Thread: Cold smoked venison haunch method please.

Hi
I'm looking into cold smoking a venison haunch. One place I found says smoke for about 6 hours.
Keith Erlandson in his book says about 7 days.
If anyone out there knows a good method please share.
Also is there a difference between a cured and smoked haunch and a ham (animal aside).
Erlansons smoke times are always much longer. Not sure why but I know things like smoked fish take days or weeks in the UK not hours. I'd be interested to know the difference.
I'm trying to get a handle on this cold smoking biz.
As an aside Erlandson was a springer spaniel nut. The only book my dog laid waste to was his. She was a springer. Bright bitch.
Cheers FC

Can't comprehend 7 days , last thing I cold smoked was a lamb rack . Did that for an hour and that was plenty . Flavour right through the meat . I'm interested on the outcome on this one

Did you use a brine pump or just soak it?

Originally Posted by fluffchucker

Did you use a brine pump or just soak it?

Just marinade/brine soaked in a bag . FC you could search cold smoke thread . there may be something of interest in there for you .

Ok the result. Decided there was definite over thinking going on.
Cheapo Brinkman cabinet smoker. Smokai 1 litre cold smoke unit (haven't got the bigger unit :-( ).
About 2.2 Kg fallow haunch. Bone in.
80 degree brine for about 4 1/2 hours. Used syringe to get brine to bone.
Didn't bother looking for lymphy things.
Hung a day to dry out.
Smoked for about 7 days but smoker kept going out. Will try the pellets next time.
Rubbed with duck fat then sealed in flour paste and cooked in oven.

Result?
Being consumed cold like a ham.
Strong smoke on outside, still noticeable in meat near bone.
Change to a different wood, maybe apple, instead of manuka not so strong. In hope of more even taste. (also found out manuka not the best cold smoking wood as it absorbs moisture).
Maybe rubbing oil on prior to roasting would soften surface a little more.
Still enjoying the result enough to try again.
Just working my way through river cottage no13 book. See what ideas that yealds.

If you didn't want to brine another option is a dry sugar cure - 1pt sugar to 1pt rock salt mixed with whatever aromatics you like (garlic, juniper berries, thyme, fennel seeds etc) and another type of smoke you could go for would be a tea smoke which is much less intense than a Manuka smoke - equally parts (volume) of jasmine tea, brown sugar and rice.


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