Corned Venison

5 from 1 vote

Cured and brined in pickling spices, corned venison is a deliciously enticing way to enjoy deer meat in a whole new way.

Prep Time10

Cook Time4

Brining10

Total Time10 4 10

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Fox Valley Foodie

Equipment

Large plastic storage bag

Ingredients

5 pounds venison I recommend hind quarter

Brine

½ gallon water
⅔ cup kosher salt
¼ cup brown sugar
2 ½ teaspoons pink cure
2 tablespoons pickling spice divided

Pickling Spice blend

2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 ½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds
¾ teaspoon allspice berries
3 bay leaves crumbled
1 inch cinnamon stick crushed into small pieces
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon ground ginger
10 whole cloves

Instructions

Prepare the brine by adding water, salt, pink cure, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of pickling spice to a large pot. Set over high heat and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
Let the pot simmer for 10 minutes, or until all of the sugar and salt has dissolved.
Place the brine in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Place the boneless venison in a large sealable plastic bag and pour in the cooled brine. Seal the bag completely ensuring the brine fully covers the meat.
Set the brine bag on a rimmed baking sheet to contain any potential leaks and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Flip the bag daily to ensure the meat brines evenly.

Cooking Corned Venison

Remove the brined deer meat from the bag and rinse well under cold water.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with the remaining tablespoon of pickling spice. Place meat in the pot, ensuring the water covers it by at least an inch and cook for 3-4 hours. Add more water as needed while it cooks. The meat will be more firm at three hours, and more tender at 4 hours, cook to your desired preference.
Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator in a container filled with the (cooled) boiling liquid to keep the meat moist.

Notes

You don't have to use the pickling spice blend included in this recipe. Any store-bought blend with work.

I feel this recipe works best using a boned-out hindquarter, however, it is important to only use 5 pounds of meat to ensure the right ratio of meat and pink cure. Using too much cure can be unhealthy.

Boiling is the traditional cooking method for corned meats, but you can switch things up by cooking it with my smoked corned beef recipe instead.

Nutrition