Smoked deer tenderloin

[gregintenn]

I have a couple of deer tenderloins I plan on smoking this weekend. I’m going to wrap them in bacon. What do you suggest I season them with? I’m thinking sea salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic. Anything else?

I found a recipe on the web that also used lemon juice and olive oil. You think that would help?

Edited May 27, 2021 by gregintenn

[Quavodus]

Should be awesome. You could use the sea salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic. That should be good. Is the olive oil and lemon juice a marinate?

[MacGyver]

Venison can use all the fat it can get - but the smoker is a great way to cook it. 

I’d wrap it in bacon.  Any decent rub would do.  Salt and pepper would be fine. So would about any store bought rub for beef.  I’d add a little brown sugar and coat it the night before to tenderize it some - it shouldn’t need it but it definitely improves even a good backstrap.

The real key is to watch your temperature with a good meat thermometer.  Assuming I know the source and that the deer was treated with integrity after the kill, I like mine below 140F for a nice medium rare. Take it up to well done temperature and you might have a dry piece of meat. 

[KahrMan]

The key to good tasting venison is not overcooking it.  I consider 140f well done.  I like my backstop or tenderloins usually around 130-135F.  Past 140 and venison starts to get dry and tough. 

The only issue with wrapping a tenderloin in bacon is that the venison gets to temp before the bacon has time to render.

You can find some good recipes and marinades here:  https://sportingchef.com

[No_0ne]

Lemon juice works well to add a bit of dilute acid to tenderize most meats.  I use it a lot with grilling and smoking, it s also adds just a hint of flavor as well.  No idea about deer meat, as I don't really care all that much for it (I get all my meats from the freezer and stick to beef and pork, either mine or the store's, just as nature intended) but salt, pepper and garlic makes anything better ...

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, MacGyver said:

Venison can use all the fat it can get - but the smoker is a great way to cook it. 

I’d wrap it in bacon.  Any decent rub would do.  Salt and pepper would be fine. So would about any store bought rub for beef.  I’d add a little brown sugar and coat it the night before to tenderize it some - it shouldn’t need it but it definitely improves even a good backstrap.

The real key is to watch your temperature with a good meat thermometer.  Assuming I know the source and that the deer was treated with integrity after the kill, I like mine below 140F for a nice medium rare. Take it up to well done temperature and you might have a dry piece of meat. 

I process them myself. 

I’ve cooked a lot of deer meat and discovered long ago medium rare is as far as you’d want to go with it. I’ve just never smoked amy yet. All I’ve smoked is fatty meat like chickens and pork roasts. They always turn out awesome. 

[MacGyver]

4 hours ago, gregintenn said:

I process them myself. 

I’ve cooked a lot of deer meat and discovered long ago medium rare is as far as you’d want to go with it. I’ve just never smoked amy yet. All I’ve smoked is fatty meat like chickens and pork roasts. They always turn out awesome. 

The biggest issue you’ll have is keeping it in the smoker long enough to absorb much smoke.  I don’t know that I’ve ever had one in more than about 2 hours at 225F. 

[gregintenn]

I went with the lemon juice marinade, but topped them with bacon. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Not sure why the directions said to rinse off the marinade and pat dry before smoking, but what the heck? I did it.

so far everything smells good.

Edited May 29, 2021 by gregintenn

[gregintenn]

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp crushed black pepper

Marinade in this overnite

Rinse and pat dry

Cover with bacon and smoke to 140degrees f

This was friggin delicious!

[MacGyver]

That looks like a solid, scriptural dinner. 

[peejman]

5 hours ago, gregintenn said:

I went with the lemon juice marinade, but topped them with bacon. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Not sure why the directions said to rinse off the marinade and pat dry before smoking, but what the heck? I did it.

so far everything smells good.

Liquid on the surface impedes the smoke from penetrating the meat. 

Your tenderloin looks tasty. I smoked a few things today as well. 

[gregintenn]

No kidding. This was to die for. I had to stop myself from shooting a deer in the back yard yesterday just to put it on the smoker.