Venison front shoulder

[Walt]

Wednesday

Just starting the weekend cook.  5 lb front shoulder on a deer too young to be shot.  Sure will be tender.  Starting by making an equilibrium brine assuming 30% of weight is bone.  Set my brine up assuming 3.5 lbs meat or 1588 grams of meat.  Plugged this into Martins formula & made my mixture useing 4g of instacure#1, 28g salt, 16g sugar.  I also added some granulated onion & garlic, black pepper, oregano, corriander, allspice & apple cider vinegar.  I then topped off with hot water, stopping when the brew reached 1588 grams.  Let it cool & poured into bag with shoulder then vac sealed it.  Will wait a couple days......

Friday

Removed from brine, washed thoroughly, patted dry, applied olive oil, salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder, cumin, corriander and lemon pepper.  I then put fresh oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, garlic, tarragon, fennel seed, lemon zest & juice and olive oil in a food processor and blended to a pesto like texture.  I took a couple tablespoons of this added some of the dry seasonings and some apple juice and injected the leg.  The remainder of the pesto is massaged into the leg evenly.  Back into the old vac bag.  Cleaned the lip of the bag & resealed.  Anticipate smoking on Sunday.

Sunday

Wrapped leg in bacon & placed in smoker @1030.  Used 1oz pecan & 2oz cherry @ 225deg planned on pulling @ 140.  Completely missed 140. 182 when I finally got to it.  Flavorful, tender but a bit dry.  Nice subtle smokey flavor.  Served it with some garlic & mushroom mashed potatoes, rainbow carrots & roasted beets.  The mashed potatoes helped with the dryness.  I will fold leftovers in to some BBQ sauce after cubeing &  make sandwiches.  Good results considering overcooking it.

 

[DivotMaker]

Wow, Walt, that should be incredible!  Good job on the EQ brine.  If the results are different than you expected, it is SO easy to adjust the next time.  Sounds like a good combo of spices.

I won't ask how you got a deer "too young to be shot."  lol.  

 

[Walt]

All I will say is my conscience is clear.  It was someone else's mistake that I will definately benefit from. 

Right now I'm leaning toward rubbing it down in a mediterranean pesto and smoking it @ 225 useing fruitwood.

 

[DivotMaker]

All I will say is my conscience is clear.  It was someone else's mistake that I will definately benefit from. 

I'd have probably just said I hit it with my truck, and couldn't see it go to waste. ;D

Not sure I've ever had a Mediterranean pesto, but sounds good!  Let us know how to make that!

 

[Walt]

Updated the original post.  Thinking of cooking wrapped in bacon to IT 140.  Wife would like it falling off the bone but I'm afraid of drying it out.  Any opinions or suggestions?

 

[DivotMaker]

Sorry, Walt - wish I could help.  No experience with venison at all.  I'm just waiting to hear what you come up with!

 

[Walt]

Overall the leg had great flavor & tenderness but it was a bit dry.  I missed taking it off @ 140.  Final picture attached to original post.  I think either it needs to come off @ 140 to serve or put into a dutch oven & braise until falling off the bone.