Upgrade classic corned venison by braising it in beer and finishing with a flavorful whiskey mustard glaze. Be sure to make extra—you’ll want leftovers for a hearty corned venison hash the next morning!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Tender: The brining process and slow braising of corned venison turns meaty roasts into fork-tender pieces of deliciousness. You can slice it or it can be the perfect shreddable texture for recipes like corned venison hash.
Flavorful: Using beer as the braising liquid imparts a delicious, rich flavor to the meat. The sweet and tangy whiskey mustard glaze is the perfect addition to already deliciously tender venison. For another tasty "beer & deer" combo, try this venison hand pies!
Freezer Friendly: You can cure a few roasts at a time and freeze them to save time later down the road!
Ingredient Notes
- Venison Roast: Round roasts (bottom or top) are my favorite cuts of meat for corned venison. But, you can use another boneless venison roast from the hind quarters like a football roast (sirloin roast). You can use larger roasts or smaller roasts or even other game meats like elk or moose or even goose breasts!
- Curing Salt: Curing salt has many names (pink salt, instacure, Prague powder, tender quick, etc.). It is the ingredient that gives corned venison (and corned beef) its signature pink color. You can make corned venison without it, but it will be more of a brown color. For a cured venison recipe without pink salt, try this smoked venison backstrap.
- Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is often used for brining because it doesn't have any additives and its flaky texture dissolves easily in water. But, you can use regular salt instead.
- Sugar: Brown sugar can be used in place of white sugar in this recipe.
- Pickling Spices: Pickling spices are a spice mixture that varies based on the recipe or product. I like to use this pickling spice blend which includes mustard seeds, dill, coriander, bay leaves, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, ginger, black peppercorn, and turmeric.
- Beer: Non-hoppy beers like lagers and wheat beers are best for braising. Hoppy beers will add bitterness to the meat.
Equipment Notes
- Curing Vessel: You need a non-reactive vessel that will hold enough liquid to completely cover the roast. I like to use these Cambro storage containers.
- Pots and Saucepans: A large pot is needed to boil the brine. The medium saucepan is to braise the corned venison (You can also use a Dutch oven or slow cooker like a crock pot). The small saucepan is to make the whiskey glaze.
- Instant Pot: This recipe has the option to add classic veggies like cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. I like to cook them in the corned venison cooking liquid in an Instant Pot to infuse the flavor. But, you can cook them on the stovetop or skip the veggies altogether.
What is Corned Venison?
Corned venison is venison that has been cured in a solution of pink salt, kosher salt, sugar, and pickling spices. The name "corned" comes from the original use of large grain rock salt that is about the size of corn kernels. The long brining time cures the meat and also tenderizes it.
As the meat sits in the brine, it absorbs the salty liquid and the muscle cells expand to hold more moisture. The additional moisture in the meat makes it very flavorful and tender. Traditional corned beef is made with brisket. Corned venison is often made with roasts from the hind leg instead of brisket.
How to Brine Corned Venison
Making corned meat is a pretty simple process. It only takes a few simple ingredients and not a lot of technique. The key ingredient is time. From start to finish, it takes about 5-7 days depending on the size of your roast. You need enough time for the brine solution to reach the center of the roast. Read below for how to make it!
Step 1: Add all brine ingredients (curing salt, pickling spices, garlic cloves, salt, sugar, and water) to a large pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cool completely and put curing mixture into a large container.
Step 2: Add meat to curing mixture. Place a piece of plastic wrap gently on top of the liquid to keep it air tight. Place lid on container and refrigerate for 5 days.
Pro Tip: If you have a really large roast, try injecting some of the brining liquid into the center of the roast to make sure it cures all the way through.
How to Cook Corned Venison
What sets this corned venison recipe apart from others is the braising process and the glaze. Corned meat of any kind needs some low and slow cooking after the curing process to break down the connective tissue and tenderize the meat a bit more. To add some extra flavor, simmer the corned venison in beer instead of water.
Step 1: Rinse the brine off the meat. To a medium pot, add beer, onion, pickling spice, and rinsed venison roast.
Step 2: Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 hours. Add water if the liquid level gets below the level of the meat. You want the entire piece to be submerged for the whole cooking time.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine mustard, honey, whiskey, and salt and pepper.
Step 4: Heat in a small saucepan until boiling and slightly thickened.
Step 5: Remove meat from the braising liquid. Strain and save the liquid if you are making the vegetables below.
Step 6: Place meat on a foil-lined sheet pan. Spread lard all over the corned venison.
Step 7: Baste with whiskey mustard glaze.
Step 8: Place in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, basting with glaze every 2 minutes until slightly browned and bubbly. Remove from oven. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Pro Tip: After the brining period, rinse the venison thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt. This step is crucial to prevent the dish from being overly salty.
Optional Veggies
If you want to make a classic St. Patrick's Day meal of corned venison and cabbage, read below for how to prepare the veggies!
Step 1: Before putting venison in the oven, place vegetables in the Instant Pot. Place potatoes in the bottom, carrots in the middle, and cabbage on top.
Step 2: Pour meat braising liquid over vegetables. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. It will likely take around 15-20 minutes to come to pressure and cook which is approximately the same amount of time it will take the venison to cook with the glaze and rest.
How to Freeze Corned Venison
After venison has cured for 5 days, remove it from the curing liquid. Rinse the brine off the meat and place it in a vacuum bag. Seal with a vacuum sealer. Be careful to not let the vacuum sealer suck in the liquid.
Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and follow the cooking instructions in the recipe card below.
What to Serve with Corned Venison
Corned venison (or corned beef) is often the centerpiece for a St. Patrick's Day feast. Alongside the meat, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots are often served. If you want to try something more non-traditional, try making this corned venison hash or reuben sandwiches with red cabbage sauerkraut instead!
Recipe FAQ's:
All hooved animals have a brisket because it is the muscle that lines the lower chest. But, the size and anatomy of a deer are much different than that of a cow so the brisket may not be what you expect. Venison brisket is very lean and thin while beef brisket is fairly thick and has a layer of fat on it. While it may be different than beef (like every cut of venison is), you can definitely still enjoy it!
Curing salt, also known as pink salt or Prague powder, is a mixture of table salt and sodium nitrite. It is typically used in meat preservation. Curing salt helps inhibit the growth of bacteria, preventing spoilage and enhancing the flavor and color of cured meats.
Corned venison can absolutely be made without nitrates (from the curing salt). While it will still taste delicious, the meat will be more of a brownish-gray color instead of that beautiful pink color that is usually associated with cured meat. You can use the same recipe but omit the curing salt if you'd like.
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Thank you!
Annie
📖 Recipe
Beer-Braised Corned Venison
Equipment
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
Corned Venison
- 1 ½ lb venison bottom round roast
- ¾ oz curing salt (instacure #1)
- ½ cup pickling spice
- ¾ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 quarts water
Beer Braise
- 24 oz beer (non-hoppy like lager)
- 1 onion, halved, then quartered
- 1 teaspoon pickling spice
Whiskey Mustard Glaze
- 3 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon whiskey
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon lard, room temperature
Vegetables (optional)
- cooking liquid from corned venison
- 1 small cabbage, quartered, core intact
- 1 lb baby gold potatoes
- 1 lb small carrots, peeled
- chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Curing the Meat:
- Combine curing salt, pickling spices, garlic, salt, sugar, and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cool completely and put curing mixture into a large container. I use a 6 qt Cambro translucent container. Add meat to curing mixture. Place a piece of plastic wrap gently on top of the liquid to keep it air tight. Place lid on container and refrigerate for 5 days.Note: this amount of brining liquid will work for more than one roast. If you have room in your container, you can brine another roast at the same time.
Cooking the Corned Venison:
- Rinse the brine off the meat. To a medium pot, add beer, onion, pickling spice, and cured meat. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 hours. Add water if the liquid level gets below the level of the meat. You want the entire piece to be submerged for the whole cooking time.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine mustard, honey, whiskey, and salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Heat until boiling and slightly thickened.
- Remove meat from braising liquid. Strain and save the liquid if you are making the vegetables below.
- Place meat on a foil-lined sheet pan. Spread lard all over the corned venison. Baste with whiskey mustard glaze.
- Place in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, basting with glaze every 2 minutes until it is slightly browned and bubbly. Remove from oven. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Vegetables:
- Before putting venison in the oven, place vegetables in Instant Pot. Place potatoes in the bottom, carrots in the middle, and cabbage on top. Pour meat braising liquid over vegetables. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Do a quick pressure release and that's it! It will likely take around 15-20 minutes to come to pressure and cook which is approximately the same amount of time it will take the venison to cook with the glaze and rest. Serve with corned venison.
Freezing Instructions:
- After venison has cured for 5 days, remove it from the curing liquid. Rinse the brine off the meat and place in a vacuum bag. Seal with a vacuum sealer. Be careful to not let the vacuum sealer suck in the liquid. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw and follow cooking instructions above.
Notes
- Round roasts (bottom or top) work great for corned venison. But, you can use another boneless venison roast from the hind quarters like a football roast (sirloin roast). You can use larger roasts or smaller roasts or even other game meats like goose breasts.
- Curing salt has many names (pink salt, instacure, prague powder, tender quick, etc.). It is the ingredient that gives corned venison (and corned beef) its signature pink color. You can make corned venison without it, but it will be more of a brown color.
- Kosher salt is often used for brining because it doesn't have any additives and its flaky texture dissolves easily in water. But, you can use regular salt instead.
- Brown sugar can be used in place of white sugar in this recipe.
- Pickling spices are a spice mixture that varies based on the recipe or product. I like to use a pickling spice blend which includes mustard seeds, dill, coriander, bay leaves, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, ginger, black pepper, and turmeric.
- Non-hoppy beers like lagers and wheat beers are best for braising. Hoppy beers will add bitterness to the meat.
- For the curing process, you need a non-reactive vessel that will hold enough brining mixture to completely cover the roast. I like to use these Cambro storage containers for brining.
- If you have a really large roast, try injecting some of the brining liquid into the center of the roast to make sure it cures all the way through.
- After the brining period, rinse the venison thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt. This step is crucial to prevent the dish from being overly salty.
- A large pot is needed to boil the brine. The medium saucepan is to braise the corned venison (You can also use a Dutch oven or slow cooker like a crock pot). The small saucepan is to make the whiskey glaze.
- This recipe has the option to add classic veggies like cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. I like to cook them in the corned venison cooking liquid in an Instant Pot to infuse the flavor. But, you can cook them on the stovetop or skip the veggies altogether.
Scott W. says
Did this recipe with an elk shoulder roast. I brined it for 5 days and cooked it in the crockpot for about 5 hours. Turned out fantastic. I will be making this again. I want to try brining more than one roast at a time and freezing one.
Annie Weisz says
That sounds amazing!! I'm doing an elk roast this time as well. Freezing it works super well too. I hope you try it again!
Scott Peabody says
Very easy to follow and venison came out excellent. Will be using this recipe several times a year.
Annie Weisz says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! It’s awesome that it turned out so well — hope it becomes a regular favorite for you. Thanks for sharing!
Scott says
I'm looking forward to trying this. Can you braise it in a crockpot all day rather than simmering on the stovetop?
Thanks!
Annie Weisz says
I've never made it in a crock pot but I can imagine it would work pretty well! I wouldn't cook it for longer than 5-6 hours though. Let me know how it turns out!