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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
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just started hunting. Today I harvested my 2 nd deer. Just before Christmas I harvested my first. Got it back from the butcher frozen. Today I had over a couple. For dinner. My buddy hunts but his wife dosent like venison. I cooked back straps. First time ever cooking venison. I used you recipe. It was awesome. My buddies wife cleaned her plate. I had stop her from liking the plate. Lol. Thank you.
Wow best venison I ever ate!
Awesome! I have trouble using my backstrap in recipes because I enjoy it so much by itself but this looks yummy. I can see it now on top of a mountain of mashed potatoes.Yum.
Absolute slam dunk. My brother: “Best venison meal I’ve ever had.”
Sauce is amazing, thank you for posting.
Have you tried sous vide for any venison recipes? I’ve had great success with sous vide resulting in perfect beef rib eye, as it’s near impossible to overcook.
I’ll give sous vide a try with some venison backstrap and let you know results; I’ll set it for internal temp for med rare, like beef, 134F.
I make a good sauce au poivre vert, so I’ll use that on the venison.
Awesome, thanks for posting. If ya garnish with a few pink peppercorns it finishes the diane sauce out perfectly. Good stuff!
We made it this evening with mule deer and antelope back strap. Doubled the recipe for 4 adults and it was the perfect amount. Everyone enjoyed it, so it will get added to the rotation.
Is the mustard dry powder or prepared?
Mike: You can use either.
Delicious! I was cleaning out my freezer and found already sliced tenderloin that had been in there for a long time. I had never fixed tenderloin and came across this recipe here. Even with already sliced up pieces, this turned out delicious. Definitely a keeper!
We made this for dinner this evening and it was wonderful. I was really impressed with how easy your directions were to follow right down to really helpful hints like colors to look for. Thanks so much for this yummy recipe.
This was delicious! The sauce complimented the venison perfectly.
Hello Hank!
This looks so yummy, but here is my problem: I am out of backstrap and was trying to alter this recipe that looks to-die-for into a successful recipe for a tougher cut of meat. I have stew meat left. How would you suggest I minimally alter this to make a “Stew Diane” that I could cook for an extended time to tender up, but not lose the gist of your recipe. (Obviously I could hold the cream until the meat was tender, but what else to keep the flavor and have more liquid avail for stewing the meat…)
Thanks!!
-K
Kay: I wouldn’t. I’d use some other tender meat. Maybe duck breast?
My husband and I were given a venison backstrap, and I had no idea what to do with it. I found your recipe, and since we’re not hunters, all I could think is how am I going to get more of this! It was incredibly good. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Made this for my hunters tonight— they loved it. The blackstrap came cooked PERFECTLY and like filet mignons. I showed them you can actually cook deer in something other than chili tacos spaghetti or sloppy joes!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Ok, this was beyond Amazing! I work in fast food ans a guest o min gave me venison back strap, no idea how to prepare it. My husband said it was quit a cut of meat. So searching for a recipes I came upon yours, yes, my husband and I just finished our Venison Steak Diane, Amazzzzzzzzing!!! I followed the recipe to a T as they say. This IS my recipe for the trophy dinners I will make! Can’t thank you enough!!
ps i, we are still licking are lips for the very last drop!
Wanted to prepare venison tenderloin for Christmas dinner and looked up your page to see what my best options were. Looked at all your recipes and decided to go with the Steak Diane. Holy smokes!…this was sublime! My company was raving, and later asked for the recipe. I sent a link to your site, since all your recipes are amazing. And I love all what you write to go along with it.
I prepared Venison Diane using this recipe a couple of years ago and it was superb. Everyone loved it! Now with fresh venison backstrap in the freezer I’m ready to do it again for this Thanksgiving weekend.
Made last night. Super sauce Hank. Thanks so much.
Hank, I’ve been trying ev recipe you have. I came back to this one last eve not for venison, forgot to thaw but for the sauce. I put it on homemade pasta. oh my gosh! I’ve tried Diane’s in the finest European restuarants, nothing as fine. You nailed this one!