Smoked Backstraps

[DEERSLAYER]

I am new to smoking and would like to try to smoke some venison backstraps.Can any body help me with a recipie {Salmonsmoker?]?I have heard of putting bacon strips over the top and injecting wine{no specifics were givin though} but I am not sure what to do.I don't want to mess up such a prime piece of meat.

[Salmonsmoker]

Deerslayer,

Smoked backstraps should be most excellent. Forgit the bacon and the injecting for now. The bacon will put a barrier between the meat and the smoke: you will end up with well smoked bacon. The wine injection.... Well, thats a matter of taste. I like the taste of deer meat when its cooked right.

I would start by completely thawing the meat.

Option I.
Put the meat in a brine made from 1 cup seasoning salt (see recipe section) and 3 qts of water. Completely cover the meat and let it set, covered, in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days (depending on meat thickness) - turning it at least once each day (put a plate or something over the meat to keep it submerged.)

Take the meat out of the brine, and rinse well under running water, then let air dry.

Next, coat it with olive oil.

Put it in the smoker, and cold smoke (temerature not more than 100 degrees) for 6 hours. (This process is very similar to how Canadian Bacon is made - except they prolong the drying process until the meat is reduced in weight by about 30%)

Then, follow the proceedures listed in the posting from 7:23 titled "Verticle Cooking".

Option II.

Put some presoaked (2 hours) Shag-Bark Hickory bark over your charcoal or lava rocks (a piece of meatal screen will keep the ashes from falling down into the lava rocks). Let the cooker get to smoking profusely, then follow the cooking proceedure listed in the posting on "Verticle Cooking."

Either of the above will give excellent results.

Let me know how it works out.

ss

[DEERSLAYER]

Thanks Salmonsmoker. I have an electric Brinkman and will try to figure out a good way to keep the heat down to 100 degrees while retaining the smoke.I have not heard of "shag-bark Hickory bark" I will keep my eyes open and try to find some though.

[Salmonsmoker]

Deerslayer,

The Shag-Bark Hickory tree is easy to identify in the woods or along roadsides. It is a Hickory tree with typical Hickory nuts and leaves. The distinguishing feature is the bark. This tree is in a continual state of renewal of the bark. The bark exfoliates or peals off is large strips - usually 1/4 inch thick and from 8 to 30 inch-long strips - vertically. It is not good for the tree to "strip" the bark off. But normally, there is a lot of bark laying around the base of the tree. I have a few favorite trees that keep me in good supply on an ongoing basis.

A few pieces of this bark - broken down to 4 to 6 inch size - soaked in water for a couple hours, then placed on the characoal or lava rocks give an excellent hichory flavor.

The stuff you buy in the store is normally hickory sawdust. It is mostly from the tree with only minimal from the bark. The bark is where the flavor is.

Whenever you are in the woods - or driving to the woods or to a favorite fishing spot, keep watching for the distinctive bark of the "Shag-Bark Hickory" tree. Normally, the owner of the property where the tree is located will not object to someone picking up bark from the ground.

ss

[DEERSLAYER]

Thanks again Salmonsmoker.I will keep my eyes "pealed".



[This message has been edited by DEERSLAYER (edited 08-31-2000).]