GRILLED VENISON WITH BACON

Back when deer season was in full swing there were lots of request of what to do with all that deer meat. I'm sure that many people still have a lot in their freezers so we thought it would be a good idea to come up with a recipe. This one is not bad...the bacon minimizes a little of the "gaminess" of venison.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. venison backstrap (tenderloin)
• 1 qt. apple cider
• 1 1/2 lbs. thick sliced bacon
• 2 12oz. bottles of barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Cut venison into 2 inch chunks and place in a shallow baking dish. Pour enough apple cider into the dish to cover the venison pieces fully. Place the dish in a refrigerator and allow to soak for two hours.
2. Remove venison from the cider and shake the pieces vigorously to free them of cider. Throw away the cider that is left in the dish. Wash the dish before putting the venison in it again.
3. Put the venison back in the dish and pour in the barbecue sauce generously -- so that it covers the venison fully. The dish should then be covered and returned to the refrigerator for two to three hours.
4. Remove the venison from the fridge and let it stand for half an hour in normal room temperature. Next, wrap bacon slices around each chunk of venison. Secure the with toothpicks to make sure that it does not fall off during grilling.
5. The venison is now ready to be barbecued. Heat the grill and brush some olive oil on the grill grate. Lay the venison packed in bacon on the hot grill. You can expect the bacon to cause flame-ups, but don't worry. Let it get slightly burnt. It adds to the smoked flavor. Turn the venison a few times to ensure smooth and even cooking, and serve hot.