Question

[Trav8300]

I'm going to be smoking some deer meat this Saturday. I have never done it before. What temps should I be at? Internal and in the box? Marinade before? brine? Any suggestions will help...

[IrishChef]

Well, with veni, you got 2 choices: med rare or jerky. Most else is not palatable.

[nickelmore]

X2 What cut of veni are you smoking? A few things you need to keep in mind. It will cook very fast and continue to rise after you take it out of the smoker.

I like to take IT(internal) to 130-35 ish and let it rest shooting for a temp of 140. I really do it my by feel and look than temp, but that is the ball park for what I do.

This is just what I do, and just my opinion.

[L20A]

I do most of my venison smoking with the goal of making "bambi-Q". I do it just like pork butts and pull it & add the liquid gold & some sauces & spices. It comes out surprisingly close to pulled pork but you can tell the difference. Most folks love it, even the squeamish women who "can't eat Bambi".
I smoke it at 225-250* until 160 or so and foil it until it is tender, just like a brisket. then I leave it covered until cool & pull it.
Otherwise I do the venison on the Weber kettle with smoke until med. and serve it like a steak or roast.

[rbranstner]

I'm a marinade and cook to medium rare kind of guy. It cooks fast and can dry out very easily. A lot of people wrap it in bacon to help keep it from drying out.

[curious aardvark]

I'm a marinade and cook to medium rare kind of guy. It cooks fast and can dry out very easily. A lot of people wrap it in bacon to help keep it from drying out.

yep. Basic marinade: 1/2 cup red wine, 1/2 cup coke, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 dsp lea and perrins worcestershire sauce.

Give it six - 8 hours.
And defintiely wrap in bacon :-)

[mulepackin]

Another good option with venison is to lard it with strips of bacon or pork fat. I usually just stab it with a boning knife and and stuff the strips in with my finger, although larding needles are available.

[chris_h]

defintiely dont low and slow with deer meat, larding it is a good idea,
few years ago i had saved up a real nice neck roast and smoked it along with a pork butt and kinda forgot about the roast. took it out and i cut into the roast and it was turned into mush like cat food. what a waist that was.

not shure about the choices given here, i grew up eating deer steaks that is floured and pan fried to well done, and i still cook deer meat the same way and i haven had any cut of deer to be not palatable cooked to well done, and that could be from the IOWA corn feed deer,

[Mark R]

Wow, responses all over the board! I use a variety of methods depending on the cut of meat. A loin or back strap grilled med-rare, a ham low and slow, or scraps soaked in buttermilk over night - breaded and fried. Just remember Bambi is very lean so it'll get tough on ya real quick. Don't over cook it, nooo well done - is over done. Marinades and brines are good depending on what you cookin.

[Richtee]

Another good option with venison is to lard it with strips of bacon or pork fat. I usually just stab it with a boning knife and and stuff the strips in with my finger, although larding needles are available.

Here's a home-brew set-up for larding.... should you wanna try.

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/sho...33911#poststop