Venison pastrami
A venison twist on a deli classic.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg topside muscle of venison (red or fallow)
- 300 grams curing salts
- 3 ltr water
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 100 grams grain mustard
Instructions
- Mix the curing salts with water until they are dissolved. This is your brine. Submerge the venison in the brine, making sure that the meat remains under water. Keep the meat in the brine for two days, or three days if it is a larger piece. Give it a stir every so often.
- After curing remove the venison from the brine and pat dry with a clean cloth. Place on a tray in the fridge uncovered for another day and night to allow the meat to dry off before smoking.
- The following day, set up the cold smoker and allow it to run for 20 minutes before cold smoking the venison for 2 hours. Then remove the venison from the smoker and wrap it tightly in cling film four times over; tie a knot in each end and poach in simmering water for 35 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
- Once cooked, chill and unwrap the venison.
- Mix the pepper and mustard together, place a bit of the mix onto cling film, place the venison on top of the mix then cover it in the rest of the mustard and pepper mix. Rewrap in cling film and chill for another hour before cutting into thin slices.
- Serve with toasted bread, pickles and a chutney.
