3 DAY CURED VENISON LOIN
This is a simple, old-school way of quickly curing a venison loin. The flavors are reminiscent of the holiday season. An easy way to expand your charcuterie boards.
Ingredients
- Venison loin (10-14 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups kosher salt, (smoked salt works excellent)
- 3 cups sugar
- 12 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 8-10 Juniper Berries, (crushed)
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- ground black pepper (as needed after the cure)
Instructions
- Mix the salt and sugar together.
- In a non-reactive dish (Pyrex), lay half of the rosemary, black peppercorns, and juniper berries on the bottom, followed by half of the salt and sugar mixture.
- Lay the venison filet on top of the mixture.
- Lay the remaining rosemary and juniper berries on top of the venison, followed by the rest of the salt and sugar.
- The venison should be fully covered. If not, simply make more of the salt-and-sugar mixture, using a 40:60 salt-to-sugar ratio.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for three days.
- Remove the venison from the mixture and rise under cold water and dry very well.
- Sprinkle the venison with ground black pepper on both sides. For a more robust flavor, dust with a little ground juniper as well. Slice thinly and enjoy. If not eating immediately, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. It will last up to a week in the refrigerator.
NOTES
Storage: Store wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 1. Please note that after storing in plastic wrap, the texture will soften a bit. For a drier product, store uncovered in the fridge for up to 2 days before wrapping.
Texture: If you like a bit of chew, slice the venison at around a 1/4 inch thickness. For a more tender loin, shave the meat into slices no more than 1/8" thick.
Serving: I like to brush cured loin with a little good olive oil once sliced. I serve it with crackers, toasted buttered bread, cheeses, and a variety of mustards.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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