The Master Venison Brine

Chill the brine completely. After dissolving the salt and sugar, add the remaining cold water and refrigerate the brine before the venison goes in. Never put meat into warm brine.
Use the right brine time. Backstrap medallions, loin chops, and tenderloins need about 1 to 2 hours, whole backstrap and round steaks 2 to 4 hours, and whole sirloin tips or venison hearts 4 to 6 hours. Large roast cuts for ham-style curing run much longer and need curing salt.
Keep the meat submerged. Use a plate, bag, or other weight if needed so the venison stays fully under the brine the whole time. A tall, narrow container helps reduce how much liquid you need.
Rinse and dry well. Once the brining time is up, rinse the venison and pat it very dry with paper towels so the outside seasons evenly and browns better when cooked.
Rest uncovered if possible. Letting the meat sit on a rack in the fridge for a few hours or up to overnight dries the surface, helps browning, and improves smoke adhesion if you are smoking it.
Use kosher salt only. This recipe is built around kosher salt, not table salt. If you swap salts, weigh them, because crystal size changes how salty the brine gets.
Fix oversalted meat fast. If the venison tastes too salty, soak it in plain cold water in the refrigerator for about half the original brine time before cooking.