Smoked Venison Backstrap

Sliced backstrap on board with fresh rosemary garnish.

5 from 1 vote

Here's a different way to cook one of the most tender cuts of deer. This Smoked Venison Backstrap will amaze you. It's that good.

Course entree, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Brining time 8

Total Time 10 10

Servings servings

Calories 184kcal

Author Beth Neels

Cost $2

Equipment

Ingredients

3½ pounds venison loin
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons garlic, granulated
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Chili powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard

Instructions

First and foremost, when cooking any cut of venison is to cut away as much of the fat and silver skin off. Not only is the fat not palatable like that of the beef, it can be grizzly and hard to chew.
3½ pounds venison loin
Pat to dry off backstraps with paper towel. Place in a covered bowl or container.
Measure and mix all of the spices. Add them to a small tupperware or jar and shake vigorously to combine.
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, 2 tablespoons garlic, granulated, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon Chili powder, 2 teaspoons dry mustard
Cover all sides of the meat evenly with the dry rub. Refrigerate at least a couple ofhours or overnight (you can even leave it 2-3 days) for the best flavor. The longer it brines, the more flavorful it will be.
The next day set up the smoker and preheat to 180°F. Set the meat on the grates. You don’t have to wait until the loin warms to room temperature since this is such a long cook time. Insert your smoker’s probe or another good meat thermometer into the thickest part of the loin. Close the door or lid and try to keep it closed as much as possible.
Smoke until the meat reaches 135°F internal temperature for medium rare. Depending on the thickness of your meat, this will take 2-4 hours.
It’s very important to tent the meat with foil and let it rest when it comes out of the smoker for at least 15 minutes so that the juices will redistribute.

Notes

Note: We don’t recommend cooking the meat over 140°F which is medium. Since the loin is so lean, it can become tough quickly. If you have folks who don’t like to see the red in the meat, then tent with foil for more like 30 minutes. You shouldn’t have any red left.

You can use this recipe for tenderloins as well. Cooking time will be lessened to about 1 hour, depending on the size of the tenderloins. You also won't need as much of the rub.

Like fish, we prefer a mild wood for venison. Fruit woods like apple, cherry or peach, pecan or alder are our favorite.

How to serve it and sides

We like to serve the meat various ways but some of favorites are slice the meat thin and serve it with BBQ sauce in a sandwich. Serve the sandwich with coleslaw and a pickle.
Slice it into chunks and serve with mashed potatoes, coleslaw and corn on the cob.
Slice or chop it and make tacos with our favorite salsas and toppings.
Slice and serve with horseradish sauce on sandwiches or not.
Serve with roasted potatoes and your favorite green vegetable.

Nutrition