I took 5 venison roasts, brined and cured them for 5 days, then smoked them for 5 hours. I've done it before over with hickory, but I didn't have this time, so I used pecan instead. Turned out great. As cold as it was outside in Dallas on Sunday, I had a hard time keeping my heat at 225, so it took a little bit longer than it normally would

This is one of my favorite things to do with venison and elk. The first picture is after I took them out of the refrigerator after curing, before rinsing and smoking. The second picture is right after they came off of the smoker.

Looks great. Been hankering for a Reuben. Thinking of trying some leftover brisket. Rather have pastrami.

Tell us how you cured them. I’m on the cusp of something like this. I want corned venison and pastrami.

Ohh man I am actually going to make one this week!!

The first step is to get as much of the silver skin and any connective tissue off of the meat. Then I prepare the mixture for the cure. I had about 8 pounds of meat, so I used 8 tablespoon of Morton's Tender Quick, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of paprika, enough coarse black pepper to coat all of the meat, and 10 crushed bay leaves. Mix all of that together in a bowl and then make sure to coat every part of the meat with the mixture.

Then, I wrap each piece of meat tightly in plastic wrap and place on a tray in a refrigerator out in my garage. I check them every day or so and turn them over. After a day or so, you'll notice a lot of liquid at the bottom of the tray, which is a good thing. After 5 days, I washed each piece really well under the sink. At that point, I put all of the meat in a large bowl of water and let it soak about 2 hours. Take them out after that and dry them really well. I then coat each piece with more black pepper and a decent enough amount of brown sugar. Finally, I put them on the smoker until they get to an internal temperature of about 150 degrees.

Using a similar methodology, here are some pork tenderloins I recently did for our Christmas party. Because of the tapered ends of the tenderloin, I truss the meat before curing to make a nice uniform size from end to end.

Thanks. Wife is pulling venison roast now. I’ve got Tender Quick and pink curing salt. There is a difference, I think it’s sugar in the TQ.

Another member shared this one with me. I haven't done it yet but his results looked tasty:


4lb deer roast as lean as you can get
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp mccormick pikeling spice
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of honey
1 gallon water


bring everything but the meat to a boil in 1 gallon of water and then chill it

add 8 tsp of pink salt(instacure #2) mix and add the meat in a covered plastic tub with lid put a saucer or plate on top of the meat to keep it submerged for 72 hrs after that take it out rinse it of good or it will be real salty dry it with a paper towel...

take 1 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns and 1 1/2tbsp coriander seeds in a pan and heat them on med shaking them till they smoke just a little then I grind them in a coffee grinder till still very coarse put as much as you can get on..

then I smoke it on low heat for 5hrs then kick up the heat and cook till its about 150 let it rest for 30 minuets slice it thin I like mine cold and thin tradition is slice it up and then steam it for 15 or 20..

The recipe I read awhile back included pink salt I'd eat the snot out it either way.

I think this is corned venison, also on my list.

^^^^ Yes, that's more like corned beef. I have done that in the past, as well. I used the pink curing salt for that.

Got curious and looked up the difference. The biggest difference is that pastrami is smoked after curing and corned beef isn't. Pastrami is usually cured with a dry rub and corned beef in a brine. Both are usually made with brisket.

yep, very similar between corned beef and pastrami and brined similarly too ... corned beef is usually boiled or steamed and pastrami has a dry rub and smoked & then often steamed before serving

Kroger had raw corned beef on sale one year during St Patricks day. It was in small packages. I bought one and cooked it with cabbage. Only time I ever had it that way.

this. its the only real difference not the curing ingredients. one is boiled and the other is smoked/baked.

I just started a new pastrami and a new thread. I’m doing it.

That is really cool. Thanks for sharing.

Ta da. Maybe I never I just never noticed before. This one looks a lot better than the one I got from Kroger. Don't think I could make the brine at this cost.

That’s flat cut too. I’d grab the two biggest at that price.

I am making some more again this week.

Been a while since i have made any, but it is very good.

Yours looks great.

Added this one to my 'to do' list