Venison Pastrami

Smoky and peppery venison goodness awaits your taste buds with this wild-game take on a classic deli meat.

 Pastrami is equally at home on a cheese plate or on toasted rye with sauerkraut and Russian dressing (who loves a good Rueben?). Pastrami uses smoke and pink salt as a preservative. Pink salt is also known as curing salt and helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in meat.

 Venison Pastrami Recipe

Ingredients:

1 2-pound venison roast from hind quarter or neck

1 tablespoon course ground black pepper

1 tablespoon toasted coriander seeds

For the Brine:

1/3 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 teaspoon pickling spice

1 1/2 teaspoons pink salt

1 liter water

Start by preparing your brine. Add the water and brine ingredients to a pot and bring to simmer. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place the 2-pound venison roast in the brine for 3 days. Remove from brine and rinse well with cold water. Pat dry and cover venison with coarse ground black pepper and toasted coriander seeds.

Smoke until internal temp reaches 150 degrees, about 3 hours at 250 degrees. If you don’t have a smoker, you can smoke meat using a grill. Slice the pastrami thin and enjoy!