Steak Diane Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Steak Diane (2024)

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4.98 from 125 votes

By Hank Shaw

August 11, 2011 | Updated June 23, 2020

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Steak Diane Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Steak Diane (2)

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, creamand 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 CulinaireSteak Diane Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Steak Diane (3) 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…

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?

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Servings: 2 people

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes 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!

Categorized as:
French, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

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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.

Read More About Me

Steak Diane Recipe - Hank Shaw's Venison Steak Diane (2024)

FAQs

What is a Steak Diane sauce made of? ›

The recipe calls for pan-frying the steak, using the pan juices as a base for the "Diane" sauce—a sauce made with mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cream—and then serving the steak with the sauce poured over it. No flames are involved.

Does venison get more tender the longer it cooks? ›

Large cuts of venison taste best when pot-roasted for several hours. If you have access to a crock pot, use any recipe for beef pot roast and you'll be pleasantly surprised. However, instead of cooking for two to four hours, venison may require substantially longer cooking time for the meat to become tender.

How do you cook venison so it's not tough? ›

Here are a few tips and guidelines on how to cook deer meat:
  1. Marinate the meat: To tenderize the meat and add flavor, marinate it in a mixture of acidic ingredients, such as vinegar or citrus juice, and herbs and spices. ...
  2. Cook low and slow: Venison is lean meat, which means it can dry out easily i.
Sep 22, 2018

How is venison steak best cooked? ›

Sprinkle some of the black pepper and a little salt on each side, pressing the pepper into the steaks. Heat the remaining oil in a pan. When it has a shimmering surface, add the steaks, 2 at a time. Cook for 2 mins on each side for rare, 3 mins for medium and 4 mins for well done.

Can you buy Steak Diane sauce? ›

Diane Steak Sauce (80g) - Order Online - Owton's Butchers.

Why do they call it Steak Diane? ›

While its exact origins remain a topic of debate, it is believed that Steak Diane got its name from the Roman goddess Diana, the huntress. The precise birthplace of Steak Diane is a matter of contention among food historians, but it is often associated with French cuisine.

What to season venison with? ›

Ideal flavours for venison
  • Fruits: quince, cherries, prunes, blackberries, apples.
  • Herbs: thyme, rosemary, bay, sage.
  • Spices: star anise, allspice, black pepper, cloves, juniper.
  • Alcohol: red wine (e.g. Grenache, Zinfandel), cider, ale. Other: chestnuts, celeriac, red cabbage, chocolate, mushroom.
Mar 7, 2016

What is the best tenderizer for venison? ›

Marinades are one of my favorite ways to tenderize venison. For an excellent marinade, you will need an acid (wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or lime), an oil (I prefer olive oil), and herbs and spices of your choice.

What do you soak deer meat in before cooking? ›

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

What tenderizes venison? ›

The secret is in the preparation. Remove all sinew, fat, and slimy membrane from the meat. This can be done easily with a fillet knife. To help tenderize and "add fat," the secret is olive oil and a fork.

What takes the gamey taste out of venison? ›

Information. The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water.

What does vinegar do to venison? ›

Marinades tenderize (soften muscle fibers) and enhance the flavor of venison. Marinades can add fat and calories to this lean cut of meat. Always be marinate meats in the refrigerator. Always include a high-acid liquid like lemon or tomato juice, vinegar or wine to soften the muscle fibers.

How do you know when venison steak is done? ›

Venison behaves in many ways like beef, albeit very lean. You can cook the tender, steaky cuts of venison to the same doneness levels as you would beef, namely 130–135°F (54–57°C) for medium rare and 135–145°F (57–63°C) for medium. Hitting those temperatures just right is important for maximum enjoyment.

How to cook venison steak Gordon Ramsay? ›

For the venison loin:

Use a neutral oil such as rapeseed oil for searing at high temperatures. Once the meat is nicely coloured, add the butter to the pan with the rosemary, thyme and garlic. When the butter has melted baste the loins continually for 6 minutes before removing from the pan. Rest the meat for 5 minutes.

How do you know when venison is fully cooked? ›

Particularly for medium-rare doneness, venison needs to achieve an internal temperature of 145°F before removing from the heat, whereas ground venison must be cooked at 160°F. Additionally, a casserole dish made from venison including leftover meats must be reheated to 165°F .

What does Steak Diane sauce taste like? ›

Juicy and succulent Steak Diane is the perfect dinner for any occasion. Diane refers to the delicious cream sauce made that includes mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Cognac. The steak is flattened and seared in butter, and couldn't be more flavorful!

What does Diane sauce taste like? ›

Made from over ten ingredients, including spices, anchovies, tamarind and molasses, Worcestershire puts the U in umami! This is then contrasted with sweet tomato sauce and tamed by thickened cream, making it ideal to enhance not only steak but also grilled chicken and pork or simply poured over hot chips.

Can you buy ready made Diane sauce? ›

Co-op Creamy Diane Sauce 180g | Co-op delivery.

Is Diane sauce like peppercorn sauce? ›

Steak au Poivre is a steak covered in a peppercorn sauce. Steak Diane is a steak that is finished in a sauce made with brandy, cream, mushrooms, shallots and dijon mustard that is then flambe'd at the end. Both of them build the sauce using what remains in the pan.

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