I love venison, and I love sandwiches. So, these gluten-free venison cheesesteak sandwiches combine the best of both worlds! Melty, gooey cheese mixed with tender, juicy steak sandwiched between the halves of a soft gluten-free roll and topped with a sweet flavorful barbeque sauce… you can’t get much better than that. These sandwiches can be made completely from scratch using ingredients right from the homestead, or you can take a few shortcuts if you are crunched for time and still end up with a delicious modern pioneer cheesesteak sandwich. I guarantee you will love these venison sandwiches!
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Pioneer Recipe
I consider these gluten-free venison cheesesteak sandwiches to be a pioneer recipe. The early pioneers and western settlers would often have meat and cheese sandwiches, given that meat was usually the most available protein, cheese could easily be made from a dairy animal, and bread could be made on the homestead. These venison sandwiches are pretty much the same thing, with a few modern pioneer adaptions!
For the meat, these sandwiches can be made using wild harvested venison (which is what I use!) or home-raised beef. Both would have been meat options the early pioneers had access to as well.
If you have a dairy animal, try making your own cheese to use in your sandwiches like the early pioneers would have done! However, if you have a dairy intolerance (like we do), you may have to opt for dairy-free cheese. Sometimes, as a modern pioneer, we have to take slight deviations from the original pioneer diet due to allergies or dietary restrictions.
For the bun, you can easily make your own homemade buns or breads right on the homestead! Make gluten-free bread or grain-free rolls for your venison cheesesteak sandwiches! If you choose to include barbeque sauce in your sandwiches, that can also be made from scratch as well. I’ll be developing a healthy homemade bbq sauce recipe to share with you all soon!
Aside from being made with pioneer ingredients, these venison cheesesteak sandwiches can also be made allergy-friendly! They can be…
- gluten-free
- grain-free
- dairy-free
- egg free
- corn free
- sugar free
- nut free
Need some more pioneer sandwich inspiration? Check out this guide to some of my favorite modern pioneer sandwiches!
Pioneer Sandwich Options
What’s a good sandwich without bread!? Or buns… or rolls… or something to sandwich the contents between! Even though I am on an anti-inflammatory diet and eat only gluten-free, there are still countless amazing sandwich options for me to choose from!
As modern pioneers, we have two options: buy sandwich supplies from the store or make our own. While I do believe that modern pioneers should try to make as many of their foods from scratch as possible, I am also not against the occasional splurge on store-bought foods as well.
Even when I am buying store-bought foods, there are still modern pioneer choices that I can make. The main thing to keep in mind when buying store-bought sandwich breads and buns is to look at the ingredient lists.
Many gluten-free bread products contain corn, which is one ingredient I try to avoid because of how genetically modified corn has become and because it is an inflammation trigger. I also try to avoid ingredients such as soy, refined sugar, dairy, and cellulose (which is plant starch). And of course, avoid the big no-no’s like artificial flavors, preservatives, food dyes, and other artificial additives.
Store-bought Recommendations
When it comes to making better gluten-free store-bought bread choices, these are brands that I like to buy on occasion:
- Canyon Bakehouse (probably my favorite gluten-free bread brand)
- Sami’s Bakery (look for their gluten-free products)
- Udi’s gluten-free (I mostly just buy their hot dog buns or burger buns since I can find healthier bread options)
- Against the Grain (their products are grain-free but do contain some dairy)
- Little Northern Bakehouse
Homemade Recipes
However, I also like to make my own bread products whenever I can! Here are a few of my favorite go-to options when making my own bread products for sandwiches:
- grain-free bread w/o yeast
- grain-free bread rolls
- gluten-free and grain-free cheese rolls
- homemade Chebe mix bread
- gluten-free Pamela’s mix bread
Many of these options can easily be made up and then frozen for later use!
Recipe Questions
What cuts of meat should I use? Can I use beef instead of venison?
You will want to use steak cuts or flank cuts for grilling the meat for these sandwiches. Thicker cuts of meat will be better since they will grill better and be easier to slice into thin slices for the sandwiches. For venison, I use a cut of meat that is taken from the hindquarter of the deer. It is a large piece of muscle meat that can easily be cleaned up from silver skin and fat.
You can also use beef instead of venison. Just choose a similar cut of beef that is thick and good for grilling. Cuts you may consider include top sirloin, top round, tenderloin, or chuck roast.
How can I make sure the meat doesn’t dry out when I’m grilling it?
When it comes to grilling large chunks of meat and ensuring they don’t dry out as they cook, I have a few tips for you! My favorite method is to wrap the meat in slices of bacon. The fat from the bacon helps keep the meat moist as it cooks in the grill. Check out this bacon-wrapped venison backstrap recipe that is a family favorite on my homestead!
When I don’t have bacon on hand, my next go-to option is to make sure the meat marinates in a lot of marinade solution. The meat should rest in the mixture for at least 12 hours. When you put the meat on the grill, save the leftover marinade solution to baste the meat with as it cooks. Drizzle some of the marinade over the meat every time you check the internal temperature or flip the meat.
What is the best marinade for the meat?
Speaking of marinade, you may be wondering what the best marinade it to use for your sandwich meat. Honestly, any of your favorite marinating solutions will work just fine! Just make sure the marinade solution contains vinegar and salt. The vinegar will help tenderize the meat and the salt will help the meat retain moisture as long as the meat sets in the mixture for over 12 hours.
I like to use Bragg’s vinaigrette dressing as a marinade for venison. A homemade option that I like to use when I have it on hand is chive flower vinaigrette that I make with chive flowers and white vinegar.
For these venison cheesesteak sandwiches, I chose to marinate my venison in a barbeque marinade. The recipe for the barbeque marinade is included in the printable sandwich recipe below!
How can I tell when the meat is done?
The best way to monitor the doneness of your meat is with a reliable digital meat thermometer. I like to use this digital meat thermometer because it lists the appropriate temperatures for each type of meat right on the thermometer!
For medium rareness, which is how I like my meat done, the internal temperature should read 135°F when you remove the meat from the grill. Slicing into the meat right away will provide more rare cuts. Letting the meat rest for 15-20 minutes will produce medium rare cuts.
When grilling the meat, the exact grilling times will depend on your grill and the thickness of your cut of meat. Just keep flipping the meat every 5-7 minutes and basting it with marinade to keep it moist as you monitor the internal temperature until you get a reading that you like.
How can I cut the meat in thin slices?
To slice your meat extremely thin for sandwiches, you will need a fine, long bladed, super sharp knife. The sharper your knife, the easier you will be able to shave off thin slices. Once the meat has been grilled and has rested, firmly grasp the meat and start shaving off thin slices with the sharp knife.
Don’t worry about neatness or getting the slices exact. You are basically going for thin slices or slivers of meat that will fold nicely into your sandwich!
These gluten-free venison cheesesteak sandwiches will be a hit with modern pioneers of all ages! They are a family favorite on my homestead and can easily be customized to everyone’s likings! For me, I’m all for the gooey cheese and barbeque sauce!
Gluten-free Venison Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 T. white vinegar
- 1/4 cup gluten-free barbeque sauce
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- cracked black pepper to taste
Sandwiches
- 1 lb. venison steak, uncut
- 4 gluten-free sub rolls or bread of your choice
- 4 slices gluten-free and/or dairy-free cheese
- barbeque sauce
- sea salt
Instructions
- The day before you plan on making the sandwiches, place the meat in a large glass container. Add all of the marinade ingredients to the container with the meat.
- Use your hands to rub the marinade onto the meat, coating all the sides. Cover the container with an airtight lid and let the meat marinade in the fridge overnight.
- When it's time to grill the meat, set the container that contains the meat out on the counter while your grill preheats. Preheat the grill over medium heat to about 375-400°F.
- Once the grill is preheated, spray the grill grates with avocado oil cooking spray. Place the meat directly on the grill grates and close the grill.
- Wait 5-7 minutes, then flip the meat and baste the meat with some of the leftover marinade mixture. In 5-7 more minutes, check the internal temperature of the meat with a digital meat thermometer.
- If it has not reached your desired temperature for doneness (135°F for medium rare), the continue the flipping and marinating process until the meat reaches your desired internal temperature. Wait about 3-4 minutes between each time you check the meat.
- Once the meat is done, place it on a plate and cover it with aluminum foil.
- While the meat rests, prepare the gluten-free sub rolls. Cut each one open and butter both sides if desired. Spread barbeque sauce onto one side of each roll. Break the cheese slices into smaller pieces and place them randomly on the non-barbequed half of each roll.
- After the meat has rested for 15-20 minutes, uncover it and transfer it to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to shave off thin slices of the meat. Once the meat has been shaved into thin slices, start making the sandwiches!
- Fold and pile the thin slices of meat onto one half of each roll (doesn't matter if it's the cheese or bbq half). Salt the meat. Sandwich each roll together and enjoy!
- Note: If you want to toast your steak sandwich, I recommend wrapping the sandwich in aluminum foil to keep the sandwich together while it toasts. Alternatively, you can toast the two halve of each sandwich separately and then sandwich them together after toasting.
Where to Find the Ingredients
- Heinz white vinegar
- Noble Made classic barbeque sauce
- Woodstock barbeque sauce
- Redmond sea salt
- Chosen Foods avocado oil cooking spray
- Udi’s gluten-free hot dog buns
- Daiya dairy-free swiss cheese
- Supplies: digital meat thermometer, sharp knife
These gluten-free venison cheesesteak sandwiches are the perfect pioneer recipe for summer grill-outs or family nights on the homestead! They pair well with a side of home-canned pickles and homemade potato fries or salt and pepper chips. Play with the flavorings in your sandwich as well! Try adding caramelized onions, chili peppers, homemade salsa, or some buffalo sauce for different variations of these cheesesteak sandwiches. This meal can easily be made allergy-friendly and from scratch, so I think it is the perfect modern pioneer recipe!
And don’t forget, we share recipe like this all the time with our modern pioneer newsletter community! Join our wagon train to a sustainable lifestyle and don’t miss any other chuckwagon recipes!
by Alexa
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