Venison Tenderloin with Lingonberry
Tender venison tenderloin is enhanced with a sweet-tart lingonberry marinade and gently hot-smoked. The fruity note of lingonberries harmonizes perfectly with the mild game flavor. Apple wood provides a light, fruity smoke aroma.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Marinating
12-24 hoursStir all marinade ingredients into a homogeneous mixture. Coat the cleaned venison tenderloin completely, place in a zip bag or covered bowl and marinate in the refrigerator at 4 °C for 12-24 hours. Turn occasionally.
Pre-Smoking Preparation
1 hourRemove the tenderloin from the marinade, allow to drain briefly and gently pat with kitchen paper (do not rinse). Allow the meat to acclimatize at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the smoker to 100-120 °C and soak apple and alder wood chips.
Smoking
3-5 hoursPlace the venison tenderloin on the smoker rack and insert a core thermometer. Smoke at 100-120 °C and monitor core temperature closely. Open the smoker when core temperature reaches 62-65 °C. The meat is safely cooked at this temperature and remains juicy.
Resting and Serving
15 minutesRemove the tenderloin from the smoker and rest covered for 15 minutes. Serve thinly sliced or present as a whole piece at the table. Fresh lingonberries and a wild herb salad make excellent accompaniments.
Pro Tip
Do not heat the venison tenderloin above 65 °C core temperature, as it will dry out and lose its tender character. A meat thermometer with an alarm is highly recommended for this delicate cut.
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