Wildgame Recipes: Deli Style Corned Beef, Venison, Bison, Elk…

Craig Schoenberg was here past week and liked the corned venison I cooked.   I promised him the recipe and decided to go public with it here on bowhunting.net.   The basic is from Morton Salt company Home Curing Guide book.  Easy innovations are mine.    Enjoy.

Deli Style Corned Beef, Venison, Bison, Elk…

• 1 Beef Brisket ( or other meats, beef cuts, or venison.) 4-6 lbs.
• Mix together in dry form, all the following ingredients.
•  5 tablespoons Morton Tender Quick mix; ( Look for Tender Quick in the salt/seasoning dept of your grocery store, usually a 2 lb size blue bag )
• 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar ( I use 3)
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper;,
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika,
• 1 teaspoon ground bay leaves (Minimum, and can be increased with use of just crushing bay leaves per your personal tastes);
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice ;
• 1/2 to 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder.  (I like more of  the garlic powder in the cure mix),
• Optional= 1 teaspoon mustard seed.

(I will also advise that you can get along pretty well if you just want to substitute a pickling spice mix for the bay leaves, paprika, allspice, etc. which will also add some other spices including cloves.    The brown sugar, garlic powder, and tender quick are the key ingredients.)

Trim the fat from the brisket or meats to be corned.    Removal of all fat from venison is key.   Rub the mixture into all sides of the brisket or meats.   (Shoulder; neck; brisket portions of venison corn very well as are roasts which you may have had in your freezer for a while and are starting to dry or freezer burn on the edges.)

Place the meats in a zip lock freezer bag (heavy duty type) with some of the juices or perhaps a tablespoon of cold water;     Immerse the bag in a pan of cold water right up to the zipper to expel the air, (vacuum seals the bag very nicely) and zip shut.

Place the now season meat in the sealed bag on a pan in your refrigerator to continue to season for 4 or 5 days, turning over each couple days.    Now corned meat is ready to roast, New England boil with cabbage, or just freeze for later use.     Label identify and put the date of corning on the bags.        Brisket of beef can be baked in any usual corn beef methods, or in a Dutch Oven with water to cover and brought to a boil, then simmer on reduce heat until tender, about 3 hours.

Do try this with some of your venison. It makes great Reuben sandwiches with homemade sourdough Rye Bread. But that is another secret.