How to Make Corned Venison, Like Corned Beef

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Canning Ground and Chopped Venison at Home

Corned Venison, like Corned Beef, is much more tender and less gamey tasting thn other forms of venison. Here's how to make corned  venison, based on information from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (see references at the bottom of the page)

Field-to-Refrigerator

Use care when field dressing the deer. Contaminating the carcass is one of the most common errors hunters make. Refrigerate the carcass as soon as possible for best quality; usually within 3-4 hours after killing if the air temperature is above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Aging Venison

Aging will help dissipate the game taste and permit natural occurring enzymes to tenderize the tissues. Proper aging also firms the meat, giving it better cutting quality. Aging should be conducted between 32 - 35° F for 7 - 10 days. Never age at room temperature. Venison may be cut within 24 hours after the kill and still be acceptable for aging. Improper storage facilities increases risk for spoilage.

Corned Venison

Just like Corned Beef, you can make corned venison, antelope, moose, bear or beef. The taste also appeals more to people who do not usually like wild meats, since the process makes them less gamey and tenderizes the tough wild meats.

To make six gallons of corning brine solution:

• 3 pounds (6¾ cups) salt
• 10 ounces (13/8 cups) sugar
• 2 ounces sodium nitrate
• ½ ounce sodium nitrite
• 3 level teaspoon black pepper
• 3 level teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 bay leaves
• 12 level teaspoon mixed pickling spice
• For onion flavor, add one medium-size onion, minced.
• For garlic flavor, add 4 garlic cloves, minced.

Directions

1. Put the ingredients into a pickle crock or glass jar and add enough water to make a total of 6 gallons, including the ingredients. Cover the container.
2. The ideal temperature for corning meat is about 38 F, which is a cold refrigerator.
   Higher temperatures need not affect the end result of the corning process at all, if, for every 15 F of temperature above 38 F, you add one-third more salt. At 83 F, add three pounds more salt, making a total of six pounds of salt.
3. Place meat into the liquid. Put a heavy plate on meat; weight plate, if necessary, to keep meat below pickle brine.
4. Leave the meat in corning liquid for 15 days.
5. On the fifth and 10th days, stir the liquid well, remove the meat and put it back so the bottom piece is on top.
6. After the 15th day, remove the meat. Use what you want immediately and store the balance in a cool place refrigerated at 38 degrees.
7.  It is recommended that after meat is removed from the corning liquid it should be cooked and consumed within one week or frozen for up to one month. The meat at this stage has a grayish pink color. When cooked, corned meat changes to the characteristic pink color associated with a cured product.

Venison Cooking Tips

The key to cooking venison and to making it tender, moist and delicious is understanding that it has very little fat or fat cover. Add butter or cheese, or baste with other fats for improved flavor. Without much fat cover, the meat tends to dry out. Cook venison slowly using moist heat and baste often with a marinade sauce or oil. Don't overcook. A roast may also be wrapped in aluminum foil after browning or covered in a roasting pan. Strips of bacon may be placed on a roast for self basting. For these foods to be safe, internal temperatures must be high enough to kill any harmful microorganisms. Cook ground meats, chops, steaks and roasts to 160°F. Venison can be substituted for meat in many recipes and makes an excellent variation to your menu. (Source: Estes Reynolds, University of Georgia).

Venison cooking recipes from Michigan State Univ PDF - A 46-page resource bulletin

References and Cooperative Extension Game processing resources

1. Handling wild game meats, Clemson University
2. Penn State has a complete guide to processing wild game and fish PDF
3. The Hunt is On: Know the Basics of Venison Preservation UGa
4. Wild side of the menu No. 3 preservation of game meats . (Marchello M, Beck P. 2001. Wild Side of the Menu No. 3. Preservation of Game Meats. Fargo, ND: North Dakota State University.
5. Preserving Game Meats. Clemson, SC: Clemson University Preserving game meats (Hoyle EH. 1999.
6. National Center for Home Food Preservation,
   September 2002- Brian A. Nummer is Project Coordinator with the National Center for Home Food Preservation, Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Family and Consumer Sciences and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, The University of Georgia, Athens. This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 00-51110-9762.
   National Center for Home Food Preservation
   208 Hoke Smith Annex
   The University of Georgia
   Athens, GA 30602-4356
   
   Tel: (706) 542-3773
   Fax: (706) 542-1979