Smoked Venison Leg

Name: Geräucherte Rehkeule
Total time: 6 h
Ingredients: 20 g Nitritpökelsalz (NPS 0,5%); 500 ml Wasser (für Lake); 10 g Brauner Zucker; 5 g Wacholderbeeren, angedrückt; 2 Stk. Lorbeerblätter; 4 g Schwarze Pfefferkörner; 3 g Knoblauch, getrocknet

BrineGameHot SmokingHard6-8 hrs74-77 °C110-125 °CAlder + Cherry

The venison leg is treated with a curing brine and then slowly hot smoked. Wet curing keeps the meat particularly juicy and allows deep smoke absorption. Alder wood provides a mild, subtle smoke flavour that does not overpower the delicate venison taste.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Curing Salt (NPS 0.5%)20 g

Water (for brine)500 ml

Brown Sugar10 g

Juniper Berries, bruised5 g

Bay Leaves2 Stk.

Black Peppercorns4 g

Garlic, dried3 g

Instructions

Curing

24-36 hours

Boil all brine ingredients in water, let cool completely. Submerge venison leg in cold brine, keep fully covered. Cure in refrigerator at 4-6 °C for 24-36 hours. Then briefly rinse and soak in cold water for 30-60 minutes.

Pellicle Formation

2-4 hours

Remove venison leg from water, pat dry and place on a rack in the open refrigerator or a cool, airy place for 2-4 hours until the surface feels slightly tacky.

Smoking

6-8 hours

Preheat smoker to 110-125 °C. Place venison leg and smoke with alder and cherry wood. Monitor core temperature regularly. Spritz with a little game stock or water if needed. Target: core temperature 74-77 °C.

Resting

15 minutes

Remove finished venison leg from smoker and rest covered for 15 minutes. The juices will redistribute evenly. Then remove from bone or slice directly on the bone.

Pro Tip

Let the venison leg dry in the air before smoking until a slightly tacky surface (pellicle) forms – this significantly promotes smoke absorption.

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