Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Venison Backstraps

From the woods to the table, smoked bacon-wrapped venison backstraps are melt-in-your-mouth tender with a lick of smoke, bacon, and barbecue sauce. Wow!

We are excited to share this venison recipe with all of our fellow hunters out there. Even more exciting is just how good these smoked bacon-wrapped venison backstraps are! 

It’s deer hunting season here in Virginia, which means David is in full hunt mode; it is practically all he can talk about. I have been after him about bringing some wild game recipes to the blog for a while now. I’ve had a couple of readers suggest it.

Unfortunately, last year wasn’t a good year. David didn’t even fire his shotgun. He purchased the shotgun a couple of years ago and wasn’t sure how accurate it was. Nor did he know whether he wanted to keep the thing. He had mentioned that he was considering trading it in for another one he had his eye on.

Well, I would say that the gun does a fine job, considering he shot and killed two deer on the first day of hunting season, wouldn’t you? So, all that talk about hunting this year comes with good reason. My whitetail deer hunter brought dinner for us and many others!

I am not cut out for hunting because I’m not good at it and never have been.

My daddy was a great hunter. They even gave him “Buckman” as his CB handle. When I was little, he took me hunting one fall evening. I remember riding with him down a long dirt path to a cut-over near our house just before dark. We got out of the truck and walked over to a pile of logs that the loggers had cleared.

Daddy and I climbed up a few of the logs and used them as a bench to sit on. We were to still hunt. You have to be very still when you are “still hunting.” I know this because my daddy kept telling me to “Be still!” and “Be quiet!”. That’s all I remember about that experience because I didn’t like “still hunting” very much. I never went still hunting with him anymore. I’m pretty sure it was a mutual decision.

Before now, we only ate deer meat battered and fried with gravy (just like everything was when we were growing up). There is NOTHING wrong with deer meat and gravy, but these smoked venison backstraps wrapped in bacon are pretty different from any deer meat we have ever eaten before, and it is fantastic.

The backstraps are seasoned with steak seasoning, wrapped in bacon, smoked, and basted in barbecue sauce. I mean, the meat was wrapped in bacon…. need I say more?

Here’s how to cook backstraps!

What is a Backstrap (Venison Loin)?

Like the wildest game, venison is lean meat high in protein with very little fat. If you are unfamiliar with venison, the deer backstrap is cut from the top of the deer from each side of the spine. This cut of meat is very similar to the loin section of beef or pork. Backstraps are not to be confused with tenderloins. Venison tenderloins are found inside the deer’s abdominal cavity.

Is venison loin the same as tenderloin?

Backstraps and tenderloins are two different things, even though the two terms are interchanged in conversation about deer meat.

This arm-length cut is the backstrap, not the tenderloin. True venison tenderloins are found INSIDE the deer’s abdomen and are just as delicious.

What Wood Do You Use to Smoke Venison?

We chose pecan wood to smoke the backstraps because of its subtle smoke flavor. Pecan wood is sweet and mild, similar to hickory, but not as strong. Pecan falls in the middle part of the spectrum of the smoking woods.

Use hickory, maple, or oak if you cannot find pecan. These types of wood are strong enough to stand up to game meats.

David used large chunks of pecan cut from his cousin’s tree for this process. He opted not to soak the wood in water for a more gentle smoke.

Ingredients Needed to Make This Recipe

• (2) 1 ½ to 2-pound venison backstraps
• Montreal Steak Seasoning or dry rub of choice
• thinly sliced bacon

Helpful Equipment

• Charcoal Grill or Water Smoker
• large pecan wood chunks, dry (not soaked)
• Charcoal
• Charcoal Chimney
• Water
• Tongs
• Instant Read Thermometer, such as Thermoworks
• Classic BBQ Sauce or BBQ Sauce of your choice + extra for serving
• Grilling brush

How To Cook Backstrap

You may have heard or tasted meat that is “gamey.” Many recommend brining venison to help tenderize it and eliminate the “gamey taste” without sacrificing flavor. Since venison is so lean, people think brining preserves the meat’s natural juices. 

Backstraps are naturally tender, so you don’t have to marinate or brine them. Many often use apple cider vinegar as part of the marinade to eliminate the gamey taste. David opted not to brine them or prepare a marinade for them. However, he took extra time to remove the silver skin and sinew.

The silver skin and sinew are where much of the gamey flavor comes from. Properly trimmed venison should never have a “wild taste,” so always trim the meat.

You may still choose to brine or marinate, which is perfectly fine.

Trim The Meat and Season the Meat

Trim the backstraps, removing as much silver skin and sinew as possible. Rinse the backstraps under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.

For our experiment, we sprinkled the steak seasoning directly on one of the backstraps, and for the second, we wrapped it in bacon and sprinkled the steak seasoning onto the bacon.

We could not tell the difference between the two; both were seasoned well. The seasoning will work however you apply; just don’t add too much. A nice light coating works best.

Once the meat is seasoned and the bacon is wrapped around the backstraps, the meat is ready for the smoker.

Fire up the Grill or Smoker

The backstraps do not require long hours of smoke, so David opted to use his Weber Performer grill to smoke the backstraps. It is a kettle-type grill, so he set it up for indirect heat. You can use any smoker or grill. Just set it up for indirect cooking.

Preheat the grill to 275 degrees F. Use only half as much charcoal as usual to maintain this low temperature. (A half chimney-full.)

Smoke the Backstraps

When the coals are ready to cook, place the backstraps on the hot grate on the cool side of the opposite side, toss a large chunk of the pecan wood onto the coals, and cover the grill.

Bring the temperature back up to 275 degrees F, using the vents to regulate the temperature. Knowing the temperature of your grill is crucial, so if your grill doesn’t have a temperature gauge, purchase a digital thermometer. The backstraps are delicate; you don’t want to over-smoke them.

Smoke the backstraps with smoke for no more than 45 minutes, allowing them to cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Using a meat thermometer to watch the temperature as it climbs is important.

Check the smoker’s temperature every 30 minutes or so to keep the temperature between 250 and 300 degrees F. Make adjustments to the vents and add more coals as necessary.

Sauce the Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Venison Backstraps

About three-quarters of the way through, when the backstraps reach an internal temperature of 125 degrees, brush on some barbecue sauce and continue cooking until the internal reaches 130 to 150 degrees F.

As you may know, I’m not usually a barbecue sauce-slinging kind of girl (I know… I’m “special”). I wasn’t sure about basting the barbecue sauce on during the smoke, but after tasting it, I cannot believe I am saying this: the barbecue sauce sent these smoked bacon-wrapped venison backstraps over the top, so sauce these bad boys up!

Test for Doneness

When you spend hours in the field to harvest that buck, and in David’s case, spend miles on the highway for the opportunity to hunt, you want to prepare the meat the best it can be on the table. Tender cuts of venison are best rare to a medium-rare level of doneness. If it is past medium-rare, too much moisture is cooked out, causing the meat to be dry and tough.

David pulled the backstraps off the grill at the lower end of the range. The meat was a little rare for our taste, so we recommend cooking it until it reaches the higher end at about 150 degrees.

Rest, Carve, and Enjoy the Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Venison Backstraps

When the meat reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the smoker. Allow the backstraps to rest for 10 to 20 minutes before cutting. The bacon should be browned and fully cooked on the outside, and the inside of the meat should be somewhat firm to the touch and pink. Slice into medallions and serve with extra sauce if desired!

Crisp Up the Bacon

At the end of the cook, if the bacon isn’t crispy enough, you could stoke up the fire and sear it quickly before taking the meat up to rest. You may even want to use a cast-iron pan to do this instead.

What Other Seasonings Are Good on Vension?

Blends of spices that contain rosemary, sage, savory, onion powder, garlic powder, and sweet marjoram all pair well with venison and other wild game.

You will never go wrong with a simple mixture of equal parts black pepper, salt, and garlic powder on any meat you throw on the grill.

Do I Need a Binder for the Rub to Adhere?

If the seasoning doesn’t want to adhere to the meat, use a binder to help it stick. Binders should consider Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, soy sauce, or vegetable oil.

The look on his face says it all!

We hope you enjoy some smoked bacon-wrapped venison backstraps this season. If you try this recipe, please let us know what you think. I’m sure it will be the best deer meat you’ve ever eaten.

Good luck to all you hunters out there. Be safe!