Here's one for all the gourmets out there.

We had a rather succesful week last week taking 5 bucks in two days on the shoot. The result was that I have a glut of venison which I refuse to sell to the game dealer for a pittance.

So today the first dry cured haunch went into production!!

I took the bottom bone out of a yearlings haunch and salted it with a curing mixture of salt/sugar/juniper/allspice/pepper. I covered it and put a weight on it and it will stay there for a week. I'll then take it out and wash, wrap it in muslin and hang it in the barn for 4-5 weeks.

That is the plan so far, but has anyone got any sugestions, or experience in dry curing venison? The joint weighed about 6-7lbs. I think the lack of fat inthe meat may make it a little harder than pork to cure well.

FB

I use to cut moose meat in 0,5-1pound pieces and put it in a bowl with about 1 liter water mixed with 5 spoons(ca 1/10 liter)of salt and one with sugar.I let lay in the mixture in 24-48 hours, and then let it hang for about 4-8 days.

Kimmo

Hi Kimmo,


I was tempted to cure the meat in a solution as I had a recipie using wine and water. When you do it this way how long did the moose meat last for after drying?

FB

Hello Fallow
I like the Biltong , and had interest to made it with deer meat , but I live in north of Spain 5 kms from Cantabrian sea and I have in my area a lot rain it means high humidity over 70 % , and it could be against drying meat how you do it in UK with the usuall rain and humidity ?
Thanks
Daniel

It will last for years but to prevent it from become to dry and hard i put it in the frezer.

How much are you getting per KG from the dealer?

Hi 1894,

Neck shot fallow bucks are making about 25p/lb & the front boxed animals are making half that. On top of that, most dealers here won't take them at the moment, definately not 5 at a time.

Either way I would rather give it to friends and family and do my bit for promoting game. We bought a mincer/sausage maker, & the results are great. What do you get down your way?

I find it so annoying that at the dealers are selling this stuff on for such a mark up. A 2.5Lb SHIN!! was making �12 while a topside was around �14/lb. Sirloin and fillets make silly money at the fairs!!! Around �1-�1.50/lb would be a fair price for the beast in the jacket, but such are market forces...

FB

FB

Fallow Buck,
You are right! market forces do dictate, but what we need to do is educate the public to insist on U.K venison..


Griff

p.s we won a gold award in the Scotland Magazine with our parma "style " venison ham.