Need Deer shoulder brine recipe.

[moses]

Had a friend give me 2 deer shoulders and what I read in here says to brine it first but can't find a brine recipe anywhere. Can I use the same type of brine for chicken or does it need to be different?

 

[woodcutter]

Pop's brine is an option but it takes a while of refrigerator time and room. It tastes like pastrami.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/131711/cured-venison-ham-s

Another option is sprinkle salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder over the meat and cover with bacon. Smoke at 225.

 

[voodoochile]

if you are going to hot smoke and cook at 225 or so you dont need a cure and chicken brine recipe would work fine . I've never tried it but it just might be good ....

 

[chef jimmyj]

A Brine for any meat is based on Salt, Herb and Spices, if any, and Water. I like 1/2 Cup Morton Kosher Salt (3/4C Diamond Kosher or 1/4C Table Salt) per gallon of Water but 1 Cup is more commonly seen in recipes. The rest is up to your taste. You want an Apple flavor, Apple Juice Concentrate added to the Brine works well. You can add the common base flavors of Garlic(1 Head), Onion(1Lrg), Thyme(10+/- Sprigs), all fresh or dry (1-2Tbs) and even Carrots(4ea) and Celery(4 ribs). Then any Spices you like work well, 1Tbs Whole or 1-2tsp Ground. Black Pepper, a must have, and Allspice, Cumin, Clove, Cinnamon and Coriander are popular, as are Bay Leaves, but your favorite combination will work. With all these I would let the shoulders Brine 2-3 Days and Hot Smoke them at 225°F or higher until the meat is tender and can be pulled. If as mentioned above, a Pastrami or Ham tasting finished product is desired, add 1 Tablespoon of Cure #1 to the 1 Gallon of Brine and follow Pops soak timing and instructions...JJ

 

[fuzzyfishin]

 No need to brine if you are going to cook it at higher temps. I like doing veni hind qtrs. I put the qtr in a covered foil pan. Slice the meat in a few spots and stick apple peels, onion and butter. Salt-n-peppr with any seasoning you like.Then wrap the hole leg with apple peels, bacon and some onoin. Make up some ahjue juice about 1/2in. for basting. You can also use  beef boullion. I only have grilled it with charcoal and made up wood packs. I take about 5hrs to do, baste hourly. The last hour I open it up and let it cook to add color. I never have used any temp probes cooking the qtr.

  Just another idea.

 

[moses]

Thanks everyone. I'll prolly just use a chicken brine and smoke at 225 until IT is 155.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I was going to brine some Chix Quarters today and could not find all the stuff for my usual Families Favorite Brine. I found some leftover Pastrami Rub and figured what the heck...IT MADE SOME AWESOME CHICKEN!!! Considering the mix is for turning Corned Beef into Pastrami. I thought of you and the Venison. So here you go, a Brine and Rub in one recipe...JJ

Black Pepper Sage Brine and Rub

1Gallon Water

1/2C Kosher Salt

1C Vinegar, any

Spice Mix...Half for Brine, half for Rub

2T Black Peppercorns

2T Dry Minced Onion

2T Dry Minced Garlic

1T Ground Sage

1T Coriander Seed

1tsp Allspice Berries

1tsp Mustard Seed

1tsp Dry Thyme Leaves

3 Bay Leaves, crumbled

1tsp Juniper Berries

1C Turbinado Sugar, Optional in Brine. Add 2T to Rub if you wish.

All Spices are Whole and were toasted in a dry pan over Medium heat until fragrant.

Let the Spices cool then Grind in a cheapo Coffee Grinder until slightly less than Coarse.

The Garlic, Onion and Sage do not need to be toasted. If grinding do so only slightly as the Minced size is pretty close to perfect for the brine or a Rub.