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I have a loin from a 2000# bull that broke his leg. Most of him went to burger. I think I might want to try brining a loin and then smoking.
Whatcha think?

I've never done a brine, so this would be a new trick for me. Tips are very much welcome.

No one???

Opus,

Take a look at the breasola recipes on the site. It might be an interesting way to use the Fillet.

(I'm assuming you mean the tenderloin?)

I made my first one from Venison sirloin a couple of weeks ago and took the first slices off yesterday. It was really good if a little salty due to my tardiness in taking it out of the 2 days late.

Rgds,
FB

Good, good....gives me some ideas at least.

Depending on where you are, the recipe is in the River cottage meat book FYI.

FB

Opus:

That is a big bull. And I mean bull, not calf. Brining will make it "juicy", but you also need "tender" . Salting is a way of brining, which with the right amount of time can also tenderize it.

I would salt the whole tenderloin with a liberal amount of kosher salt, and put it in the fridge overnight (at that size, 12-24 hours is okay). Then I would scrape off the salt, rinse it briefly, dry it, and put it back in the fridge to "age' for one more day. Grill it hot and fast over your favorite wood (please use wood) cover it on a cutting board with foil for 20-30 minutes before cutting it.

This works if you like it rare to medium rare. If not, put it in an oven at 300F for ten minutes, let it rest again, then eat.

Or, if it was a real rangy bull, I have a recipe for cooking in a salt dough, that I use for old deer, whose meat (even the backstrap) tends to be tough. This recipe is a bit more coplex, although no brining is needed, and it always works. Always.

PM me, or, if you have time, reply by post. I am kind of busy at work, having taken the last week to harvest boar at the ranch for sausage.

Vinner,

Here's a peek at him: http://2006photos.milneweb.com/dec/IMAG0002.jpg.html

He wasnt rangy at all. He was fed well, as you can tell.

My plan was to brine...which I will follow your advice. I was then going to cold smoke it. The cooking part, I was going to grill LOW and slow, thinking this would tenderize it some.

Time frame for brining it? I was going to do the liquid brine, as opposed to the dry brine you suggested. Or would you not do that?

Medium is how it would be done.

Opus:

WOW! That looks cold!

As to brining a tenderloin of beef in general( or smoking it for that matter); if it is well fed, well cared for, and decently marbled, I would personally grill or roast the loin to my liking. Curing would work, but is usually done with "lesser" cuts of meat. A tenderloin. WOW! how about cutting it into great tenderloin steaks, and grilling each as you like?I assume the carcass was tended to properly?

Naw, we havent had 'cold' yet.

It was tended to properly. Due to his age (5) and just the fact that he was a bull, it is going to be tough and lean. This was why I was thinking of liquid brining.
I am going to pick it up today. I bet the loin are going to be huge. Everything but the loin was done in burger...which should sell well. We thought we would give the loin a try just for the fun of it.

I dont think a tenderloin steak would be anything we would want to try. Flavor will be great, but it will be tough....but then, who knows!

Try this, I use it with venison backstrapall the time. It brines while it cooks.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes ... src=search