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Sliced medium-rare venison steak with rosemary, cracked pepper, and dipping sauce

The Only Venison Brine Recipe You Need

  • Course

    Main

  • Duration

    24 to 48 hours

  • Skill level

    Beginner

Chef’s notes

Brining meat is a great way to infuse flavor and retain moisture when cooking. It also tenderizes any cuts of the animal that are typically tough. This is a classic Italian-inspired brine that can be used for many types of preparations and can also be reduced and used in sauces. You can refrigerate the roast after cooking to slice thin for hot or cold sandwiches. This brine is particularly awesome in ourChicago-style venison sandwich recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 large elk top round or 2 deer top rounds (approximately 6 pounds)
  • 1 gal. water
  • 2 tbsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. Better Than Beef Bullion or 4 cubes beef bullion + 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 8 garlic cloves, smashed to release oils
  • 6 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 6 fresh sage leaves
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ onion coarsely chopped and layers separated

Special equipment

Stock pot

Preparation

  1. In a large pot, add the water and all the ingredients for the brine, and heat over medium-high heat. Bring the mix to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool.
  3. After the brine has cooled, gently drop the meat into the pot to brine in a cool place for 24 to 48 hours. If you have a garage that maintains a temperature of 35 to 45°F, you can place the pot there. You can also remove a shelf in your refrigerator to accommodate the pot.
  4. After the meat has brined for a day or two, it is ready to either sous vide or smoke on a pellet grill.

Sous Vide

  1. Pull the roast from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels.
  2. Place the roast in a large vacuum seal bag with 2 tablespoons of butter, remove all the air, and seal it with a vacuum sealer. You can also place the roast in a large zip-close bag with the 2 tablespoons of butter and seal it after removing as much air as possible. Be sure to double bag the zip-close bag in case of a leak.
  3. Place the sealed bag in a water bath, set the sous vide to 130°F, and cook for 12 hours.

Oven, Barbecue, or Pellet Smoker

  1. Pull the roast from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat the oven, barbecue, or pellet smoker to 350°F.
  3. While cooking the roast with one of these methods, you will want to catch and reserve any liquid or fat that cooks out of the meat. To do this, place a metal drying rack over a large 9-by-13 lipped cooking tray, and fill it half way up with the leftover brine. The pan of brine will catch all the juices that cook out of the meat. It is necessary to add the brine to the tray before it is placed in the heat so that the drippings don’t dry out at the bottom of the tray in the heat.
  4. Cook the roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F. The cook time will vary depending on the size of your roast.

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The Only Venison Brine Recipe You Need

Recipe by:Rick Matney
Sliced medium-rare venison steak with rosemary, cracked pepper, and dipping sauce

  • Course

    Main

  • Duration

    24 to 48 hours

  • Skill level

    Beginner

Chef’s notes

Brining meat is a great way to infuse flavor and retain moisture when cooking. It also tenderizes any cuts of the animal that are typically tough. This is a classic Italian-inspired brine that can be used for many types of preparations and can also be reduced and used in sauces. You can refrigerate the roast after cooking to slice thin for hot or cold sandwiches. This brine is particularly awesome in ourChicago-style venison sandwich recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 large elk top round or 2 deer top rounds (approximately 6 pounds)
  • 1 gal. water
  • 2 tbsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. Better Than Beef Bullion or 4 cubes beef bullion + 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 8 garlic cloves, smashed to release oils
  • 6 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 6 fresh sage leaves
  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ onion coarsely chopped and layers separated

Special equipment

Stock pot

Preparation

  1. In a large pot, add the water and all the ingredients for the brine, and heat over medium-high heat. Bring the mix to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool.
  3. After the brine has cooled, gently drop the meat into the pot to brine in a cool place for 24 to 48 hours. If you have a garage that maintains a temperature of 35 to 45°F, you can place the pot there. You can also remove a shelf in your refrigerator to accommodate the pot.
  4. After the meat has brined for a day or two, it is ready to either sous vide or smoke on a pellet grill.

Sous Vide

  1. Pull the roast from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels.
  2. Place the roast in a large vacuum seal bag with 2 tablespoons of butter, remove all the air, and seal it with a vacuum sealer. You can also place the roast in a large zip-close bag with the 2 tablespoons of butter and seal it after removing as much air as possible. Be sure to double bag the zip-close bag in case of a leak.
  3. Place the sealed bag in a water bath, set the sous vide to 130°F, and cook for 12 hours.

Oven, Barbecue, or Pellet Smoker

  1. Pull the roast from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat the oven, barbecue, or pellet smoker to 350°F.
  3. While cooking the roast with one of these methods, you will want to catch and reserve any liquid or fat that cooks out of the meat. To do this, place a metal drying rack over a large 9-by-13 lipped cooking tray, and fill it half way up with the leftover brine. The pan of brine will catch all the juices that cook out of the meat. It is necessary to add the brine to the tray before it is placed in the heat so that the drippings don’t dry out at the bottom of the tray in the heat.
  4. Cook the roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 125°F. The cook time will vary depending on the size of your roast.