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Venison sandwich on baguette with melted cheese and peppers on wooden cutting board

Venison Cheesesteak

Lukas Leaf is an avid, passionate outdoorsman and chef born and raised in Minnesota and has spent the majority of his cooking career specializing in wild game and foraged ingredients. From weekends on the ice in his family's fish shack on Mille Lacs Lake to spring fishing trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, connecting with nature and our cherished wild places has long been cemented as a way of life. Lukas is a dedicated husband and father to twin girls and spends his free time fishing, foraging, hunting, camping, and cooking his way through the great outdoors. Lukas is the lead chef for Modern Carnivore, executive director at Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, and a wild foods contributor for MeatEater.
  • Duration

    1 hour

  • Skill level

    Beginner

  • Serves

    4
Chef’s notes

What the best kind of cheesesteak is and where it's from are pretty hot topics, so I'm going to point out that this is just my version of the wildly popular sandwich. It's the way I wanted it at the time, and boy, was it good. Paper-thin sliced and flash seared meat served on proper bread with foraged fixings, lots of cheese, and a little extra sauce rounded the sandwich out nicely.

Maybe you know of a bakery that makes a killer long roll, or you prefer to make your own, but a store-bought baguette isn't going to cut it here. You need a soft sub-style roll with a bit of chew to hold everything together, ensuring the last bite is damn near as good as the first. I like to hit up a local sandwich shop to buy freshly baked rolls. It takes some extra time, but it's well worth the effort.

Any large cut from the hind leg will work great for this. Make sure the meat is sliced against the grain and sliced very thin. Start with partially frozen meat, which is crucial if you don't have a slicer at home and have to use a sharp knife. The final question is: do you use Cheez Whiz or provolone? I say go for it. Use both and get messy.

Ingredients

  • Hoagie rolls for four people
  • 1-2 lbs. top round, bottom round, or sirloin
  • 2 cups wild or store-bought mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 cups green bell pepper, sliced
  • 2 (8 oz.) packages thin-sliced provolone cheese
  • Cheez Whiz spread
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp. Calabrian chili paste (optional)
  • 2 tbsp. capers
  • 4 tbsp. ramp butter (optional)
  • Splash of Worchestershire
  • Splash of soy sauce
  • Coarse salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Also works with

Any wild game

Preparation

  1. Trim venison roast while it's still partially frozen. If using a slicer, keep the thickness nob to right around 1 and slice it against the grain. If using a knife, slice the meat as thin as you can. When finished, set aside for later.
  2. Next, slice the peppers, onion, and mushrooms. In a cast-iron skillet or large saute pan on high heat, add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Add the veggies with the capers, season with salt and pepper, and sear. Occasionally toss or stir until just cooked through and slightly charred. You want the peppers to have some color and a little bite. Place the veggies in a separate bowl for later.
  3. In the same skillet or pan on high heat, coat the pan again with oil. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper, stir to separate, and sear until just cooked through for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the splash of Worcestershire and soy sauce to deglaze the pan quickly. Finish by melting the ramp butter into the meat and remove from the heat.
  4. Set the oven to broil. Cut the rolls lengthwise to the back edge so that you don’t cut through. Drizzle the inside of the roll with extra virgin olive oil. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted and lightly charred on the edges.
  5. On a sheet tray with parchment paper, line up the meat for the sandwiches the same length and width as the hoagie roll. Add the veggies on top evenly. Place slices of provolone slightly overlapping the meat and veggies until completely covered. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  6. Heat the Cheez Whiz in the microwave. Spread a generous amount on the bottom of each roll. Now mix the mayonnaise with the chili paste and spread it evenly on the top of the rolls. Gently slide the cheesy venison and veggie fillings onto each roll. Press, cut, and serve immediately.

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Venison Cheesesteak

Recipe by:Lukas Leaf
Venison sandwich on baguette with melted cheese and peppers on wooden cutting board
  • Duration

    1 hour

  • Skill level

    Beginner

  • Serves

    4
Chef’s notes

What the best kind of cheesesteak is and where it's from are pretty hot topics, so I'm going to point out that this is just my version of the wildly popular sandwich. It's the way I wanted it at the time, and boy, was it good. Paper-thin sliced and flash seared meat served on proper bread with foraged fixings, lots of cheese, and a little extra sauce rounded the sandwich out nicely.

Maybe you know of a bakery that makes a killer long roll, or you prefer to make your own, but a store-bought baguette isn't going to cut it here. You need a soft sub-style roll with a bit of chew to hold everything together, ensuring the last bite is damn near as good as the first. I like to hit up a local sandwich shop to buy freshly baked rolls. It takes some extra time, but it's well worth the effort.

Any large cut from the hind leg will work great for this. Make sure the meat is sliced against the grain and sliced very thin. Start with partially frozen meat, which is crucial if you don't have a slicer at home and have to use a sharp knife. The final question is: do you use Cheez Whiz or provolone? I say go for it. Use both and get messy.

Ingredients

  • Hoagie rolls for four people
  • 1-2 lbs. top round, bottom round, or sirloin
  • 2 cups wild or store-bought mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 cups green bell pepper, sliced
  • 2 (8 oz.) packages thin-sliced provolone cheese
  • Cheez Whiz spread
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp. Calabrian chili paste (optional)
  • 2 tbsp. capers
  • 4 tbsp. ramp butter (optional)
  • Splash of Worchestershire
  • Splash of soy sauce
  • Coarse salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Also works with

Any wild game

Preparation

  1. Trim venison roast while it's still partially frozen. If using a slicer, keep the thickness nob to right around 1 and slice it against the grain. If using a knife, slice the meat as thin as you can. When finished, set aside for later.
  2. Next, slice the peppers, onion, and mushrooms. In a cast-iron skillet or large saute pan on high heat, add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Add the veggies with the capers, season with salt and pepper, and sear. Occasionally toss or stir until just cooked through and slightly charred. You want the peppers to have some color and a little bite. Place the veggies in a separate bowl for later.
  3. In the same skillet or pan on high heat, coat the pan again with oil. Add the meat, season with salt and pepper, stir to separate, and sear until just cooked through for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the splash of Worcestershire and soy sauce to deglaze the pan quickly. Finish by melting the ramp butter into the meat and remove from the heat.
  4. Set the oven to broil. Cut the rolls lengthwise to the back edge so that you don’t cut through. Drizzle the inside of the roll with extra virgin olive oil. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted and lightly charred on the edges.
  5. On a sheet tray with parchment paper, line up the meat for the sandwiches the same length and width as the hoagie roll. Add the veggies on top evenly. Place slices of provolone slightly overlapping the meat and veggies until completely covered. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  6. Heat the Cheez Whiz in the microwave. Spread a generous amount on the bottom of each roll. Now mix the mayonnaise with the chili paste and spread it evenly on the top of the rolls. Gently slide the cheesy venison and veggie fillings onto each roll. Press, cut, and serve immediately.