Hickory Smoked, and Coffee Rubbed Venison with Mustard and Pickles
Serves – 4 Brine Time – 4 hours
Cook time – 2 hours
Although not necessary, the step of brining can help the venison retain moisture and reduce some of the natural gamey flavor.
Tip – If you can’t get your hands on wild venison you can purchase it farm raised. Farm raised venison is far less gamey than wild, so brining is not as necessary.
Ingredients
- Hickory smoking blocks
- 1 Venison backstrap, 12-16oz
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup kosher Salt
For the rub
- ½ Tbs. Ground Coffee
- ½ Tbs. Brown Sugar
- ¼ Tbs. Chili powder
- ¼ Tbs. Granulated Garlic
- ½ Tbs. Paprika
- ¼ Tbs. Granulated Onion
- ½ Tbs. Black Pepper
- ½ Tbs. Salt
- Assorted pickles
- Assorted Mustards
- Crusty bread
Method
- Remove any sinew or silver skin from the venison
- Add the sugar and salt to a container large enough to fit the venison
- Add enough warm water to the container and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved, add the venison and enough cold water to cover. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight
- Set up a charcoal grill for indirect heat and wait for the coals to develop
- Remove the venison from the brine and pat dry
- Combine all of the rub ingredients and liberally coat the venison
- Add a dozen hickory blocks to the coals and after 5 minutes place the venison on the grates opposite the heat source, add the lid
- The internal temp of the grill should not exceed 250°F
- Rotate the venison after 1 hour and remove after 2 hours or when you reach an internal temperature of 120°F for medium rare (recommended)
- Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing
- Serve with pickles, mustard and sliced bread
The backstrap was provided by Casey, our eCommerce Specialist. To read about his hunt, read the blog here!