# Deer tenderloin



## outdoorlife99 (Aug 9, 2021)

I’m new to this pellet smoker, have used a gas grill for decades. So the issue is, I butterflied tenderloin an thought I would smoke it in my pit boss Lockhart before searing them on lower grill. Put a prob in an had the smoker box at about 200. Decided to check after a hour an meat was already 130. I thought o crap an put them on grill to sear on each side for a minute. Well it wasn’t bad but sure wasn’t pink in center like I did on gas grill. Any ideas how to correct. Thanks


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## TNJAKE (Aug 9, 2021)

Only advice I have is if you are only relying on probes for doneness then check faster lol.......also we like pics


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## indaswamp (Aug 9, 2021)

deer tenderloin is a small cut....it cooks fast. ^^^^^jake has you covered.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Aug 9, 2021)

X2 on what 

 TNJAKE
 said!  Those things are so tasty, but cook REALLY fast!  If your looking for some smoke flavor on them, try a cold smoke for an hour or so and then sear!


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## TNJAKE (Aug 9, 2021)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> X2 on what
> 
> TNJAKE
> said!  Those things are so tasty, but cook REALLY fast!  If your looking for some smoke flavor on them, try a cold smoke for an hour or so and then sear!


That and stay close to your smoker with an instant read thermometer


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## SmokinEdge (Aug 9, 2021)

Might throw a probe on the grill surface next to the meat so you know what the cooking temp is. Just a thought because when the machine says 200*, rarely is that true.


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## binnesman (Aug 9, 2021)

I use a camp chef and my food level temp never matches what I put the smoker on. In most cases my grate temperature is lower then what I have smoker set at.


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## bertman (Aug 9, 2021)

Don't beat yourself up too much. Venison is tough to smoke without drying out. I've had almost no luck smoking venison.

Was it the tenderloin, or the loin that you smoked? I can't imagine butterflying tenderloin. It's the diameter of a cardboard TP tube. My in-laws call the loin the tenderloin, but the loin is along the backbone above the ribs. That sounds more like something you might butterfly.


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## outdoorlife99 (Aug 10, 2021)

Thanks guys, still learning I guess. Will probably just get grill section up to 500 and just sear on open grate next time. Thanks for help


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## archeryrob (Sep 2, 2021)

I process all our own and I leave the fish whole and back straps I cut into thirds and cook them like that. Butterflied is the butchers cheap, dirty ,way of doing back straps that is easy for them. They cut twice as wide through it and leave the sliver skin on and then slice down the middle to the silver skin. That looks nice but it still leaves that big tendon in the middle. I lay the back strap whole on the huge cutting board and fillet the silver skin off like doing a fish skin.

I temp probe the whole sections and cook on the grill until it sounds off at 132 or 135 and you could do that with smoking too.  Maybe tell your butcher to no butterfly the back straps and fillet off the silver skin and cut in to half or thirds depending on the size you want.


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