Air-Dried Venison

By Mike Swan

Ingredients

The curing mix to use for a 1.5kg fillet contains about 50g of salt, 5g saltpetre, 25g sugar, 1½ teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon each fresh chopped thyme and rosemary and half a dozen crushed juniper berries.

Method

Trim the meat and rub in half of the seasoning. Then refrigerate for a week, in an air tight plastic container, turning every couple of days. After this, pour off the liquid and pat dry, then rub in the second half of the cure, and repeat the process. Now rinse, pat dry, and leave at room temperature for a few hours, until a salt glaze (pellicle) begins to form. Tie with string and hang in a cool larder or similar to dry slowly for about 3 weeks, till the weight has dropped to about 1kg. Do not try to find the coolest place; the atmosphere in my garage in December was too cool and damp, with the result that it started going mouldy.

Depending on the atmosphere, drying could continue further, so once the two thirds weight is reached it is time to ear or refrigerate. If the weight loss has been quick, the meat could be under cured in the middle, so it is best closely wrapper and left in the fridge till the three weeks ‘drying time’ have elapsed. It will keep much longer than this and I have kept a ‘hunk’ for three months.

To eat, slice very thinly across the grain. A few slices served with salad leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice makes a delicious starter, but this stuff is pretty good.

Return to recipes page