Tjalknol, Frost Bump Venison

A tjalknol venison roast on a cutting board, sliced thin.

5 from 8 votes

This is more of a technique than a recipe. You can vary the brine flavors, but not the salt content. You can leave the meat in the brine as long as a day, but it will get saltier the longer it sits. You serve tjalknol cold or at room temperature.

Prep Time10

Cook Time7

Brining Time5

Total Time12 10

Course: Appetizer, Cured Meat, lunch

Cuisine: Scandinavian

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

3 pound venison or beef roast (or any other red meat)
1 cup kosher salt
8 cups water
5 bay leaves
1/4 cup juniper berries, crushed
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon white peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
3 cloves garlic, crushed

Instructions

Take the roast out of the freezer and unwrap. Set it on a tray and put it in the oven. Turn the oven to 175°F. Let this cook undisturbed until the thickest part of the roast reaches about 140°F. Typically this is between 6 and 12 hours, depending on the roast. A 3-pound roast should take maybe 7 to 8 hours.
After you set the meat in the oven, make the brine by combining the remaining ingredients in a pot large enough to hold the roast. Bring this to a boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. It will cool as the meat cooks.
When the meat is done, set it in the brine and let it steep for at least 5 hours, and up to a day -- it will get saltier the longer it sits.
Remove the roast, rinse quickly in cool water, pat dry, slice and serve.

Notes

You can do this with any size roast. The larger you use, the longer it will need to cook and brine, but it will still work. Anything heavier than about 6 pounds may require a whole day or more to brine.

If you need more brine, you can scale it up.

My favorite condiment for this is 1 cup of sour cream mixed with as much prepared horseradish as you can stand. I like a little minced dill in there, too.

Nutrition