CORNED VENISON
This corned venison is made by brining a venison roast, neck, shank, or shoulder for a few days, then simmering it until fork-tender. It is a simple way to make corned venison for sandwiches, cabbage plates, potatoes, or other leftovers-friendly meals.
Ingredients
For the Meat
- venison (roast, neck, shanks or shoulder)
For the Brine
- 1 gallon of water
- 2 cups (450 grams) kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ,plus 2 teaspoons pink salt (instacure # 1)
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice store bought or see below
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
For the Homemade Pickling Spice ( Use 2 tablespoons for recipe)
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground mace
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
- 2 cinnamon sticks crushed
- 20 bay leaves crushed
Instructions
- Place all of the brine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove the brine from the heat, let come to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator to thoroughly chill.
- Place the venison into the brine and put a plate on top to keep the meat fully submerged. Place in the refrigerator and brine for 3 to 5 days.
- Remove the venison from the brine, rinse under cold water.
- Place the meat into a large pot and cover with water. Be sure not to overfill, as the pot can overflow while cooking.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook at a low simmer until the meat is fork tender. This can take between 3 and 5 hours depending on which cut you are using. Make sure that the water level is above then venison during the cooking process. If it becomes low, add what's needed to cover the meat.
- For the juiciest product, let the venison cool to room temperature in the cooking liquid and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, warm on the stovetop until just heated through.
NOTES
- Slow Cooker Option: Using a crockpot is an excellent way to cook your corned venison. Place in your slow cooker, cover with water, and cook over low heat until fork-tender. This will take anywhere between 8 and 12 hours, depending on what cut you are using.
- Pickling Spice: You can use store-bought pickling spice instead of making the homemade version in this recipe.
- Chill the brine completely. Simmer the brine just long enough to dissolve the salt and sugar, then cool it to room temperature and refrigerate it before the venison goes in.
- Keep the meat submerged. Weigh the venison down with a plate so it stays fully under the brine, and leave it in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- Use the right cuts. Shoulder, ball or football roast, neck, and shanks are the cuts the post recommends because they have enough connective tissue to stay from drying out as easily.
- Rinse before simmering. Once the brining time is up, rinse the venison under cold water, then put it in a pot and cover it with fresh water for cooking.
- Cook until fork-tender. Bring it to a boil, drop it to a low simmer, cover it, and cook until tender, usually 3 to 5 hours depending on the cut. Keep checking the water level and add more if the meat is no longer covered.
- Cool it in the liquid. For the juiciest result, let the venison cool to room temperature in the cooking liquid, then refrigerate it overnight and reheat it gently the next day.
- Store leftovers cold. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen meat overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 600kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 82g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 289mg | Sodium: 58599mg | Potassium: 1400mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 706IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 15mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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