For the hunters.......
Corned Venison
Anyone that likes corned beef is sure to like this recipe. The technique is pretty simple, brine the meat, then simmer it into tenderness. It takes several days to brine, but it’s not labor intensive. Once cooked, the meat will last a couple of weeks in the fridge. It’s important to use the nitrates for safety, you can get them at some grocery stores or online.
½ gallon water 1 cup kosher salt ½ cup sugar
½ oz. Insta Cure No.1 (sodium nitrate) or 1 cup Morton’s Tender Quick
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper 1 tablespoon toasted coriander seeds
12 bay leaves, crushed 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 cinnamon stick 6 cloves
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped 3-5 pounds venison roast
Add everything but the venison to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and let it cool to room temperature. This will take a few hours to cool down. Trim any silverskin you find off the roast, leave the fat.
Once the brine is cool, find a container just large enough to hold the roast. Place the roast inside, and cover with brine. Discard the extra brine. Make sure the roast is completely covered in the brine, you will probably need to weight the roast down to keep it submerged. A few smooth (and clean) river stones work well. Cover and put in the fridge for 5-7 days, depending on the roast’s size. A 2 pound roast may only need 3 days. The longer it soaks the saltier it gets, but the nitrates need time to penetrate into the meat. Err on the side of soaking it longer than not long enough. After the brining is complete, remove the roast and rinse it off. Put it in a pot just large enough to hold it, and cover with fresh water. You don’t want too much water when cooking, as it can leach out the flavor from the meat. Cover and simmer 3-5 hours, eat it hot or cold.
If your first attempt comes out too salty, boil some potatoes in fresh water and use the corned venison and potatoes to make hash. Dice very fine and mix well, then mash it up with a potato masher.
Enjoy!!!