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As a kid, we always got our lunch meat from the deli counter at the local grocery store. These days it is more of prepackaged meats from the cooler, all under the guise of convenience or affordability. I am not the most health-conscious eater, but I know that those prepackaged containers of meat are packed with tons of sodium and preservatives. The larger our family gets, making meals in bulk is becoming more and more common. Smoking venison is a great way to go for making a lot of meals for today, tomorrow, and 3 months from now! It can be sliced fresh and/or frozen whole. The venison can be thawed later down the road, which saves a ton of time when you are on the go like us. Try smoking your larger roasts this coming fall and see how much more you enjoy eating lunch meat sandwiches, or “toasted sandwiches” as my wife likes to call them. You will save money and smoking meat gives you a lot of flexibility for other applications as well.
Total prep time: 10 minutes
Total cook time: 1.5-2 hours
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 large venison roast (~2lbs.)
- 2 tbsp. of mayo or mustard (binder)
- Seasoning/Rub of choice
Creamy Horseradish Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp. mayo
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. prepared horseradish
- Pinch or 2 of fresh cracked pepper
- Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Rub your roast with binder of choice, such as mayo. Season your venison roast with your favorite seasoning. We like Hi Mountain Venison Rub or RELOAD Magnum blend. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees and smoke venison until an internal of ~135 degrees. This may only take a little more than an hour on smaller one-pound roasts and closer to 2-3 hours on larger cuts from elk, moose, etc. If you like it a little more med rare, shoot for 128-132 degrees. Remove from the smoker and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes, and longer for larger cuts (this is important so that the meat retains its juiciness). After resting, you can chill in the fridge overnight and slice cold. Once rested or chilled, slice to desired thickness. Our family prefers super thin. We like to use our LEM Products 8.5 Big Bite Slicer to get that deli counter consistency. Serve on bread or a bun (toasted or not) with your favorite toppings and drizzle the creamy horseradish sauce over the top. Fresh refrigerator pickles really set it off too!
--Wild Game Cook
