A rosemary mop bastes a venison leg on a hot grill for a grilling technique known as the flip flop method.

The Flip Flop Method: The Best Way to Grill Venison

Learn the flip flop method, AKA, the best method for grilling venison leg according to Andy Moeckel, whose grandfather discovered the technique after WWII.

The Flip Flop Method: The Best Way to Grill Venison

Montana Knife Company

Servings

8

Prep Time

3 hours

Cook Time

30 minutes

Calories

2603

Cuisine

American

Category

Main Course

This recipe comes to us from Andy Moeckel, AKA “The Flip Flop Guy,” a longtime collaborator and friend of Montana Knife Company.


My family has been saving legs since 1948. That’s when my grandfather, the late, great Al Giddings, learned how to grill whole venison legs using “the flip flop method” — the definitive way to prepare venison. That method, along with my family’s special butcher’s knife, was passed down from my grandfather to my father, then to me.


For many hunting families in Northern California, mine included, communal flip flop method barbecues represent camaraderie around our outdoor passions. I want you and yours to experience that camaraderie, too — which is why I’m excited to share the flip flop method with you.

The Flip Flop Method: The Best Way to Grill Venison

Ingredients

  • 15–20 lb. venison hind leg

  • 2 bottles of Private Reserve, our flagship sauce

  • 1 bottle of red wine (cabernet or zinfandel work nicely)

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1/4 cup to 1/2 bottle of rosemary-infused olive oil

  • 3–5 loaves of French bread

  • Several sprigs of fresh rosemary (for basting brush)

Directions

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    1. Remove the top layer of meat and silver skin from the venison leg.

    2. Mix two bottles of Private Reserve sauce, a bottle of red wine, and 1/4 cup to 1/2 bottle of rosemary-infused olive oil, depending on your preference. This is your flip flop sauce.

    3. Using kitchen twine, tie some freshly cut or store-bought rosemary sprigs to the end of a wooden spoon to create a basting brush.

    4. Slice the French bread diagonally to get long pieces. Butter the pieces.

    5. Using the rosemary basting brush, baste one side of the venison leg with your flip flop sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

    6. Place the basted side of the venison leg on a very hot grill.

    7. Baste the top side of the venison leg with your flip flop sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Flip the leg so the seared side faces up.

    8. Cut 1/4-inch steaks off the now-exposed seared side. Serve on your sliced French bread.

    9. Baste and season the venison leg, and flop it over again. Repeat until you finish the meat.