Want to try smoking some venison backstrap. Usually just quick sear and serve w a pan sauce or horseradish sauce. Give me your best smoker recipe. Marinade? Rub? Time and temp?

Was thinking about essentially doing a reverse sear but w the smoker. Rub on EVOO. Salt pepper dash of garlic powder for the rub. Smoke at 250-255 for a few hours until 105-110 internal, stoke the coals, open her up and sear on both sides 2-3 minutes until 140-145 internal. I've got a ceramic so I can get it plenty hot for the sear. Rest for 10-15 mins before serving w a nice cab or zin.

Tell me where I'm going wrong.

I think you are good on everything except time/temp. I don't think it will take that long at that temp. Probably closer to 1hour is my guess, although maybe it's a big backstrap. I could be off.

Memphis rub. Wrap in bacon. 220F for 1 hour.

dr_boogs said:

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Want to try smoking some venison backstrap. Usually just quick sear and serve w a pan sauce or horseradish sauce. Give me your best smoker recipe. Marinade? Rub? Time and temp?

Was thinking about essentially doing a reverse sear but w the smoker. Rub on EVOO. Salt pepper dash of garlic powder for the rub. Smoke at 250-255 for a few hours until 105-110 internal, stoke the coals, open her up and sear on both sides 2-3 minutes until 140-145 internal. I've got a ceramic so I can get it plenty hot for the sear. Rest for 10-15 mins before serving w a nice cab or zin.

Tell me where I'm going wrong.

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I do this fairly often with backstrap (as well as thick cut ribeyes). Very similar to your proposed recipe, with a few changes.

When I process things, I will generally cut the backstrap up into 3 equal weight "roasts", and only thaw one roast at a time, so its a good size serving for my wife and I. Most of what I shoot are does and cull bucks, so each backstrap is generally about 3-4 pounds max, and each roast ends up right around a pound.

About an hour before I start cooking I take the roast out of the fridge to warm up a bit, rub with salt and pepper.

Set the smoker as low as you can get it while still producing smoke. I use a little masterbuilt for this, so it's around 180-185 depending on outside temp.

Will smoke until I hit an internal of 105-110 (usually 45min to an hour depending on the size of the backstrap).

When its getting close to target temp, I fire up the gas grill, and let it heat up to around 550 with the cast iron skillet inside.

Drop a slab of salted butter in the skillet, Sear: generally around 90 seconds for top, 90 for bottom, 60 seconds for each side, and about 30 seconds per end. If all went right, it should be at 135 or so.

Rest for 10 min.

Sprinkle with course sea salt, and slice at an angle into medallions about 3/8" thick.

If I'm in the mood for a sauce, I'll deglaze the pan with whatever red wine I have on hand and mash in some blackberries to the liquid, stir and reduce.

Another good simple sauce for it is to deglaze the pan with a shot of bourbon, then drop a slab of butter in and add some minced garlic.

This is my preferred method of cooking backstraps. I do the exact same thing as far as keeping the straps in large pieces. We have a family of four, so I generally process them into about 1 lb - 1-1/2 lb sections and cook two at a time.

I use a light coat of olive or avocado oil as a binder then rub with course kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Try to do this at least 30 min before hitting the pit.

Make sure the meat had come to room temp before placing it on the grill. I cook at 225 to an internal temp of 130. I place a couple of pats of garlic butter on them during the last 5 mins of the cook.

Rest for 15-20 min while I prepare my sides. Sear on super hot cast iron to your liking. Crosscut into to medallions. Deglaze the pan with your favorite sauce recipe if desired. I generally just let the meat be the star. Enjoy.

Thanks fellas, I'm on the right track, I'll smoke at a lower temperature instead of 275 and use a thermometer to monitor internal temp.

I do what you have described as well, cut a full strap up into 3-4 smaller roasts for the family of 4.

Do yourself a favor on the rub;

https://www.periniranch.com/product/perini-ranch-steak-rub

Buy a can, soak a 8"-12" piece of backstrap in half-n-half overnight, pat dry with papertowels, olive oil up said backstrap, then pack on rub semi-liberally and let stand for 1-2 hours. Then cook/smoke on pit like you would a pork tenderloin size price of meat.... I sear mine on a hot cast iron, then put it on the pit on the Firebox side of the pit and hit it with some smoke as well.... 30 mins total sear and cook time +/- 5 mins or so. Reverse searing would probably work as well.

You won't be disappointed in the Perinini rub as it seems it was made for venison to me!

I think you are on the right track but maybe tone down the internal temp. I coat mine in olive oil and season with whatever steak seasoning sounds good. I put in a ziplock and let sit in the fridge for 4-5 hours. Add a little extra black pepper and smoke on my Yoder at 250-275 until an internal temp of 130-135 max. The ends will be more done and the center a bit more rare. I slice it real thin and serve hot or cold. It's badass!

Probably wasted on backstrap but I have made dinner damn good Philly cheese steak by slicing backstrap ~2mm and cooking with onions/peppers/etc....

But this is probably my favorite recipe for backstrap.

https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/steak-sandwiches/

Just sub backstrap for the beef.

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Tell me where I'm going wrong

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Rest for 10-15 mins before serving w a nice cab or zin

^^Right here. Bud Light or your favorite whiskey should suffice. Hope that helps

Half & half?!?! Interesting! Of course, I've heard of Buttermilk for wild game but never heard this. Do you go that route for if you're just searing also?

My favorite backstrap recipe is: mix 50/50 with pork butt, add proper seasoning, double grind, stuff into casings and smoke. Put on grill and heat through thoroughly. That's my favorite and it does involve smoking and a grill.

raidernarizona said:

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Quote:

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Tell me where I'm going wrong

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Rest for 10-15 mins before serving w a nice cab or zin

^^Right here. Bud Light or your favorite whiskey should suffice. Hope that helps

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Seriously?

Bird93 said:

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raidernarizona said:

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Quote:

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Tell me where I'm going wrong

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Rest for 10-15 mins before serving w a nice cab or zin

^^Right here. Bud Light BUDWEISER or your favorite whiskey should suffice. Hope that helps

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Seriously?

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FIFH

Thanks for the recipe. Used the bourbon and minced garlic reduction and it was pretty, pretty good.

Just wanted to thank A.G.S. again. Made it this evening and didn't tell my kids what they were eating and they loved it (with garlic/bourbon). My very picky oldest and my daughter, who has refused to eat venison in the past, both requested seconds.