tender loins

[jason wilson]

OK so for thanksgiving i decided to do up some deer tenderloins i smoked them for 5hours before we had to go check core temp it was 140f so we got to her moms and i through them in the oven to finish them off they were really juicy before when i pulled them out of the oven they were dry wasn't in very long plus they had a chalky taste kind of like liver ? i don't know why this happened i thought they would have been like chops not like liver

 

[jason wilson]

every one loved them they didn't last very long taste was excellent other than the chalk (after taste) i didn't like them that was the problem.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Sounds like the bulk of the problem was overcooking. Did you use any kind of Marinade or Meat Tenderizer like Adolf's as these can give a chalky texture...JJ

 

[jason wilson]

I prepared them like i would steak and chops sea salt cracked peppercorn  extra virgin olive oil on one did a rub on another and a BBQ sauce on another the only thing i could think of was the oven 300f for about 20 min just to bump up the core temp that's were they got dry i didn't know if that's were i could have got the chalky taste from or not though

 

[pike2]

over cooking,   deer is very lean 98% fat free so without the fat the meat dries out faster,   smoking them for 5 hrs is most likely where it dried out.
 

 

[pike2]

just to clarify tender loin,    was it the back strap/ loin,   or the 2 tender loins on the inside of the cavity  shown outlined in the pic below.

22869176.jpg

• pike2
• Dec 2, 2012

 

[foxriversmokin]

Shoulda named this thread 'not so' tender loins. LOL

Pretty safe to assume he's talking the backstraps...  either way for venison, I don't ever measure temperature, to me it's about determining how it's cooked by touch, as I don't like to poke a hole in vension as it lets juices out.  That's not a big deal for pork or beef....

I wouldn't ever recommend venison cooked over medium rare, in fact, I'd recommend between rare and medium rare.  That's how we like it...juicy.  Otherwise, yeah, it can be not so desirable. 

I like a cold smoke, vac seal and fridge, then a quick sear and lower the temp on the grill.

 

[pike2]

i thought back strap too,    tenderloins are pretty small in a deer,    Med to Med rare,   another good way is to lard the loin then marinate for a day then smoke it,    some time id like to get a larding tool
 

 

[jbacinti]

If you need to transport smoked tenderloins, try this trick I use for brisket and butts.  Double wrap them in foil and put in a cooler that you've lined with some old towels.  Keep them wrapped tightly in the towels and your meat will stay warm for hours.  I know that for a brisket, the flavor and tenderness improves greatly and it would probably do the same for venison.