Ember Pit
All cuts

Game · Backstrap or steak

Venison

Lean wild meat. Medium-rare is the ceiling. Well-done venison is a warning label.

Internal target

130°

Rare to medium-rare

90°Probe220°
Pit
225–450°

Reverse sear

Time
30–50 min

Clock, not a scale

Rest
8 min
USDA
145°

Safety floor

Whole-muscle venison is often eaten at 125–130°F. Ground venison is 160°F.

Watch it cooked

HowToBBQRight · Stuffed Venison Backstrap

Stuffed Venison Backstrap

HowToBBQRight

Watch on YouTube

Recipes

Doneness

Pull a few degrees early. Carryover finishes the cook while it rests.

How to cook it

  1. 1

    Trim silver skin. A little beef tallow or bacon fat on the surface helps.

  2. 2

    Smoke 225°F to 115–120°F. Sear hard and fast.

  3. 3

    Do not sauce it into hiding — a pinch of salt is usually enough.

Probe & cues

Center of the loin.

  • Deep rose. If it looks like roast beef, you went too far.

Start a cook

Logs the target and runs a pit timer. Saved on this device.