You ever smoked back straps and loins?
 

I killed a decent buck last weekend and was thinking about placing the loins and back straps in my smoker and smoking them. I've always done the standard slice and fry at high heat. I love them but was thinking about something different.
What do you think.

never have, but you intrigue me a lot by asking

I haven't yet but want to. It's good to try meat different ways. And I'm sure it would be so delicious out of the smoker, cause anything usually is. Go for it, I am going to try one out next year.

is a frogs arse water tight?...does a 1 legged duck swim in a circle?


smoke em yes..the tender loins will take alot less time than the backstrap(if whole) the inside will look just about raw..do not over cook it, this is not a brisket and should be very "raw looking" inside..

i use a new brunfels indirect heat smoker...hanging cabinet with a fire box on the side.

smokin at about 250f .
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backstrap..marinade and butterfly cut it....

tenderloin...cut into 1 1/2 " strips long ways...

place the backstrap on the top rack of the smoker box for about 15 minutes per side, if you have a tendency to wanna over cook it, cut it in 1/2 and over cook the 2nd half and do a taste test, the over cooked one will be tough and chewy, imo

the loins...top rack about 5-10 minutes on each side...remember, dont over cook them..

i cant explain how easy it is to over cook them..kinda like a rare steak eater, just cook for color..but the meat is done.

Half baked
If it is only getting smoked for several minutes per side as you suggested is there any reason to smoke it and not just put it on a grill. I have never smoked deer so if it is totally different then I apologize, but at a low temp will anything even happen in ten minutes? I know I don't want to over cook it but I would say that my loins and back straps combined weigh several pounds. I know smoking a couple pounds of ribs or chops takes several hours. I know the loins are a small cut but for packaging reasons I just removed the back straps and cut them in half, so I have four pretty good sized hunks of meat. I would think it would take a couple hours on the smoker to get them up to temp. I have a vertical propane smoker. Last year I did a 10 pound turkey and I am thinking it took several hours.

I've never smoked venison, for fear that it would be dry and tough. I guess if you kept a close eye on it you could do it. I bet it would be really good tasting if you got it just right. Also, either spritzing it frequently with water or apple juice might prevent drying out, or even using a water pan under the meat to add humidity. I think I will try to smoke some soon. Got my curiosity up.

I'm not a pro and have only recently started butchering my own deer, but are those loins or backstrap in that pic. They looked like backstrap to me but nobody corrected the poster (who stated they were loins).

Those are backstraps. Loins are much smaller.

Thats what I thought, I would like to catch up with a buck that had loins that size:D

it is important to butter fly cut the back strap..or you will have a tough outer with a raw inner....if the back strap is huge, double butter fly cut it..but normally just once is enough...if you have your smoker at 250-300, it will be plenty enough time..10-15 minutes per side..15 if you are at 250, and 10 if you are at 300..the loins will be 5-10 minutes...

you heard the guy say below..he had it once, it was tough and dry(or whatever)..this is product of over cooking.

Make sure to cut the silver skin/ sinew off of the backstrap. I have then soaked mine in hot & spicy allegro marinade overnight. Then smoke with 1 or 2 panfuls in my GOSM smoker @ 225 or so. I cooked till 140-145 internal (about 1.5-2 hrs). Perfectly medium rare and delicious. Not even close to dried out. In fact I am smoking another backstrap for xmas eve app with spicy mustard, good cheese and crackers. This will become part of your regular rotation for inner tenderloin or backstrap once you do it.

I've smoked alot but would not smoke my backstraps..I use a charcoal smoker with grapefruit wood. My temps don't get that hot..250 tops.

In my smoker the venison would not be ready in 10 minutes..not even my salmon fillets are ready in 10 minutes..I'm sure a gas smoker would cut the time down though.
Congrats on the deer.
C7

i use a wood smoker....i can go down to about 180...up to 500(never do but i can) yes they will cook in 10-15 minutes per side no problem...or llisten to the guy who wouldnt smoke them
i have mastered this over 15 years, what would i know..i kno i kno..hit it again

Sorry..I missed the 15 minutes per side..I thought you met 10 - 15 minutes total..30 minutes on a pre heated smoker..should be no problem.


I do know my smoker takes an awful long time to smoke anything..chicken quarters, butt roast, ribs, or turkey ..

Here's the plan. I just cut and cleaned the backstraps and loins out of a small doe I killed early Sat. They are soaking in a mixture of Soy Sauce, Olive oil, Montreal steak seasoning, and lemon pepper. Tomorrow evening they will go in the smoker with some fresh hickory bark. The back straps are not real thick from this doe. Maybe 2-3 inches when laid flat. I have never butterfly cut them before. Do I stand them up (so to speak) on the edge and butterfly them that way? I hope that makes sense.:confused0024: Or should I just lay them flat and flip them halfway through?

the loins are about as big as a roll of store bought cookies if your lucky those are backstraps. I was going to smoke the ones i just got but i split the deer with a buddy who helped with the butcher. I slow cooked and bbq some fried and bbq the backstraps. One pack left in the fridge. I got one roast left for some more bbq. Maybe the next one will hit the smoker. Though tomorrow i will be prepping some for summer sausage.

UPDATE
I smoked the loins and backstraps last night and this was the BEST venison any of us had ever had. The loins were done in about 30 minutes total, and fell apart in your mouth. The bacstraps took about an hour (I did not butterfly them) and they turned out perfect as well. They were not quite as tender as the lions (but what is) but they tasted just as good. It was really windy here last night so I had a little trouble keeping temps regulated and the burner lit. The fresh shag bark hickory made a lot of smoke. There was five of us and there was just a few pieces of the backstrap left last night. We probably ate a least a pound per person.
This was the first time I cooked and ate any venison that was rare/med rare. It was a big hit with everyone.

Did you smoke the backstraps whole?

I usually smoke a whole pork loin this time of year, but i use an actual smokehouse, not a store-bought smoker. The main purpose is for flavoring, not to cook it entirely. I just season the thing well with Creole seasoning and then hang it over a nice fire that is, ideally, a mixture of green sweet gum and dry hickory. I generally get it to where it is about a third to halfway cooked. We then bake it whole in the oven and slice it to eat.

It would be interesting to try that whole process with a whole legnth of backstrap but with a much lower heat, and for not nearly as long, then bake the thing until it is about medium in the oven.

Sweet Gum? I didn't know you used that for anything. Does it have a good tasting smoke?

I learned about using sweet gum in Louisiana. I'm not sure how commonly it is used for smoking in other places. I like it because you can use it green and get a good smoke, but it is not like hickory that will leave a bitter taste if you use too much green wood. I prefer to use very dry hickory or pecan for the heat and a little flavoring and then the sweet gum for the smoke.

Interesting. I might have to try it.

LCC, you really need to get a new avatar! I come on to this cooking thread hungry for new recipes, and ways/things to cook, then lose my appetite when I see your avatar. :^)

I do a ton of smoking, but wouldn't smoke a backstrap/loin. They are far too good to eat just hot and fast on a grill. Lots of other parts of a deer that are way better suited to the smoker.

sorry, i got an unpaid leave , compliments of huntnet...glad it worked out for ya...it seems to be hard to get people to serve it real rare, glad ya went for it...it took me 4 years to figure that out when i started. did ya google butterfly cutting...its like cutting the meat in half but when you get done its one big fillet.people have a tendancy to over season as well, sometimes i jus put a dab of salt...you will be surprised.

I did not butterfly them. I ended up cutting each back strap in half so they weren't so long and easier to work with.
Yooper, I have had loin and backstrap many different ways and this was by far the best. There was a few guys there many have been hunting longer then Ive been alive and they all agreed this was the ticket.
Give it a try.

to me butter fly cuttin is like cuttin it in half long ways ..reduces the cooking time, and there are more edges which seem to be the ticket.