How to Make Homemade Venison Pastrami

Venison Pastrami is hands down one of the most delicious things you can make with your wild game meat. It is surprisingly easy to do and is perfect for snacking or to add to all kinds of sandwiches!

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We are right in the heart of hunting season, and by this time everyone is looking for new things to make with the meat they are harvesting. Of course we have tons of delicious fresh recipes to make, but having some ready to eat meat in the fridge is always wonderful!

This homemade Venison Pastrami is a simple deli meat made by curing the venison in salt and a ton of spices. You then smoke it to add some additional flavor and finish it by steaming it in the oven for that perfect fall apart texture. It is not too salty and will make the best Reuben Sandwich you have ever had.

What I love about this recipe is that you don’t need a bunch of equipment. Of course you can cook it on the smoker for additional flavor, but you can also just do it in the oven! This pastrami is a great thing to do with those less desirable cuts that are sitting in your freezer. Whether you have venison, elk, moose, caribou etc grab those briskets or rounds and let’s make some pastrami!

Tips for Making Perfect Venison Pastrami

1. Make sure you weigh out the meat you are using and all of the spices precisely. You want to ensure you are using enough salt for the meat to cure properly and enough spices for the perfect amount of flavor. You can adjust the recipe to fit the exact amount of meat your are using.
2. Every piece of meat is going to be different in size, meaning it will have a different amount of curing time. Typically you are looking at around 7 days for a proper cure, however it can take up to two weeks depending on the thickness of the meat you rare using.
3. When cooking the pastrami, there is a bit of variance that goes into it as well. Being that you can cook it fully on the smoker, half on the smoker and half in the oven or fully in the oven, timing will be slightly different. No matter which method you choose, you want to be pulling the pastrami from the heat when it reaches 160F-170F.
4. Pastrami is best when sliced really nice and thin. This is what will help give you that super tender and fall apart texture. You can do this using a deli slicer, a good mandolin or by hand.

Venison PAstrami Ingredients

Venison or other Wild Game Meat– As mentioned above, you can use many different cuts of meat for this recipe. We typically like to use either the brisket or the rounds.

Black Pepper– You can use freshly ground or per ground. I like to use a coarse black pepper.

Garlic Powder– This can also be fresh minced garlic if you like.

Paprika– If you are not smoking your pastrami, you can use smoked paprika if you like for a slightly stronger flavor.

Curing Salt– Do not use regular salt. Curing salt is much stronger as it contains sodium nitrite.

Brown Sugar– You can use light or dark brown sugar. Either work.

Bay Leaves– These add a warm, earthy flavor. Make sure to crush them into little pieces so they can be spread all around the meat.

Coriander

Pickling Spice– This is a pre mixed package of spices you can find at most grocery stores.

The Steps

Cure the Meat

1. Start by stirring together all of the ingredients except for the meat in a small bowl.
2. Then, rub this mixture all over the meat, making sure to coat every bit of the meat.
3. Place the meat, along with any remaining spice mixture into a large ziploc bag and seal it tight.
4. Next, take that meat and place it in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or until it is fully cured, making sure to flip the meat over every day. The thicker the meat, the longer it will take. You can slice into the middle of the meat after 7 days to check if it is fully cured. If it is no longer pink in the middle it is done.
5. After the curing is done. remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while you preheat your smoker or oven to 180F.

Rinse and Cook

1. Then, take the meat and rinse it thoroughly under room temperature water. If you have never cured meat before this may seem weird, but you want to remove all the salt and spices so the meat isn’t too salty. All of the flavor will have gotten into the meat while it was curing. Pat the meat dry, then it is ready to cook.
2. For the Smoker Method– Place the meat on the smoker at 180F and cook until internal temp reaches 165F. This will be around 2-3 hours but will vary depending on the thickness of your meat.
3. For the Oven Method- Add an inch of water to a rimmed baking sheet then place a wire cooling rack on top. Put the meat on top of the wire rack, then cover the whole pan with foil. This will create steam and keep the meat super tender. Bake at 180-200F until internal temperature reaches 165. Around 3 hours.
4. For the Smoker & Oven Method- Place the meat on the smoker at 180F and cook for about 1.5 hours. Then add an inch of water to a rimmed baking sheet then place a wire cooling rack on top. Put the meat on top of the wire rack, then cover the whole pan with foil. This will create steam and keep the meat super tender. Bake at 200F or until internal temperature reaches 165F.
5. Once the pastrami is done cooking, allow it too cool to room temperature before slicing thin and enjoy!

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or review below!

Looking for more delicious Venison recipes to try?

https://cmbarndominium.com/easy-delicious-maple-venison-sausage-breakfast-sandwich/

https://cmbarndominium.com/how-to-make-the-best-venison-french-dip/

https://cmbarndominium.com/best-ever-venison-lasagna-soup/