“Dried Venison”

Tried something new with this year’s deer at a local processor after my bro-in-law got some last year and raved about it.

The processor calls it “Dried Venison” but that’s kind of misleading. It’s really a brine-cured and heavily smoked roast, sliced thin into deli meat-style slices. It’s more like a Venison Pastrami or Ham. So I decided to get one hind quarter made into it this year and DANG!!!! THIS STUFF ROCKS. Hard not to just eat it on ots own, but great with cheese and crackers and KILLER on a good sandwich. I made a Rueben panini with it the other night and it might be the best sandwich I’ve ever made.

Going to try and make something similar myself, first with beef before I potentially wreck a Venison roast. Anyone else ever get or make something similar? I’m addicted.

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I have had that before and it is darn good!!!

The first deer I ever shot I had dried venison made and it was fantastic! Unfortunately it got moldy really quick and not sure why so I had to toss it.

We had a place by Motley that did that.

Ive done the same thing the last few years , damn good stuff . This year I’m making my own . Got some in brine right now .

Ive brined venny roast with same brine as corned beef then smoked it and sliced it up thin to make ruebens and it is delicious. My young daughters just wanna eat it plain.

Looks yummy. I may have to look into getting some of that made next season. If anyone knows of a local processor who does this, Please list here. Also what name does this process go by at processors.

Dried Venison at Theilens in Pierz.

super_do wrote:

Dried Venison at Theilens in Pierz.

What do you need to bring them to have this Made? A whole hind Qtr. or just a boned out Section of the hind Qtr. ?

Makes a mean sandwich with some bread and butter pickles. I had a quarter beef processed earlier this fall and had some dried beef made, and it was delicious, but I also have the locker make some with my venison.

i have had some from friends..yes its good. ithink mcdonalds does it and at one time plantenbergs in richmond did it. best to call.

i made 25 lbs of venny jerky this year. used LEM hickory flavored seasoning did it on the dehydtator!!!! nummy stuff!!!!!!

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>super_do wrote:</div>
Dried Venison at Theilens in Pierz.

What do you need to bring them to have this Made? A whole hind Qtr. or just a boned out Section of the hind Qtr. ?

Most lockers make it.
About the same reqs for making muscle Jerky.
Any roast type chunk of meat.
The locker will trim it if needed.
No small pieces. Prob at least 3 or 4 lbs minimum

My brother made that one year, and I agree made the best reuben I’ve had in a long time.

I had them make it with the rump and rounds on one hind quarter of a 1.5 yr old buck and it yielded about 15 lbs of finished product – I have a LOT of good eating ahead of me.

If you’re anywhere south of the Twin Cities – mine was done by Krenick’s Meat’s in rural Lonsdale, MN – they make the best Venison Jalepeno Cheddar Brat I’ve ever had, as well.

CaptainMusky wrote:

The first deer I ever shot I had dried venison made and it was fantastic! Unfortunately it got moldy really quick and not sure why so I had to toss it.

It molds quick because it’s not like store bought meat packed with preservatives

CaptainMusky wrote:

The first deer I ever shot I had dried venison made and it was fantastic! Unfortunately it got moldy really quick and not sure why so I had to toss it.

Tumble curing is probably the best method of curing these large chunks of meat but regardless, the issue with mold comes from insuffcient drying deep into the chunk. I’ve had dried venison done several times and always had the locker doing it shave it all as soon as it was finished drying and package it in vacuum packages of about 6 or 8 ounces. And by shaving it I mean the slices are about 1/64″, almost able to blow thru it. I also had them split the cured hinds into three or four sections so drying was sure to reach well into each piece. Moisture is a real problem for dried vennie if the hinds are left whole.

Jimmy I am sure that is exactly what happened because it was a solid piece of meat. Was dang good while we could eat it though!

Would anyone mind posting a link to a recipe that they’ve used?

Why do I click on this stuff right before lunch. Now I am hungry and what I brought for lunch doesn’t look as good as it did before I saw this.

TH wrote:

Would anyone mind posting a link to a recipe that they’ve used?

If you google Hi Mountain seasonings, they have quite a few pre-packaged offerings.
I did the pastrami once and it was great. Mighty fine Rueben sandwich.
They have other types of brined venny too and I’ve tried a couple of those but don’t recall which ones I used.
I think they were all really good.

There are more homemade versions of the brine on-line to.

To tell ya the truth, if you have a good, trimmed hunk of meat, brine it and smoke it…it’s all pretty tasty but using the pre-packaged versions from most of the popular seasoning makers, you really can’t go wrong.

Ahh, Curleys Sausage Kitchen is another place that I got some from that was super good too.

I use a simple dry brine . 1 tbsp mortons tenderquick , 1 tbsp brown sugar per lb of meat . Rub it on all sides and refrigerate for a week or so , turning daily . Smoke at 180 or 200 til int temp at 160. This works on meat abut 2 or 3 inches thick , for whole quarters I’d probably use a wet brine and maybe inject also

Fishthumper,

They want whole rounds for this. I took them the top rounds from an elk and I also took them a hind quarter from a deer. No issues. I think as long as you seam out the rounds, you should be good.