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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.
Can I pre-cut the medallions, vac seal, and freeze them beforehand?
Earl: I wouldn’t. But if you really want to, cut the medallions at least an inch thick.
This is one of my all time favorite recipes. I’ve served it to those who “hate” venison and they were licking their plates. Had to assure them it wasn’t raw, though, as the meat comes out very red and juicy when cooked properly.
We tried this for the first time tonight and it was really good. It makes a nice presentation. Both my husband and I commented on how guests would never know it was venison if you didn’t tell them. I was afraid the sauce would taste like brandy but it didn’t. I served it with rice this time but would do garlic mashed potatoes next time. My husband was afraid we would overcook the meat so we stopped a little short of complete browning and then had to cook more later so – follow Hank’s instructions! YUM. Thanks for the recipe!
Delicious, thanks.
What kind of mustard should be used? Regular yellow, stone ground, etc?
Mary: I use Dijon, but it works with any mustard.
Should this recipe be done with a cast iron pan or a non-stick?
Barry: I prefer cast iron or stainless steel.
I cook Venison tenderloins a lot. My wife and kids think I’m pretty good at it too, because they all love eating it. However, the Diane sauce elevated my status in my family a great deal. Thank a million. We all loved the sauce! It really kicked things to the next level. I garnished with chives. It looked and tasted great.
I did not pan sear anything, instead, I cooked my salt and sugar brined loin on my smoker with peach wood and then finished it in the oven until I had an internal temp of 135. All that too say that the sauce was great even without the fond in the pan. Fast, delicious and easy. Officially in my bag ‘o tricks!
Going to try this out in about two hours. Mustard? Seed, powder, or the condiment?
Tim: The condiment.
I made this on the night before opening season for a buddy and me with two vacuum packed doe tenderloins that I missed in my freezer for two years. I pan seared the tenderloins, then used port barreled Glenmorangie Scotch instead of the Cognac to scrape the frond. It paired nicely with a Los Alamos Selezion Malbec.
This recipe was really, really good. In fact, I attribute it to my success the next morning. I got about 10 inch thick t-bones and four nice rib racks, both of which would go really well with this sauce. You have a great website and great recipes!
How do I prepare the back strips to cook them.? the ones I cooked tonight still had a game-y taste.
My son and I made this last night – it was excellent even though the garlic got a little darker than I wanted.
One question; the recipe calls for one tablespoon of mustard – are you using ground mustard or prepared mustard?
Paul: Prepared.
Well Mr.Shaw.. you are now two-for-two. Your game recipes are incredible. The first I tried was the Thai green curry with Pheasant but the above Venison was a masterpiece. Wow. this was possibley the best “red meat” meal I’ve ever made… and I’ve made a LOT of them!!
(note: the only alteration I made was that I used Red Wine because I did not have any brandy “Michael David Freakshow”)
My boyfriend hunts and we have more venison than I know what to do with! This is great. I think I’ll give it a try this week. What kind of mustard do you recommend?
Taylor: I like Dijon.
use it with duck excellent
Have made this half a dozen times or so with venison and goat. A fast, easy knockout of a dinner every time. Used this recipe to introduce highly sceptical in-laws to these non-mainstream proteins – this sauce made converts out of them.
Thanks Hank. Another home run. I’ve hunted for many years and you get into a rut with how you prepare venison. Backs straps have traditionally been used for schnitzel type breaded cutlets (which are very good) but this was a big hit for Easter dinner. I will definitely make this again.
What a classic. And so fast and easy. I not only make this for fancy dinners, but quick lunches for myself!
Have made this with venison and also with beef. It’s excellent both ways.
My first time ever cooking venison and I was so nervous it wouldn’t turn out. This was my stepson’s kill, so I didn’t want to disappoint. Turned out amazing. He wanted me to make sure and copy down the recipe so we can have it every season! I think it would be great with beef or pork too! Thank you!!
I made this for dinner last night and it was SOOOO delicious! My husband said it was gourmet, and even my 2 year old who hates meat, had several bites without complaint. My 1 year old kept asking more “Mo, more!” Best recipe I’ve tried with my family!