SMOKED VENISON BACKSTRAP
This smoked venison backstrap is brined, dried overnight, and smoked low until the center stays tender and pink. It is a simple smoked venison loin recipe for slicing thin and serving warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
For the Venison
- 1 Venison Backstrap (Silver skin removed)
For the Brine
- 1 gallon water
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (42 grams pink curing salt)
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
- 1 bunch fresh sage
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ground black pepper, freshly ground is best if you have it
For Smoking
- Wood Chips or Pellets (hickory, oak, pecan or fruit woods are good options)
Instructions
- Trim and remove any silver skin from the meat.
- Make the brine. In a large pot add all of the ingredients except the venison loin and black pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved.
- Place the brine in the refrigerator until it has thoroughly chilled.
- Add the venison loin to the brine. Place a plate on top of the meat if needed to keep it fully submerged. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
- Remove the loin from the brine and rinse it under cold water. Dry the loin off with paper towels until no moisture appears on the surface of the meat.
- Lightly dust the loin with a little ground black pepper. Place the loin on a wire rack that is sitting over a baking tray. Place the tray in the refrigerator uncovered for 12 to 24 hours. This allows for the brine to evenly distribute throughout the meat and for it to develop a tacky surface for the smoke to better adhere.
- The next day place the meat on your smoker's grill grates and smoke the deer loin at 200 degrees F. Smoke until you reach your preferred internal temperature by checking it with a good meat thermometer. Again, I recommend cooking to around a 135-degree internal temperature.
- Let the loin rest at room temperature between 20 and 30 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain. If stored properly It will keep in the refrigerator for about 7 days.
NOTES
- Trim all the silver skin off first. Smoke does not penetrate silver skin well, and it also leaves you with a tougher bite.
- Chill the brine completely. Simmer the brine only until the salt and sugar dissolve, then refrigerate it before adding the backstrap. Keep the loin fully submerged and brine it for 24 to 48 hours.
- Dry it overnight before smoking. After brining, rinse the loin, dry it very well, dust it lightly with black pepper, and refrigerate it uncovered on a rack for 12 to 24 hours. That step helps the brine even out and gives the surface a tacky finish that takes smoke better.
- Smoke it low and steady. Cook at about 200 F over indirect heat and use a meat thermometer instead of guessing. The post recommends keeping the temperature between about 190 and 200 F for the cleanest results.
- Do not cook past 135 F. Venison loin gets dry and chewy above that point, so pull it at your preferred doneness and keep it in the rare to medium-rare range for the best texture.
- Rest before slicing thin. Let it rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, then slice it thinly across the grain, no thicker than about 1/4 inch.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated. Stored properly, it keeps in the refrigerator for about 7 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 30737mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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