Venison Smoked Tenderloin- The perfect meat addition to a wine and cheese party.

    There are few things that are as enjoyable as a smoked venison tenderloin. This part of a deer  is extremely lean yet tender enough to use as a lunch meat. Cured via smoking it should be sliced thin and will hold its own if not better than and cured sausage. Absolutely perfect as a protein for accentuating dry red wines such as a Cabernet. Also this cure will blend well with the milder cheeses. It is a roof of the mouth smacking taste.

Recipe Template:

    First you will need to brine the tenderloin. This will help retain moisture during the smoking process. Deer tenderloin is not very salty and letting it sit in a brine the meat will pull in the saltwater. Deer meat is also lean and tougher than most due to the extremely fit nature of the animal. The brine will kick start the break down process of the meat and give it the perfect texture for eating as a lunch meat. In the fridge, let the meat sit in the mixture for at least 12 hours but no more than 18.

     Second step is to use a desired rub and coat the piece. Then wrap the meat in bacon. Pork bacon is great but I prefer lamb bacon.   The fat drippings will also aid in retaining moisture during smoking process. You want it to cook with it's moisture and dry it post cooking.

*Note* lamb bacon is not readily available in most places so pick up lamb belly at your butcher shop and ask them to remove the riblets after weighing. You can salt  this the day before. Then that morning  smoke it for about 2 1/2 hour at 250 degrees. Slice and apply

    Now to smoke the venison tenderloin. Having your smoker at 250 degrees place the venison inside. Then, add your desired hardwood and let it smoke for  2 1/2 hours. The internal temperature should be around 150 degrees. This temperature is higher than if you were to rest and serve it. This is because you will be applying another step and want this on the well side. Don't worry it won't be dry when consuming.

     Lastly, you are going to hang this back strap overnight til about an hour before your party. Hang it in a cool dry place. In late fall through early spring a secure garage is perfect but your kitchen will be fine. Just do not hang it over the sink because if you are washing dishes with hot water the steam will obstruct the drying process.

      All done! Remember to slice thin. Your guests will talk about this morsel for months to come.

In ending

   This obviously is a loose recipe. I feel the flavors should be up to you. Some suggestions I would give are: 

1. Use a brine recipe that uses Soy or Worcestershire  in it
2. Use a rub with a sweet taste
3. take the time to make lamb bacon
4. Use a hard wood like cherry or hickory. 

I hope this finds you well let us know how your party goes!

Szabo