Venison Carne Asada
D'Artagnan | Yield: Serves 4
This venison carne asada recipe is marinated in chile peppers, citrus, and spices before being quickly grilled. Try it in tacos for something different.

Ingredients
- 8 pieces Venison Butt Tender
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- Boiling water
- ½ small can chipotles in adobe
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chopped cilantro + additional for serving
- Juice from 3 oranges
- Juice from 3 limes + additional limes for serving
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- Coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Warmed tortillas, for serving
- Garnishes of your choice, we like salsa verde, cilantro, onion, queso fresco, and pickled jalapeños
Preparation
- Carefully trim excess silver skin from the butt tenders. Set aside. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high flame; add the dried chiles and toast until lightly charred, about 3-5 minutes. Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water, let stand until softened, about 20 minutes; drain. To the bowl of a food processor add drained chiles, chipotles, garlic, and cilantro; pulse until finely chopped. Add orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, cumin, cloves, and coconut sugar; process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Set aside about ¾ cup of the marinade; cover and refrigerate. Pour the rest of the marinade into a large non-reactive container and add venison, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator about a half hour before you cook. Wipe off excess marinade, season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill for high heat. Or heat a lightly-oiled cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Grill, turning occasionally until venison is nicely charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 120 degrees F, about 6-8 minutes. Rest venison on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve with warmed tortillas and your favorite toppings.