- 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.
VENISON HAM
Cured and smoked venison ham with a brown sugar–mustard glaze. Use neck/shoulder for pulled ham or sirloin tip/round steaks for thin, sliceable 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
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