Venison Leg with Juniper

Name: Hirschkeule Wacholder
Total time: 10 h
Ingredients: 32 g Nitritpökelsalz (NPS); 4 g Wacholderbeeren, gemörsert; 3 g Schwarzer Pfeffer, grob gemahlen; 5 g Brauner Zucker; 2 g Knoblauchpulver; 2 g Getrockneter Thymian; 1 g Lorbeerblätter, gemahlen

Curing MixGameHot SmokingHard10-14 hrs72-75 °C110-130 °CBeech + Cherry

An aromatic hot-smoked venison leg with juniper and wild spices. The combination of curing and smoking creates an intense, savory flavor. Beech and cherry wood give the meat a deep mahogany color.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Curing Salt (Pink Salt)32 g

Juniper Berries, crushed4 g

Black Pepper, coarsely ground3 g

Brown Sugar5 g

Garlic Powder2 g

Dried Thyme2 g

Bay Leaves, ground1 g

Instructions

Preparation

30 min + 48 hours curing time

Combine all curing mix ingredients. Remove sinew and excess fat from the venison leg, rub evenly with the curing mix, vacuum seal and cure in the refrigerator at 4 °C for 48 hours.

Drying

2 hours

Remove the leg from the vacuum bag, rinse with cold water and pat thoroughly dry. Hang on a smoker hook or rack and allow to air-dry at room temperature for 2 hours until the surface is dry and slightly glossy.

Smoking

10-14 hours

Preheat the smoker to 110-130 °C. Soak beech and cherry wood chips (30 min) and use alternately. Place the venison leg in the smoker and smoke until a core temperature of 72-75 °C is reached. Add wood chips every 2 hours.

Resting

30 minutes

Remove the finished smoked venison leg from the smoker, wrap loosely in aluminum foil and rest for at least 30 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute evenly before slicing.

Pro Tip

Stud the venison leg with juniper berries before smoking to drive the aroma deep into the meat. Place a pan of red wine under the meat while smoking to prevent drying out.

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