Venison Backstrap Dried Beef

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Group Lead
Sep 12, 2009
45,279
18,182
Macungie, PA
Venison Backstrap Dried Beef

My Son gave me this Backstrap about 2 weeks before my Open Heart Surgery, so it's been sitting in the freezer nearly 2 years. Since it was in Vacuum Sealed bags it was just like new.
There isn't very much, because it was from a small Doe (under 100 pounds), however I was totally out of Dried Beef, so I needed to get some done.

Day #1 (Prepping & Curing):
Thaw, Rinse, Dry----6 pieces-----Total 3 pounds 13 ounces.
Split in half to fit in Gallon Zip-locks, weigh, and measure proper amount of TQ.
Rub 1/2 ounce of TQ and 1 TBS of Brown Sugar per pound of meat, and put in Zip-Locks.
Be sure to pick up any TQ that fell off before going into bag, and put it in the bag with the meat it fell off of. That will keep the proper amount of TQ per pound in the bags.
Note: I Never cure for less than 7 days.
These pieces were only a little more than 1" at the thickest point, so I only put them in my curing fridge for 7 days @ 37*--38*. I also flip the packages over every afternoon.


Day #8 (Prep for Smoking):
Remove pieces from bags, rinse, and soak in cold water to remove surface salt.
Cut a couple slices from middle of the thickest piece to check that cure got to center, and to do a salt-fry test.
No salt flavor at all, so Dry pieces & sprinkle with CBP, Garlic powder, and Onion powder.
Put all pieces on a grill rack, and put rack in fridge overnight to start pellicle.


Day #9 (Smoking Time):
6:45----------------Pre-heat MES 40 to 150*.
7:00----------------Put rack with meat in 2nd position in MES 40. Also Fill AMNS with Hickory Sawdust, and light one end.
8:00----------------Put Well lit AMNS on bars in bottom left of MES.
9:00----------------Insert Maverick meat probe in thickest piece. Internal Temp is 117*.
10:00--------------Internal Temp is 122*.
11:00--------------Internal Temp is 124*.
12:00--------------Internal Temp is 126*.
1:00----------------Internal Temp is 127*. Bump heat up to 170*.
2:00----------------Internal Temp is 140*.
3:00----------------Internal Temp is 149*. Bump heat up to 190*.
4:00----------------Internal Temp is 156*.
4:30----------------Internal Temp is 162*. AMNS stopped smoking ---Burned out.
5:00----------------Turn off Smoker & remove pieces. Internal temps ranged from 158* to 169*.

Allow to cool to about 100*, and put in a bowl in fridge uncovered for 2 days.
Put in freezer for 4 hours before slicing, and then slice very thin, across grain.

Eat some----Freeze the rest in Vacuum sealed bags.

This stuff is Awesome, and could not tell it from Beef Dried Beef.

Enjoy the Pics,
Bear





Pieces from 2 Backstraps from a small Whitetail:
DSCN0759.jpg



Pieces weighed & Tender Quick measured:
DSCN0760.jpg



Pieces in Zip-Locks with TQ and Brown Sugar, ready for Fridge:
DSCN0763.jpg



Pieces cured & test slices cut. Deep red in center shows complete cure penetration:
DSCN0769.jpg



Frying up test slices:
DSCN0771.jpg



My favorite part----Taste testing-----No salt flavor at all:
DSCN0774.jpg



All ready for Fridge to start pellicle over night:
DSCN0776.jpg



My AMNS filled with Sawdust & one end lit:
DSCN0785.jpg



Picture taken from my Smoker while I wait. Just mowed for the 11th time this year:
DSCN0782.jpg



All Done & my AMNS is burned out (bottom left):
DSCN0789.jpg



Close-Up:
DSCN0790.jpg



Partially frozen ready for slicing:
DSCN0791.jpg



All sliced up. Not much, but it'll hold me for a little while:
DSCN0793.jpg



Close-up of one dish of sliced goodness:
DSCN0794.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: gary s and disco
Looks great. Was it tender?

Do you only like it cooked? Haven't you tried cold smoked?

Is backstrap the tenderloin?
 
Last edited:
Looks great. Was it tender?

Do you only like it cooked? Haven't you tried cold smoked?

Is backstrap the tenderloin?
Thank You!!

It gets sliced very thin as lunch meat, so it wouldn't matter if it wasn't tender. This stuff melts in your mouth.

There would be no reason to cold smoke Dried Beef, unless you then warm or hot smoke it to at least 150 to finish it, because I wouldn't want to cook it before eating it.

The best way to eat this is as a cold lunch meat in fresh white bread with Mayo or MW, American Cheese, & Horse Radish.

Yes it is the Tenderloin, and it is normally sliced, and then butterflied & grilled as steaks, however Beef steaks are much better than Deer steaks IMHO, but Beef Dried Beef is not better than Venison Dried Beef. IMHO

Bear
 
Pretty much, warming pulled pork from Friday, Baked beans and slaw    for supper

Gary S
 
 
Yup---I could eat that at least three times a week!!

Bear
Looks good Bear. I'm with you, I made about 15lbs of the stuff from the hind quarters 2 weeks ago, & been eating it fried with eggs for breakfast at least 3 times a week. 

Hey, atomicsmoke !  I think Bear may be a little dizzy from all the smoking he does. The back straps are from the deer loin, located between the hide and the spine. The tenderloin is located between the inside of the spine and the gut sack.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vicki sinclair
 
Looks good Bear. I'm with you, I made about 15lbs of the stuff from the hind quarters 2 weeks ago, & been eating it fried with eggs for breakfast at least 3 times a week. 

Hey, atomicsmoke !  I think Bear may be a little dizzy from all the smoking he does. The back straps are from the deer loin, located between the hide and the spine. The tenderloin is located between the inside of the spine and the gut sack.
OOOOPS!!

Thanks SB59---You're right, and the Backstraps (loins) are quite some bigger than the Tenderloins, just like Pork Loins, as opposed to Pork Tenderloins. I'm a little rusty---Been quite some years since my Son took over the Deer Harvesting.

Sorry about that, Atomicsmoke!!

Bear
 
Not a big thing Bear! You were probably thinking of your next smoke while you typed. Your step by steps should be mandatory reading for newbies on the site!
 
 
Not a big thing Bear! You were probably thinking of your next smoke while you typed. Your step by steps should be mandatory reading for newbies on the site!
LOL---Thanks for the kind words!!

As soon as you caught me I thought of all the times I told people to use Pork Loins, not Tenderloins for CB-----The ones that are almost 2' long & weigh about 10 pounds.

Ever since my Surgery, my thinker doesn't work right all the time. It's OK most of the time, but not all the time.

That's why I like guys keeping an eye on what I say. I hate giving wrong answers!!!

Bear
 
Last edited:
gasp how could you use those succulent backstraps for dried beef. i almost cried when i saw that lol. i always cook mine whole on the grill wrapped in bacon. 
 
  • Like
Reactions: vicki sinclair
 
gasp how could you use those succulent backstraps for dried beef. i almost cried when i saw that lol. i always cook mine whole on the grill wrapped in bacon. 
I thought I explained that.

I've been eating Deer every way you can for about 60 years, and in my opinion, the only way Deer is better than Beef is Dried Beef & Burger (mixed with Pork).

You can eat your Deer Steaks---I'll take a Prime Rib or Ribeye way before any Deer, even with 5 pounds of Bacon trying to cover it.

Bear
 
rofl i hear ya bear, just had to rib ya a little. looks awesome im gonna have to try it.
 
Looks awesome! nice job. Gonna do this for sure.
Thank You Sir!!

Bear
 
Oh Bear, that looks so delicious! Just the color of the meat even was so enticing!

And then your great work! And impressive yard!

Such delicious stuff to see!!!

Cheers! - Leah
Thank You Leah!!

I appreciate the compliments.

Bear
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky