Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Recipes / Braai/Barbecue / Bacon-wrapped venison loin on the braai

Bacon-wrapped venison loin on the braai

by Jeanne Horak on August 3, 2007 9 Comments in Braai/Barbecue, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Main course - meat, Recipes, South African, South African products

venison-loin-wrapped-bacon

Recent readers of this blog will know that I have been deeply unimpressed with the weather around here lately.  Summer?  You call this summer??  All we’ve had is the wettest July since records began, or words to that effect.  We’ve had thunder, hail, severe flooding – you name it!  See why I’ve been moaning? 

But now, at last, it seems that the weather has settled into a slightly more summery routine and the weathermen all seem to be in agreement that we can expect some warm and sunny weather for August.  Now warm and sunny weather can only mean one thing at Chez Cooksister:  braais!  But as regular readers will also know, Nick is the Braaimeister extraordinaire, and a few blackened pork sausages and a burger are certainyl not what he has in mind when he lights the fire.

No, his taste runs more to beef fillet stuffed with smoked oysters; or pork loin stuffed with pear and sage; or maybe even a whole salmon on the braai.  So when we seized the day during a brief warm spell earlier this summer, he once again pulled out all the stops and recreated a dish that we have had with friends in South Africa, with a slight modification.  Why the modification?  Well, because if we were in South Africa, the meat that we use would be springbok loin.  No, don’t worry, we don’t eat our national rugby team, even if they play really badly…   The springbok in question is the antelope that the team is named after, and the national animal of South Africa.  So we don’t eat our international sportsmen, only our national symbol. :o)

The springbok (literally “jumping buck”) is one of the smallest of the African antelopes and gets its Latin name (Antidorcas Marsupialis) comes from the pocket-like flap of skin that extends from the middle of the back along the spine to the tail.  This flap can be raised by the springbok, creating a conspicuous fan of white hairs, rather like a cat puffing itself up for a confrontation.  It is thought that this is used to deter and confuse predators.  The name “springbok” comes from its habit of indulging in bouts of repeated high leaping (up to 4m high – impressive when you consider they only stand about 75cm tall!), which is very impressive to watch.  Although they are not endangered, the IUCN Red List of threatened species denotes them as conservation dependent, and you are very unlikely to see many of them outside of game reserves or game farms.  However, because they breed very successfully in reserves and on game farms, you can eat them with a relatively clear conscience.

So how does springbok taste?  Well, purely for its texture, it is my favourite South African game meat.  It has a wonderful fine-grained texture not dissimilar to lamb and a peppery, subtly gamey flavour.  Whereas I can sometimes find kudu a little overwhelming, I pretty much always love springbok.  But of course, springbok is not exactly available at every Sainsbury’s supermarket over here (although I believe that the wonderful St Marcus has occasionally been known to import it).  So what to do, what to do?  The answer, as always, starts with going to Borough Market and stopping at the Mid Devon Fallow stall.  When I need venison for a particular dish, they almost always have exactly what I need, and this time was no exception.  Soon I was on my way home clutching a lovely loin of venison.  As usual, we marinated the loin overnight in another of Nick’s home-made marinades before wrapping and braaing it the following day.  You can’t really see from the photos, but the meat takes on a fine, almost pate-like texture and is kept moist by the fatty bacon, while the red wine and rosemary add their lovely flavours.

If served with some sweet potato wedges, a good bottle of South African pinotage and the rugby game on TV, it’s almost like being back home 🙂

BACON-WRAPPED LOIN OF VENISON (serves 4)

Ingredients
1 Springbok loin (or other available venison) – about 1kg
8-10 rashers of thick streaky bacon
a few sprigs of rosemary

For the marinade:
1 cup dry red wine
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tsp dried rosemary
ground black pepper to taste

Method
Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft.  Allow to cool a little, then add all other ingredients and mix well.  Place the trimmed loin in a resealable plastic bag, pour marinade in and seal bag with as little air inside as possible.  Marinade overnight in the fridge.

Remove the loin from the marinade, and wrap with rashers of bacon, tucking the rosemary sprigs on top of the meat under the bacon.  Secure the rashers along the spine of the meat with toothpicks.

Prepare an indirect fire* in your Weber (or similar kettle barbecue) and when the coals are ready, place the wrapped meat in the middle of the grid, over a drip-pan.  Close the lid and cook for 35-45 mins, depending on degree of doneness desired (I think all venison is best slightly rare, otherwise it can be dry).

Remove from the heat, remove toothpicks and slice.  Serve with sweet potato wedges and a green salad.

* This is an idea pioneered by Weber and is discussed in most cookbooks featuring Weber recipes, but in case you don’t possess such a book, here’s how. Make a fire using 16 charcoal briquettes and light them all in a pile on one side of the barbecue kettle. Once the briquettes have had time to ash over (about 40 minutes), transfer half of them to the other side of the barbecue. Position a foil drip tray between the two piles to keep them apart. Place the grill on the barbecue and voila, you are ready to cook.

More deliciousness for you!

  • Texture [CLOSED]Texture [CLOSED]
  • The Bingham – a Sunday lunch reviewThe Bingham – a Sunday lunch review
  • Visiting the Vaucluse – a wild food foraging and cooking class in BrantesVisiting the Vaucluse – a wild food foraging and cooking class in Brantes
  • South African wine beginners’ guide – WBW#6 heads southSouth African wine beginners’ guide – WBW#6 heads south

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« USA, Day 7/8: Scallops in Stonington, CT
Interviewed by Ilva of Lucullian Delights »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Ros says

    August 3, 2007 at 6:04 pm

    And there I was wondering what to do with the two venison steaks sitting in my fridge. I don’t have a barbeque but I love the sound of that marinade.
    I think Gamston Wood Ostriches at Borough import Springbok. They definitely have kudu anyway.

    Reply
  2. johanna says

    August 3, 2007 at 6:18 pm

    this is after my own taste… love, love, LOVE venison! never had it on the bbq, though, so please, do count me in for a late summer braai in september? you name the date! x

    Reply
  3. Susan from Food Blogga says

    August 4, 2007 at 1:26 am

    Oh, you have every right to complain a little. All that rain would make anyone a little batty. Boy, would my husband just love this recipe. I’ll have to surprise him with it.

    Reply
  4. brilynn says

    August 4, 2007 at 5:51 am

    That’s just one amazing taste wrapped in another amazing taste… I’m drooling.

    Reply
  5. Fahara says

    August 5, 2007 at 12:23 pm

    Ooooh this sounds lush! Does the venison really not dry out on the braai/bbq? I must try this if the weather holds…

    Reply
  6. Mieliepap says

    August 5, 2007 at 9:22 pm

    Mmm, you have just tickled my braai-bug. Boy this looks good and boy oh boy do I miss springbok. This looks fantastic. Will try soon!

    Reply
  7. Scott at Realepicurean says

    August 5, 2007 at 11:04 pm

    You’ve covered 2 of my favorite foods in as many posts – venison and scallops. Yum!

    Reply
  8. B says

    August 6, 2007 at 10:48 am

    That looks SOOO good – I too am so so happy that London may actually have a summer, i’ve complained about how confusing the weather is a lot lately on my own blog. I often wish I had a bbq, and I refuse to buy those disposable ones. But yay, finally it will be warm!
    B
    http://www.handtomouthkitchen.wordpress.com
    Making Stock of the Situation
    A blog for penniless gourmets

    Reply
  9. Dan says

    March 18, 2016 at 8:30 pm

    I am going to try this with a whitetail loin taken this past November. My wife and I were in South Africa 6 months ago. We got no springbok, but were served gemsbok, wildebeest, impala, and kudu in one fashion or another. We loved it all.

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Perfect broccoli and Stilton soup [keto, low carb, GF]
  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Oxtail and red wine potjie
Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Jan Ellis pudding - a classic South African dessert
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential

Featured on

Also available on

The wonderful Museum of the Moon installation - a The wonderful Museum of the Moon installation - a 7 metre diameter scale model of the moon suspended in the Painted Hall at the  @oldroyalnavalcollege in Greenwich this week, by @lukejerramartist. A surreal and fabulous sight!
Do you enjoy free art installations? Then you need Do you enjoy free art installations? Then you need to get down to @canarywharflondon between now and Saturday 28 Jan to catch the free Winter Lights 2023 event, back for the seventh year.

My favourites include @lukejerramartist ‘s Floating Earth; Tom Lambert’s Out of the Dark; Fluorescent Firs; Toroid by This is Loop; and the surreal and mesmerising Anima by MEATS - a tunnel filled with hundreds of thin optical fibre lights that change colour and move in the breeze 😍 

Have you been to Winter Lights? What was your favourite?
“When we look down at the Earth from space, we s “When we look down at the Earth from space, we see this amazing, indescribably beautiful planet. It looks like a living, breathing organism. But it also, at the same time, looks extremely fragile.” - International Space Station astronaut Ron Garamond

To experience the “overview effect” (a phenomenon experienced by astronauts viewing the earth from space), head down to Canary Wharf in the London docklands this week where you can see @lukejerramartist ‘s beautiful Floating Earth installation as part of the Winter Lights event. 

This giant 10m diameter installation is created using high resolution NASA images to create a floating scale model of the Earth, lit from within so that it glows from its current home on the Middle Dock, surrounded by the headquarters of international banking and finance corporations.

The artist hopes that viewed in this context, the installation will make visitors and the bankers working in surrounding buildings question how their money in savings and pensions is invested, and whether investments can be greener.

Aside from being a thought provoking piece, it is also mesmerising and surreally beautiful, so make sure you visit the free Winter Lights event before ends on Saturday 28 Jan.
Happy lunar new year! [Invited] To celebrate the Happy lunar new year! 

[Invited] To celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, why not head over to @mamachensdumplings currently doing a residence at the @thegantrylondon in #stratford where you can feast on prawn & chive dumplings; pork, Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushroom dumplings; pork & prawn wontons with Mama Chen’s chilli oil; vegetable dumplings; smacked cucumber salad; and spicy noodles coated in garlic and Szechuan pepper oil.

And afterwards, make sure you head up to the @unionsocialoc bar for a cocktail - I loved the Moreish Fashion with bourbon, PX sherry, chestnuts and mandarin orange bitters!
Got leftover Stilton (or any blue cheese) from Chr Got leftover Stilton (or any blue cheese) from Christmas? Turn it into this super simple and super indulgent broccoli and Stilton soup! So easy to make and soooo delicious to eat - and it is low carb and GF. What more could you want?! Click the link in my bio for the full recipe. What’s your favourite soup?
CELEBRATE. So the fireworks are over, the champag CELEBRATE.

So the fireworks are over, the champagne is finished and the leftovers are all eaten. We are one week into 2023 and I have had some time to think about what my intent is for the year. 

In 2022 my brother had a life saving kidney transplant. Since the operation, he has had a Peanuts cartoon as his WhatsApp profile pic, where Charlie Brown and Snoopy are sitting on a pier talking. Charlie says “Some day, we all die Snoopy.” And Snoopy replies: “Yes - but every other day, we will live.”

Waking up in the morning is a gift, every day, and it is so easy to forget this. The last few years have been difficult for so many people and the coming year promises its own challenges. But every day that we don’t die is a day to live, to celebrate life in some small way.

So my intention in 2023 is to celebrate. Celebrate our achievements however small. Celebrate our friends and family. Celebrate small things. Celebrate life.

Did you make any resolutions or goals for 2023? I would love to hear them in the comments! Wishing you all the very best for 2023 🥂
Happy new year, everyone! Here are some scenes fro Happy new year, everyone! Here are some scenes from last night with friends in Deptford. My deconstructed avocado ritz; @twinkleparkstephen ‘s bobitie; Giles’ Ottolenghi tomato salad; and Jean’s clementine trifle - and the London night sky ablaze with fireworks!  How did you spend your evening? 🥂🎇🎆
Merry Christmas to all those celebrating - I hope Merry Christmas to all those celebrating - I hope your day was merry and bright, filled with family, friends and love 🎄🥂. Mine was spent alone at home - my choice and the result of a combination of Covid (not mine!) and rail strikes 🤦‍♀️ but very relaxing and indulgent!
Looking for a stylish and easy Christmas starter y Looking for a stylish and easy Christmas starter you can make ahead? Look no further than my individual smoked salmon terrine! Hot smoked salmon, cream cheese and chives wrapped in cold smoked salmon in a ramekin. Still one of the most popular Christmas recipes in my blog, it looks cheffy but is soooo simple to make - and will save you time and effort on the day! Get the recipe by clicking on the link in my bio.

How is your Christmas meal prep going? Are you entertaining at home or going to friends or family? 🎄🥂🎄🥂🎄
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Bowls of broccoli and Stilton soup
Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2023 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2023 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT