Photo Credit: Jack Hennessy
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we are sharing our recipe for corned venison with the added bonus of a sweet Guinness glaze. Both the corned venison and the accompanying potatoes benefit from a couple of Bearded Butcher Blend Seasonings, which you will find in the ingredients section.
If you plan to make this dish, be sure to start the process at least a week in advance, as 3-pound roasts will require at least a week to fully cure. If possible, aim for 10 days of curing for any 3- to 5-pound venison roast.
Any of the three venison roasts work great for this: top or bottom round, or sirloin tip. Tying the sirloin tip with kitchen twine is optional.
Because venison is so lean and lacks the fatty crust found with corned beef, for texture purposes, you may wish to sear your corned venison over an open fire before baking it low and slow in the oven.
The sweet Guinness glaze is made from the leftover liquids in which the corned venison simmered. Make sure to stock up on extra Guinness for yourself and your guests to enjoy.
Curing Ingredients (four servings):
- 3- to 5-pound venison roast
- 1 gallon water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons celery juice powder (or 1 tablespoon Instacure #1)
- 1/2 cup whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Other Ingredients:
- 32 ounces Guinness stout
- 48 ounces chicken stock
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch slurry
- Salted butter
- Freshly minced baby dill (optional for garnish)
- Four to six large red potatoes
- 1 whole green cabbage, cut into sixths (stem attached), lightly coated with avocado oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Recommended Bearded Butcher Blend Spices:
Instructions:
- Before adding the venison roast, mix all curing ingredients in a large pot and bring to a low boil. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool in the fridge.
- Add the venison roast, cover, and allow it to cure for a minimum of 1 week.
- After 1 week, rinse off the roast under cold water and place it in a large pot. Season with Bearded Butcher Original and sear all sides over an open fire. Set aside.
- Carve the green cabbage into six pieces, keeping the stem attached to each piece. Using avocado oil, lightly oil the cabbage and sear all sides over the open fire. Set aside.
- Cut the red potatoes in half, lightly oil them, and place them over the fire to sear all sides. Finish cooking the potatoes by either roasting them indirectly on the grill or cutting them into cubes and finishing them in the oven.
- In a large, deep glass baking dish, cover the venison with Guinness and chicken stock. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake at 325°F for a minimum of 3 hours, until the desired texture is reached (the venison roast should have some give and not feel rock-hard). Check the baking dish every hour to ensure the roast is mostly covered in liquids. If necessary, add more Guinness.
- In a skillet, cook the finely diced yellow onion on low heat in butter until caramelized (this will likely take 20 minutes).
- In a separate medium saucepan, add 3 cups of the liquid in which the corned venison cooked, along with stone-ground mustard, white wine vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Once the onions are caramelized, add them to the saucepan.
- Allow the liquids to reduce by about half. To make the cornstarch slurry, do so 1 tablespoon at a time. Add drops of cold water to cornstarch in a bowl and mix with your fingers until it becomes a slurry. Add the slurry to the liquids to thicken. Continue adding cornstarch slurry until the desired thickness is reached (it should resemble a glaze).
- To season the potatoes, place the finished potatoes in a mixing bowl, add a couple of pats of unsalted butter, and lightly season with Bearded Butcher Original Blend.
- When the venison is done (it should be tender but not crumble when cut), carve it into slices. For each plate, set aside three to four pieces of venison.
- When ready to assemble the plates, add the carved venison, cabbage wedges, and potatoes to a large skillet. Turn the burner to medium-low and add the sweet Guinness glaze. Garnish with freshly chopped dill and serve.
