“Mule Deer… We got the meat.”
Driving through Colorado on a recent family vacation to Denver to visit my grandma, I noticed something that quickly became impossible to ignore. It seemed like every freeway exit had an Arby’s sitting on the corner. Before long, it turned into a running joke between me and my nephew riding in the back seat.
Every time we’d pass one, I’d turn around and ask, “Hey dude, you want to stop at Arby’s?”
Without hesitation, he’d yell back, “No! It’s gross!”
The conversation repeated itself over and over as we crossed the state. By the time we reached Denver, we had probably passed twenty Arby’s locations and had the same conversation twenty times.
As ridiculous as it sounds, that’s often how recipes are born in my world. A random conversation turns into a memory. A memory turns into an idea. An idea turns into a meal.
As we continued driving through the mountains, I found myself thinking about a mule deer hunt I’d done years earlier in Colorado with a good friend. The towering peaks outside the truck window looked a lot like the country we’d hunted. The memories came rushing back.
Colorado mule deer country is unlike anywhere else. The mountains seem to stretch forever. The mornings are cold enough to make your teeth hurt. Every ridge feels like it hides another adventure just over the top.
On that hunt, we spent days climbing through steep sage-covered hillsides and dark timber pockets, glassing every basin we could find. The elevation wasn’t forgiving, and neither were the deer. Every day started long before sunrise and ended well after dark. We covered miles of country searching for the right buck.
We had climbed into position before daylight and settled behind our optics as the sun slowly painted the mountains orange. As the shadows disappeared, deer began filtering into the open. Does appeared first. Then younger bucks. Finally, after hours of patience, a mature mule deer stepped out of the timber and offered an opportunity.
Moments like that are hard to explain to non-hunters. It’s excitement, gratitude, relief, and respect all wrapped into one experience. My buddy lowered his head on his rifle and looked down his 3-24×56 and waited for the perfect shot. A crack and echo rang out across the valley, and we just turned to each other and smiled. When we finally walked up on that buck, the celebration was short-lived because the real work was about to begin.
The mountain doesn’t care that you’ve filled your tag. The mountain still expects you to carry every pound of that deer back out. We quartered the buck where he fell, carefully packing every usable piece of meat into our packs. By the time we started hiking back toward camp, our legs were burning, and our shoulders ached, but neither of us cared.
Because we had what we came for.
The meat.
That’s something I’ve always appreciated about hunting. The antlers are nice. The pictures are great. The stories are fun. But the true reward has always been the meals that follow. Every steak, roast, burger, sausage link, and sandwich becomes a reminder of the hunt that provided it.
As I thought about that mule deer while driving through Colorado, the Arby’s joke suddenly made me laugh.
Their slogan is, “We have the meats.”
Well, I had a freezer full of mule deer meats.
I had the meat.
And I knew exactly what I wanted to make.
I started thinking about those classic roast beef sandwiches stacked high with thin slices of meat and topped with creamy horsey sauce. The concept is simple because it works. Instead of roast beef, though, I wanted to build something around one of my favorite cuts from a mule deer, the backstrap.
Most people cook backstrap hot and fast, treating it like a steak. While that’s hard to beat, I wanted something different. I wanted a sandwich piled high with thin slices of smoky venison that would make people stop and ask what they were eating.
The answer started with slow smoking the backstrap.
I seasoned the mule deer simply with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion. Nothing complicated. Mule deer has incredible flavor when treated properly, and I didn’t want to hide it behind heavy seasoning.
The backstrap went into the smoker at 225 degrees and slowly absorbed clean wood smoke until it reached a perfect medium rare. Once rested, I sliced it as thin as possible. The slices folded beautifully and stayed incredibly tender.
For the sandwich itself, I wanted a balance of richness, sharpness, and texture. A toasted brioche bun provided a soft buttery foundation. Garlic mayo added a creamy savory layer. Thin sliced white onions delivered crunch and bite. Finally, a homemade horsey sauce brought everything together with the perfect amount of tang and heat.
The first bite was everything I hoped it would be.
The smoky mule deer was the star. The garlic mayo added richness without overpowering the meat. The onions provided freshness and texture. The horsey sauce cut through everything with just enough horseradish kick to keep you coming back for another bite.
Looking at the finished sandwich stacked high with smoked mule deer, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Arby’s may have the meats.
But this sandwich had a story.
It had mountain miles behind it.
It had cold mornings and heavy packs behind it.
It had memories attached to every bite.
And in my opinion, that’s what makes wild game special.
Every meal starts long before the kitchen.
It starts with an adventure.
Smoked Mule Deer Backstrap Sandwich
Ingredients
For the mule deer:
- 1 whole mule deer backstrap (2 to 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
For the garlic mayo:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
For the homemade horsey sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
For assembly:
- 4 brioche buns
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
Directions
Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees.
Trim any silver skin from the mule deer backstrap and coat lightly with olive oil. Season evenly with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Place the backstrap directly onto the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 125 to 130 degrees for medium rare, approximately 60 to 90 minutes depending on thickness.
Remove from the smoker and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the meat rests, combine all garlic mayo ingredients in one bowl and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine all horsey sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Using a sharp knife, slice the mule deer as thinly as possible against the grain.
Lightly toast the brioche buns. Spread garlic mayo on the top bun and horsey on the bottom, pile high with warm sliced mule deer, top with sliced onions.
Serve immediately and enjoy.
Because after climbing mountains and carrying a mule deer back to camp, you’ve earned a sandwich that truly lives up to the phrase:
“We got the meat.”
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