RECIPE: BBQ Rubbed Slow Roasted Butterflied Venison Leg
Smoky and deeply savory with just a touch of sweetness, this roast is a multifaceted treat. Eat it straight from the oven (or grill or smoker), let it cool, slice it for sandwiches like roast beef, or give it a quick sauté for tacos or burritos. It’s good eats any way you slice it. For medium-rare, remove the roast from the heat source when it has an internal temperature between 125- 130°. A digital meat thermometer is a great tool to help ensure temperature success. This recipe is for a 3 lb roast – adjust the rub recipe up or down accordingly if your roast is of a significantly different size.
Mark Cockcroft
Ingredients
- 1 Maui Nui butterflied venison leg, approximately 3 lbs.
- 1 Tbsp (15 g) fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika (or smoked paprika)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp ground juniper (optional)
- Neutral cooking oil
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix together all of the spices.
Prepare butterflied leg by trimming any visible sinew or silverskin from the roast. Cut the roast along the natural seams into smaller pieces that are roughly equal in thickness if desired for more even cooking. Then sprinkle the seasoning rub mixture all over the meat and pat down to make sure it’s adhering well.
Place the meat in a large plastic bag or container along with any excess rub and seal tightly. Place in the fridge and let cure for at least 2 days and up to 4 days, turning the pieces of meat over once a day.
You can roast, grill, or smoke the meat. To smoke: cook the meat at 200F (over indirect heat if using a gas or charcoal grill) until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast reaches 120F (2-3 hours for a 3lb roast). Let rest for 10-15 minutes before thinly slicing.
To roast (in the oven or on a grill): Preheat the oven or grill (set up a 2 zone fire) to 200F. Roast in the middle of the oven on a rack or over indirect heat on the grill until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast reaches 115F. Let rest for 15 minutes.
Give the roast a final quick sear to get a little color or char on both sides in a hot skillet with a bit of oil or brushed with a little oil on the hot side of the grill (crank the gas up if necessary).
*Note Make sure you don’t cook the meat too long or it will take the roast past the medium rare stage and could get tough as it is very lean.