corned venison

[Black Hand]

How well do the smaller pieces do? I've not (modern) corned any meat but I do still have a very mummified deer shoulder that I salt/sugar-cured several years ago that I should simmer. At this point, I could drive nails with it...

Will it be smoked next?

 

[George]

The smaller pieces of the ham do very well. I use the crockpot to cook it, and it ends up quite tender and nice. Great for sandwiches, OK for corned venison and cabbage, does a passable hash. I've considered smoking after corning, haven't tried that, yet.

I've never done the dry salt method used to make salt beef, but I would imagine it could come out quite hard, being such lean meat.

Spence

 

[Black Hand]

Beef and venison are delicious when cured in a salt/sugar mixture for a few days and sliced thin across the grain. If stored at room temperature, it will continue to lose moisture and become like stone. Plastic wrap and refrigerator storage prolong the time to texture that is too hard to eat.

Beef: usually top or bottom round roast
Venison: bone-in shoulder or any large muscle/roast I'm willing to cure.

4 parts sea salt
1 part brown sugar

In a glass baking dish, I place a layer below, add the meat and cover with the remaining cure. Cure in the refrigerator for 2 days/lb, rinse to remove excess cure, dry and eat. I prop the dish at an angle so extracted moisture collects away from the meat.

 

[sidelock]

Pig ain't beef neither. Nor deer nor moose nor bear. All are good if treated right and cooked right. Sounds like you are on the right trail.

 

[sidelock]

Deer makes the best sandwiches I have ever eaten.

 

[Gene L]

The best venison I've ever had was aged in a refrigerator for three weeks at about 34 degrees.

As it dry ages, it loses moisture, like beef. Cleaning the meat initially is important, but I like aged venison, presuming it's aged properly and cooked properly. Dry aging makes it tender, too.

As humans, we like our meat right on the cusp of decay, since that's how we ate it for centuries. Not too far gone, but just right. It's one of the principals of aging beef...and venison.

 

[spudnut]

Knew a fellow in the U.P that would cure a whole rear quarter like a ham and take a fresh one and some cash in trade,just slice pieces off it was wonderful!!!

 

[George]

Three weeks is up, corned venison ham is cooked and the Rueben is made...home corned venison, homemade Russian dressing and sauerkraut, rye bread, Swiss cheese, butter and a hot griddle, and I'm a happy old man. Oh, and a cold root beer. :haha:







I'll freeze some of it until later and use it on a trek, then my work here will be finished. :wink:

Spence

 

[Gene L]

Corning deer or beef is just salting it. How long, I don't know. All those spices they put on corned beef at the supermarket on St. Patrick's day are for flavor.

Never had corned deer, but I'll bet it would be good if prepared like a salt-cured pork ham...which I have cured. Delicious. Salt will draw a huge amount of water out of the ham, making it compact and delicious. Plus, it will preserve it.