Smoked elk/venison recipe

[WI-Carcosa]

Pretty simple smoked/baked game recipe. My favorite way to use cuts from elk/deer that are not tender enough for a steak and not enough connective tissue for a good slow cook. It is delicious and goes very fast.

Smoked venison/elk

Recipe below for 10lbs of meat

1 gallon water

2 T celery juice powder.

1 cup salt

1 1/4 cup maple syrup

Mix 1/2 gal of water and rest of ingredients. Heat on stove until salt is dissolved.

Add 1/2 gallon of cold water then chill mixture.

Trim meat and cut to strips no more than 2” thick. puncture meat with fork then add meat to brine. Put in fridge for 10-14 days, rotating meat daily (or as often as you can remember). Remove from brine, rinse, pat dry slightly then coat with 6 T black pepper (or to taste), 1 t onion powder, and 2 t garlic powder. Smoke at 225 hours with bowl of water in smoker until 160+ internal temp. If no smoker, Put meat in a roasting pan with 1" water and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 250 degrees until internal temp reaches

165 degrees.


(To make this a pastrami, add 3 T picking spice to the brine and add 2t ground coriander in the rub prior to smoking)

First 2 pics are elk, last 2 venison

 

[BLJ]

What cut off is the deer meat?
I’m not a butcher, but is that the ball shaped piece from the rear quarter? Thanks.

 

[WI-Carcosa]

For the deer I use the top round, bottom round, and the whole sirloin for smoking cuts. I believe the cut you mention I s from the sirloin which is the ball shaped part of the rear ham. I can’t exactly remember from the photos as I trim them and cut them smaller so they get a better and more even brine.

 

[AK EricB]

Thanks for sharing. I'm going to try this out with my next deer...... or maybe bear if I get one this spring.

 

[WI-Carcosa]

Bear sounds awesome! If you get one please share how it turns out. The Recipe is major crowd pleaser with deer including those that claim to not like wild game. Good luck this spring

 

[Durran87]

Be careful smoking bear—due to trichonella you need to make sure it’s thoroughly cooked. I got a WI bear this past fall, this recipe is a major hit: https://www.themeateater.com/cook/r...nQXUUAc2dh4pgy0k-gPmihwwny8ISCHjbzrCrmBYgEEMY

 

[AK EricB]

Be careful smoking bear—due to trichonella you need to make sure it’s thoroughly cooked. I got a WI bear this past fall, this recipe is a major hit: https://www.themeateater.com/cook/r...nQXUUAc2dh4pgy0k-gPmihwwny8ISCHjbzrCrmBYgEEMY

Yes, good advice. I’m familiar with that and quite careful. Just did a batch of bear summer sausage. Had to smoke them a bit hotter than I would have with deer or elk.