This Smoked Venison Ham recipe is a perfect way to transform tough cuts from deer into something delectable.
For more dinner ideas, check out my complete venison recipes collection. Or start off with my smoked backstrap, and venison snack sticks.
THE BEST CUTS TO USE FOR VENISON HAM
When is comes to making a venison ham, you’re going to want to choose the right cut for the job.
If you’re looking to make ham that is fork tender and pulls apart easily, you’re going to want to use cuts with the most connective tissue. These would be the necks, shanks and shoulders of a deer. And to achieve this, you’re going to want to use my two step cooking method listed below.
If you want to make a deer ham that you can slice thinly like deli meat (my family’s favorite), then the sirloin tip or venison round steaks are the best choice.
Either way, check out my cooking options below for both cooking methods.
TWO COOKING OPTIONS
METHOD ONE (SHREDDED HAMS)
This is the method to use for a pulled or shredded ham. And the tough cuts of venison are what you want to use.
In order to render tender smoky results, you will need to use a two step cooking process.
First we braise or slow cook the neck until just fork tender and then finish off in a low temperature smoker (preferably between 150 and 210 degrees F.)
I prefer to braise before smoking, because I think the smoke flavor is cleaner or more pronounced. But as with most things food related, this method is subjective. You can totally smoke the deer first for a couple of hours and then braise until tender.
How far you take the tenderness is totally up to you as well. I personally like to braise until the meat can be shredded. This yields a meat that is versatile in how it can be incorporated into other dishes.
METHOD TWO (SLICED HAMS)
The trick with making great, sliceable venison ham is to not overcook it. It’s too lean to treat like pork.
This method is for cooking with lean cuts of deer containing low amounts of connective tissue. I prefer to use a leg roast (football roast). While the leg roasts of deer do contain intermuscular connective tissue, it tends to melt away with a low and slow smoke.
And just how low of a smoke? I recommend starting off in smoker thats set somewhere between 150 to 180 degrees F. Smoking at these low temperatures will increase the time the meat is exposed to the smoke. Which in turn, gives you a smokier tasting piece of meat while lowering your risk of overcooking it.
You can then increase the temperature of the smoker to around 200 degrees F. Smoke at 200 degrees F until you reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
The final step is to let the meat rest properly before slicing. Let the meat sit at room temperature between 30 minutes to an hour before cutting. If you plan on eating at a later date, wrap the meat in food grade plastic wrap after it has thoroughly cooled and place in the refrigerator.
More Smoked and Cured Venison Recipes
If you’re into charcuterie like I am, check out some of my favorite recipes below. These are all perfect to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners.
Lastly, if you make this smoked venison ham, be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! Also, tag me on Instagram with some of your creations. I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you’ve made.
VENISON HAM
Ingredients
For the Venison
- 1 venison roast (neck, shoulder or round steaks)
- 2 cups apple juice or apple cider (for basting while smoking)
For the Brine
- 1 gallon of water
- pink curing salt (follow the directions on the package)
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
For the Glaze
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Brine
- In a large pot add 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) of water and the brine ingredients.
- Bring to a simmer and stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 quarts of water to the pot. Place in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
Brine the Venison
- After the mixture has completely chilled, place the venison in the brine. If the venison isn't fully submerged, place it in a narrower container. Place a plate on top of the venison so that it will stay submerged. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
- Place the pot in the refrigerator and brine the meat for 5 days.
- Remove the meat from the brine and rinse it with cold water.
For the Glaze
- Make the glaze while the venison is brining. Add the glaze ingredients to a bowl and mix until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Place in the refrigerator until needed.
Shredded Ham Method (For necks and shoulders)
- Place the meat in a large pot or dutch oven Add enough water to cover the meat by a couple of inches.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for two hours. Check for tenderness with a fork. If the meat isn't separating fairly easily with the fork, cover and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour. Repeat if necessary until the meat is fork-tender.
- Pre-heat your smoker between 180 and 210 degrees F. Smoke the venison for up to 2 hours (depending on how much smoke you like) while basting with apple cider or juice every 30 minutes.
- Brush on enough glaze to coat the meat. Smoke for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the meat from the smoker. Brush on more glaze if you like. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes before shredding.
Sliced Ham Method (For round steak cuts and sirloin tips)
- Optional: For the best smoke flavor and color, dry the venison with paper towels and place it in the refrigerator uncovered overnight before smoking.
- Pre-heat your smoker between 150 and 180 degrees F.
- Remove the silver skin from outer portion of the meat.
- Smoke the meat between 2 and 3 hours. Baste with the apple juice or cider every 30 minutes. Checking the internal temperature of the meat around the 2-hour mark.
- Increase the temperature of the smoker to around 200 degrees F.
- Smoke the meat until reaches 130℉. Brush on a layer of the glaze.
- Continue smoking until an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
- Remove the deer meat from the smoker and brush with a little more glaze. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
NOTES
- Cuts: Neck/shoulder for shredded ham. Sirloin tip or round steaks for sliced.
- Brine: 5 days, fully submerged and chilled. Be sure to follow the pink curing salt package instructions. Rinse the meat after brining.
- Serving/leftovers: Slice thin across the grain; store in cooking liquid or wrapped and chilled.
