Venison Pastrami Recipe - How to Make Venison Pastrami (2024)

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5 from 56 votes

By Hank Shaw

January 21, 2019 | Updated August 26, 2020

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Venison Pastrami Recipe - How to Make Venison Pastrami (2)

Venison pastrami is one of the great things to do with hind leg roasts.

If you’re not familiar with pastrami, or just know it as some random lunch meat, it’s cured, smoked, spiced meat, usually beef, that is often steamed before slicing. We owe our love of pastrami to Eastern European Jews — pastrami sandwiches are always best eaten from Jewish delis — and variants of this meat exists all over that part of the world.

Here in California’s Central Valley, where I live, our local Armenian population enjoys basturma, it’s own version of pastrami. I’ve long made goose pastrami, which was a favorite of Romanian Jewish people back in the 1800s. I like it with Canada goose breasts.

I highly recommend that you use a single-muscle roast, ideally from the hind leg, or even backstrap for this recipe, as this is a lean, smoked meat that you’ll end up slicing thin and serving in a sandwich.

Venison Pastrami Recipe - How to Make Venison Pastrami (3)

If you use larger cuts, you will have silverskin or connective tissue in your roast that will not soften when you eat it. But that’s where the steaming comes in. I rarely do this, but here’s how to steam pastrami if you need to:

  • Preheat your oven to 275°F.
  • Set a big roasting pan in the oven and pour boiling water in it so the water is about 1 inch deep.
  • Put a rack in the pan to keep the pastrami elevated over the water level.
  • Ideally you cover this whole shebang with foil to keep the steam in, but you can also just keep the oven closed. It’ll work.
  • Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of your pastrami and pull it when it reaches 165°F. Let the meat rest 30 minutes, still covered, before slicing.

Salt content varies. I like my pastrami on the salty side, because it’s served cold and the human perception of salt is limited with cold foods. I have taken to using a set amount of salt based on the weight of the meat. I like 2 percent, so 20 grams in a 1000 gram roast. Don’t go lower than 1 percent, or higher than 3 percent.

A word on the curing salt. The 3 grams I call for will actually be enough to cure up to about 3 pounds of venison. A general rule is to use 0.25% Instacure based off the weight of the meat, so a 1000 gram roast would use 2.5 grams of Instacure. Do not use much more than I call for, though. If you used 3 grams in this case, it’d be fine, but don’t accidentally use, say, 6 grams.

Keep an eye on your venison’s internal temperature when you are smoking it. A piece of backstrap can be ready in 90 minutes in a hot smoker, which to my mind isn’t enough time on the smoke. Try to keep your smoker at 200°F or cooler; I like to keep it at 165°F, which lets me smoke the meat for a solid 3 to 4 hours.

What wood? Your choice. I prefer oak, maple or hickory for this, followed by walnut, pecan or cherry.

Once you make your venison pastrami, it will need to be eaten within a week or two, or you’ll need to vacuum seal and freeze it.

5 from 56 votes

Venison Pastrami

This recipe can be scaled up if you need to. Remember the salt and cure ratio is this: 2% of the weight of the meat in kosher salt, plus 0.25% - that's one-quarter of one percent - of the weight of the meat in curing salt No. 1. Can you skip the curing salt? Yes, but it won't look or taste like store-bought pastrami.

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Course: Cured Meat

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 pounds

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • A venison roast, hind leg or backstrap
  • Kosher salt (see recipe notes)
  • Instacure No. 1 (see recipe notes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon caraway seed
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed juniper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon groundblack pepper, plus 3 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup brandy, red wine, vinegar or water
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely ground coriander

Instructions

  • Weigh your venison.

    For every pound of meat, you’ll need 10 grams of kosher salt and about 1.5 grams curing salt. Mix the salt, curing salt, sugar as well as the thyme, celery seed, caraway, juniper and the teaspoon of black pepper and grind them all together in a spice grinder. Pack the venison with this mixture, massaging it into the meat. Vacuum seal or put the meat into a Ziploc bag or closed container and set it in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. A general rule is 2 days per pound of meat. If you’re unsure, leave the meat in one more day than you think you need to. This salt ratio will prevent the meat from getting overly salty.

  • Rinse the cure off the venison and pat it dry. It’s fine if you have a little bit of the curestuck to the meat, but you don’t want too much. Put the venison on a rack in the fridge and let it dry uncovered for up to a day.

  • Dip the meat into the brandy — or really any other liquid you want — and then coat thoroughly in the 3 tablespoons of remaining black pepper and ground coriander seed. I like to grind this myself so the texture is a little coarse, a little fine. Press it into the meat well.

  • Smoke the venison at about 165°F to 200°F until the interior hits 145°F, which takes me about 3 hours. Let the pastrami cool and eat as lunch meat, or on crackers or whatever.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
American Recipes, Featured, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Venison Pastrami Recipe - How to Make Venison Pastrami (2024)

FAQs

How do they make pastrami? ›

Pastrami is made from beef brisket that has been cured, coated in spices, cold smoked and then steamed. Pastrami's thick coat of spices typically includes crushed black pepper, coriander, mustard seeds, garlic and other spices that might be included in a pickling spice mixture.

How long does venison pastrami last? ›

Note: Pastrami doesn't freeze well, but it keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

How to make venison deli meat? ›

Remove meat from brine after 24-36 hours. If desired, add any surface coating seasoning (Ranch Seasoning, Black Pepper, herbs, spices). Cook in Smoker for about 2 hours at 150ºF, then increase to 170ºF for 2 hours, then 190º-225ºF until internal temperature of 145ºF is reached.

How do you keep pastrami moist? ›

Creating a high-humidity environment will prevent evaporation and will help us bypass the “stall.” Cook the brisket at 250°F, or up to 275°F (121°C up to 135°C) in your oven with the pastrami set on a rack in a roasting pan with a shallow pool of water in it. (Use pre-heated water in the bottom of the pan.

What is the best cut of meat to make pastrami? ›

This Jewish Deli is made from a fine brisket; however, you can make it from turkey or lamb as well. Generally, chefs use certain cuts, such as the deckle. It is a lean, wide, and firm shoulder cut for pastrami. Sometimes, they use the navel, juicier and smaller section just below the ribs for pastrami.

Is pastrami still good when it turns brown? ›

Beef that has turned brown during extended storage may be spoiled, have an off-odor, and be tacky to the touch and should not be used.

How long does pastrami take to cure? ›

Pastrami is made by curing the beef through a brining process to infuse the meat with salt and spices. Curing the meat takes 5-7 days to allow the meat to be thoroughly penetrated. After brining, coat the beef in a seasoning of black peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and more to add additional flavor.

Does venison go bad? ›

Do not leave venison or other wild game in a car trunk where warmer temperatures promote bacterial growth. Use a cooler filled with ice or dry ice to store cut meat. Process venison as soon as possible. Venison will spoil if it hangs without refrigeration in warm weather.

What is the best cut of meat for venison? ›

The tenderloin, striploin, knuckle and rump are the most tender cuts. Medium-tender cuts are the eight rib rack, top round and bottom round. The flank steak and osso buco are the least tender. Less tender cuts generally require slower cooking.

What do you soak deer meat in before cooking? ›

A typical ratio is about 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Submerge the venison in the saltwater brine and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. Rinse the meat thoroughly with cold water before cooking to remove excess salt. Milk Soak:Soaking venison in milk is another method that can help reduce ga.

Does venison need to be soaked before cooking? ›

While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful. If you would like to try soaking your meat, instructions for a buttermilk soak can be found at The Backyard Pioneer.

Why is my pastrami so tough? ›

OK, most of the problem with tough brisket is usually undercooking. The way to solve this is to cook to internal temperature of about 95C or 203f. But that is just a rough guide to tender brisket. If you cook it very low & slow, say anywhere from 220f to 240f, it will be close to tender at 91C or 196f.

Why does pastrami turn GREY? ›

Meats cured with pure salt (sodium chloride) tend to turn an unappetizing brownish-gray color.

What part of the cow is pastrami? ›

What Is Pastrami? While corned beef is typically made from brisket, pastrami generally comes from the cow's navel area, Serious Eats reports. The navel cut is a fatty one, and it's also likely to stand up well to pastrami's long cooking process.

Is pastrami considered a Processed Meat? ›

AICR/WCRF expert report defines processed meat as “meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or addition of chemical preservatives.” Ham, bacon, pastrami, sausages, hot dogs and luncheon meats are all considered processed meat. It's not yet clear exactly why these meats increase risk for colorectal cancer.

Why do Jews eat pastrami? ›

Romanian Jews emigrated to New York as early as 1872. Among Jewish Romanians, goose breasts were commonly made into pastrami because they were available. Beef navel was cheaper than goose meat in America, so the Romanian Jews in America adapted their recipe and began to make the cheaper-alternative beef pastrami.

Is pastrami a cow or pork? ›

What Kind of Meat is Pastrami? Pastrami is a deli meat or cold cut made of beef. It can be from different cuts of beef: the navel end of the beef brisket, known as the plate cut, is the most common, but pastrami can also be made from the round and short rib of a cow.

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