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Home » Wild Game » Venison » Corned Venison

Corned Venison

By Hank Shaw on January 12, 2015, Updated April 25, 2020 - 262 Comments

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4.96 from 100 votes
corned venison recipe
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Corned venison on a cutting board.
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Corning venison began as one of those, “why not?” experiments that turned out far better than I had expected. I don’t know why I was so worried — I like corned beef, and how different is venison, anyway?

Corning venison at home is so good in fact that any deer hunter out there really ought to learn this technique — you will get far more enjoyment out of the leg roasts from your venison.

I typically use whole-muscle roasts from the hind leg to do this. Big sirloin roasts, rump roasts, the “football roast,” and such. But any big hunk of venison will work. The advantage of the whole-muscle roasts is less sinew and connective tissue, which takes hours to break down. I suppose you could use the backstrap, but why would you?

Lovers of hash might want to corn shoulder or neck roasts, then simmer them so long they begin to fall apart. The extra connective tissue in these cuts makes for a moister hash.

corned venison in broth
Photo by Hank Shaw

The technique is simple: Brine your meat, then simmer it into tenderness. It takes several days, but it isn’t labor-intensive at all. Once made, corned venison is great hot or cold, with root vegetables, cabbage, cold in sandwiches (how I eat most of my corned venison), or chopped into hash.

A word on nitrites. I use them, for color, for flavor and for safety. Can you do this without pink salt? Yes, but your meat will be gray, you will lose some flavor, and there is an ever-so slight chance you might pick up botulism — not a large chance, but as botulism is one of the most toxic substances known to man, I’d say use the nitrite. You can buy it online here at The Sausage Maker.

Once made, you can keep corned venison in the fridge for a couple weeks, or freeze it for a year.

corned venison recipe
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4.96 from 100 votes

Corned Venison

So obviously this recipe works with all cervids, antelope, deer, moose, elk, etc. It will also work with beef and lamb, of course, but also bear and even pork -- where the effect is essentially a boiled ham.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time3 hrs
Total Time3 hrs 20 mins
Course: Cured Meat, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 32kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon water
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 ounce Instacure No. 1 (sodium nitrite)
  • 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon toasted coriander seeds
  • 6 bay leaves, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 chopped garlic cloves
  • A 3 to 5 pound venison roast

Instructions

  • Add everything but the roast to a pot and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover, then let it cool to room temperature while covered. This will take a few hours. Meanwhile, trim any silverskin you find off the roast. Leave the fat. Once the brine is cool, find a container just about large enough to hold the roast, place the meat inside and cover with the brine. You might have extra, which you can discard.
  • Make sure the roast is completely submerged in the brine; I use a clean stone to weigh the meat down. You can also just flip the meat every day. Cover and put in the fridge for 5 to 7 days, depending on the roast's size. A 2-pound roast might only need 4 days. The longer you soak, the saltier it will get -- but you want the salt and nitrate to work its way to the center of the roast, and that takes time. Err on extra days, not fewer days.
  • After the alloted time has passed, you have corned venison. To cook and eat, rinse off the meat, then put the roast in a pot just large enough to hold it and cover with fresh water. You don't want too large a pot or the fresh water will leach out too much flavor from the meat -- it's an osmosis thing. partially cover the pot and simmer gently -- don't boil -- for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours. The meat itself will be cooked in an hour or less, but you want the sinews and connective tissue in the roast to soften and that takes time.
  • Eat hot or cold. It is absolutely fantastic with good mustard and some sauerkraut on a sandwich.

Notes

One final tip: When you are done with the corned venison, leave it in the cooking broth. Store that in the fridge. Why? The broth keeps the venison moist. Without fat, if you leave it out of the brine it can get very dry and even crumbly.

Nutrition

Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4725mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
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Filed Under: Charcuterie, Cooking Basics, Featured, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatar for Mike wardMike ward says

    March 10, 2022 at 3:24 pm

    Hi hank. I have football roasts. Top rounds and bottomrounds . Which one would work the best in your opinion

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      March 14, 2022 at 8:51 am

      Mike: I prefer the football here.

      Reply
  2. Avatar for miguel fernandezmiguel fernandez says

    March 7, 2022 at 3:19 pm

    Hey Hank,
    Would you do this with a whole upper hind leg from a, very small, whitetail? If so, would you leave bone in or out?

    Thank you

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Anna CesarAnna Cesar says

    February 24, 2022 at 3:58 pm

    We usually trim off all the fat because of the taste. Do we leave it on with wild game?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      February 24, 2022 at 4:09 pm

      Anna: It’s your choice. I usually keep some fat on.

      Reply
  4. Avatar for Richard LeyaRichard Leya says

    January 17, 2022 at 2:02 pm

    Just tried your recipe and was great. Now going to do a bigger batch so we can put some in the freezer for the convenience of pulling a pack out whenever we want some. My question is after we cook it do we dry the meat off before vacuum sealing or so we want to leave some of the cooking juice in with it. I believe you wrote that stored in the fridge needed to be kept in the cooking liquid to prevent drying out. Or perhaps we should save and freeze some of the cooking liquid to put back on it when we defrost

    Reply
    • Avatar for Chris RChris R says

      March 3, 2022 at 7:57 pm

      I have an elk roast currently sitting in the corning liquid. When it’s done, can I reuse the liquid and “corn” another roast in the same liquid?

      Reply
      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        March 4, 2022 at 7:46 am

        Chris: I normally just make a new brine. I’ve not heard of people reusing it.

  5. Avatar for C Michael AllenC Michael Allen says

    January 6, 2022 at 9:14 pm

    Hey Hank,
    I’ve been wanting to corn a venison roast and this recipe appears to be just what I am looking for. Instead of a pot, could I use a vacuum sealer and bag it, or maybe a gallon zip lock type bag?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 7, 2022 at 7:59 am

      C Michael Allen: You mean to cure it or cook it? If it’s to cure it, I’d use the equalization cure (1.5% salt + 0.25% instacure by weight of the meat) and vac seal that. It takes a few days to fully cure a roast, but it will never get too salty. If you meant to cook it, sure. Vac seal with some spices and float it in hot water for several hours until it’s cooked through. I’d recommend about 160F or thereabouts.

      Reply
  6. Avatar for RyanRyan says

    December 28, 2021 at 2:34 pm

    I’m going to try this with some white tail. I don’t have cinnamon sticks, do you think they are necessary? I do have some ground cinnamon i was going to add. Do you have any advice for me?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      December 28, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      Ryan: You can skip it.

      Reply
  7. Avatar for Melodie CarpenterMelodie Carpenter says

    December 22, 2021 at 4:03 am

    Can this be canned instead of frozen?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      December 22, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      Melodie: Yes, you can do that. Look up a canned corned beef recipe and it will be the same.

      Reply
  8. Avatar for Erikka BryantErikka Bryant says

    November 24, 2021 at 4:22 pm

    Can you include beer, wines or alcohol to the brine cooking juice?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      November 24, 2021 at 4:28 pm

      Erikka: In theory yes, but I never do. I want it to taste like corned beef.

      Reply
  9. Avatar for JackiJacki says

    November 9, 2021 at 2:43 pm

    i prefer to use a slow cooker for long periods of cooking. Just wondering if after brining, this recipe would work in the slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      November 9, 2021 at 3:25 pm

      Jacki: Absolutely. Start with it on “high” for about 3 hours and see how that goes, or “low” for 6 hours. It might nee more time.

      Reply
  10. Avatar for Sean PollardSean Pollard says

    October 20, 2021 at 1:19 pm

    I am a chef for a construction company and the guys I cook for requested corned beef specifically Rueben’s and corned beef and cabbage. I made them venison with this recipe and it is hands down the best corned recipe I have ever done.
    I thank you and my crew thanks you!

    Reply
  11. Avatar for Lisa RothLisa Roth says

    October 17, 2021 at 1:39 pm

    This was fantastic. Can you freeZe the corned beef?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      October 19, 2021 at 4:10 pm

      Lisa: Absolutely. I do that all the time.

      Reply
  12. Avatar for Dave WinstonDave Winston says

    September 10, 2021 at 3:30 pm

    I’ve done this with venison and elk; both absolutely delicious. So easy to make and we had everything in the spice cabinet!

    Reply
  13. Avatar for ZaczekZaczek says

    September 8, 2021 at 5:30 pm

    Best corned “beef” recipe I’ve ever tried, hands down!

    Reply
  14. Avatar for JustinJustin says

    September 8, 2021 at 5:01 pm

    Did this with one of my last roasts from the 2020 season. Was absolutely awesome, 5 stars, but next time I’ll do it with shanks, shoulder, or neck to give it that slow cooked connective tissue succulence.

    Reply
  15. Avatar for ErnieErnie says

    September 8, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    I would never have guessed how good this would be! Excellent recipe, can’t wait to try it on goose.

    Reply
  16. Avatar for CodyCody says

    July 21, 2021 at 4:31 pm

    Hi Hank,

    Great looking recipe!

    One question, can you smoke this on a wood pellet grill, rather then simmer it? And if so, what temp would you run the smoker at and what would be your final internal temp?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      July 21, 2021 at 4:35 pm

      Cody: You could, but that is not what corned beef is. That said, low and slow, like 175F until the center hits about 130F.

      Reply
  17. Avatar for AndreAndre says

    May 22, 2021 at 8:17 pm

    I am 52 years old and have been eating corned meat, beef, venison and even goose. But tried this recipe to corn a 3 pound roast and I must say it is the best corned beef I’ve ever had. It is out of this world. Hint, do not leave out the cinnamon stick. Thank you for this.

    Reply
  18. Avatar for ShaneShane says

    March 16, 2021 at 4:20 pm

    Another great recipe! I usually use a football roast from a moose for this recipe. After brining for 7-8 days I’ll cut it in half and cook one piece just for sandwiches. The other half goes back in brine for a few more days to a week. The. I’ll take that out and make “Jiggs Dinner”, which is basically an east coast dish with salted meat, root vegetables, pease pudding and sometimes blueberry/ lingonberry pudding. I made this last week and tossed a couple of snowshoe hares in brine for 4 days and it made some awesome hash!

    The only tip that seems to work well for me is the use of a meat syringe. Given I am usually brining larger cuts of meat I’ll use a meat syringe and inject brine into the roast once a day for the first few days. It seems to help ensure there are no brown pockets after cooking and slicing.

    Give this a try and you’ll be making it often!

    Reply
  19. Avatar for BenBen says

    March 10, 2021 at 9:00 am

    Hi Hank,

    Thanks for the recipe! One question – the package instructions on the InstaCure #1 say to use 3 ounces per gallon of water, so should I use 1.5 ounces for this or stick to the 0.5 ounces from your recipe?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      March 10, 2021 at 9:19 am

      Ben: I’ve had good success with my ratio, and I know a lot of people are hesitant about nitrite. But either ratio is safe, so it’s up to you.

      Reply
  20. Avatar for Matt CampbellMatt Campbell says

    March 8, 2021 at 3:52 pm

    Hey Hank, love this recipe and have done it for years now for my family and I. This year I want to spread the love. I’d like to do a half dozen 3 lb roasts, do I double or triple all the ingredients in the recipe? Obviously don’t want to overdue the pink salt. Thanks in advance .

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      March 9, 2021 at 7:14 am

      Matt: Yes, you can double or triple it.

      Reply
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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw. I am a James Beard Award-winning author and chef and I focus all my energies on wild foods: Foraging, fishing, hunting. I write cookbooks as well as this website, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild game, fish, or edible wild plants and mushrooms, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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