never forget.

  10. A high of -8 today in northern Wisconsin…a great day to make venison stock. I then made steak Diane…my wife thinks I’m a hero…another wonderful dish from your website. Thank You

  11. Yet another great recipe from Hank. I found yhe site a year ago while looking for something to do with geese. Now after a few batches of goose mortadella(a family favorite)I cook all that Hank posts. Great, and I mean truly great work. Happu new year.

  12. It is a good and easy recipe. I put mushrooms in mine and they soaked up some sauce and went well with it. Very good and different from Mom & Grandma’s chicken fried deer steaks with gravy that I had always had.

  13. This recipe is amazing! My bf and I eat a lot of venison so I’m always looking for new recipes. It was so good my bf served himself 2 full plates! Just out of curiousity, what kind of mustard do you use? I wasn’t sure so I did a 50/50 yellow mustard/spicy brown mustard. Thanks!

  14. Outstanding recipe, thank you very much! I used it to convert my skeptical sister in law, she raved about it. I can’t wait to have it again.