Wild Game Pastrami

Transform your venison, goose, or duck harvest into a deli-style masterpiece. This recipe uses a signature cure of juniper, thyme, and caraway, followed by a whiskey-dipped crust of coarse peppercorn and coriander. After a slow smoke until the internal temperature hits 145°F, you’re left with a tender, savory pastrami perfect for stacking high on a field-to-table Reuben.

Ingredients

Cure

• Venison, goose, or duck roast

• 2% of meat weight in Kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon Instacure No. 1

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed

• 1/4 teaspoon caraway seed

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed juniper (optional)

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 6 cloves of garlic

Rub

• 3 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup whiskey

• 3 tablespoons coarsely ground coriander

Directions

1. Mix the spices, salt, and 1 tsp of black pepper and grind together in a spice grinder. Pack the venison with this mixture and massage into the meat. Vacuum seal or put the meat into a Ziploc bag and set it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

2. Rinse the cure off the venison and pat it dry - no need to be perfect, a little cure is ok! Let the meat dry, uncovered in the fridge, for a day.

3. Dip the meat into the whiskey and then coat thoroughly in the 3 tablespoons of remaining black pepper and ground coriander seed. Grind yourself so the texture is a little coarse, a little fine. Press it into the meat well.

4. Smoke the venison at about 165°F to 200°F until the interior hits 145°F, which takes about 3 hours. Once the meat has cooled, slice thinly and make that reuben!