Venison- Sous Vide then smoke, or smoke first?

[Basher]

One of my staff has kindly given me a leg of red deer today from a young hind he shot last weekend and dragged out of the bush.

It's a good chunk of meat with bone in.

I'm thinking a dry rub and sous vide first, then chilled, then into a hot kamado for a little bark and smoke. (sorry Dennis, I still have an imposter in my yard while I'm working through the learnings of freighting in a KK)

Or would you smoke first then sous vide? Not sure there is enough fat in venison to effectively pull it apart.

Anyone successfully cooked a lump of venison?

It was handed to me wrapped in a garbage bag covered in ice. It was bigger than i thought and had to cut it up to fit in my vac bags.

I'm not a butcher!

Wanted to get it all in the same bag. 

Oiled to meat to help the rub stick and also to open the spices up at 60c( 140f)

 

Including generous amounts of the new Purple Crack- thank for the tip into this.

Its now bagged and sitting in the cold room. Planning to chow into it 40 hours from now.

 

Edited May 17, 2019 by Basher

[Pequod]

Not venison, but I’ve done tri tip the first way with great results. Best way to do tri tip in my opinion.

sous vide, then chill, then smoke at low and slow temps (under 275F), pull it 15 degrees below desired internal temp, sear. 

[Basher]

Thanks Pequod. I have two concerns.

1. This meat is extremely lean and can dry out quickly

2. I'm cooking on an imposter and have little confidence that I can hold the temp low for a long period.

[Aussie Ora]

I reckon a deer leg is a bit like a roo leg . Both are lean after the sous vide I would just sear

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[Tyrus]

Well it's already cut up but you had 3 roasts there... bottom round, top round and the eye considering that was the femur. You have a good friend, and I'm sure it will be a meal quite unlike any other.  In the sous vide for this type of meat I wouldn't go over 125 if your going to put some smoke on, meat when pulled should be 130-140 on grill.  Searing at the end as The Aussie said may be your best bet.  Rule of thumb indicates tender pieces are to be cooked at high temp to 130-140, anymore and it will dry out. good luck

[Basher]

I hear you Aussie Ora. Very similar to roo

Tyrus thanks for this advice. I've worked with this colleague for close to 30 years and yes he has been a good friend and mentor from when I was starting out. 

I'm going to run with your instruction and tone the sous vide down 52C( 126f) and maybe extend my sear time, only by a few minutes.

As mentioned, I can get the smoke into it, just leaking a bit with my ability to stabilize temps with the imposter.

Yes I know I've butchered the leg ( when aussies say we've butchered something it means we have killed it, it's an aussie slang, not a good thing) Started out as the hind leg of a hind. Who knows by the time I've finished with it.

The meat felt good, tender and it has been suggested this deer was not an old stag. I'm feeling the pressure to do it justice with the cook. It'll be fun.

Given the quantity of meat, it's a good excuse to invite some friends around.

[tony b]

Per an old saying in the theatre - "Break a leg, kid!" Can't wait to hear how it turns out. 

[Basher]

This cook ended up melting tender.

Cooked the shank at a slightly higher temperature wanting to melt some connective tissue.

The main part could be cut with forks

[tony b]

Yeah, I'd eat that! 

[Tyrus]

Nice color, nice bark and you said you were going to share, Frere.