On making new friends, open-fire cooking and fresh venison meat.

It was mid-November, and I had hired Paige to come out to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. We were headed out to cook with some of my favorite clients, hunters on their private land who hunt elk, deer, grouse, mushrooms, and more. Naturally this made both of us excited: I grew up bow hunting deer and shooting pheasants with my family in the Midwest, so cooking for a group like felt close to home, personal and nostalgic.

They say it’s hard to make friends as an adult, but this one felt easy. I met Chef Paige at the beginning of last year through a client’s recommendation in Portland area: “She’s just like you!” Like many online friendships, we didn’t meet in person right away. After a long phone call getting to know each other, I knew I wanted to work with her.

Paige is the co-owner of Eat Marrow, a new company focused on bone marrow products. Their spreads and jams are infused with wild ingredients such as sea buckthorn, elderberry, and rosehips, adding depth and richness to a dish like this venison shoulder recipe. Curious to try it and support, I added it to a charcuterie board on the first night of service, but then ended up adding to so many dishes: a beef jus for roast beef sandwiches, sauce for venison steaks, and even mixing in to these delicious elk breakfast sausages.

All that aside, here is what I really wanted to share: The centerpiece of that last dinner was this fresh venison shoulder, which we dry-brined, smoked and braised for 24 hours - so worth it.

The hunters (our clients) were out bow hunting for deer, duck, grouse and bear - and they came back with three deer on the very first day. "One for each of the guys who were sent out to pasture".

Fresh meat is often very wet, so our first step was a dry brine. We combined equal parts sugar and salt with cumin, paprika, fennel seed, and cracked black pepper. The shoulder was rubbed thoroughly and left uncovered in the fridge overnight. This draws out excess moisture, tightens the proteins, and allows the salt and spices to penetrate the meat while creating a surface that caramelizes beautifully during cooking.

The next day we built a fire in the lodge hearth. I rigged a simple hanging setup with metal skewers and a clothes hanger so the venison could hang just to the side of the flames - close enough to smoke but far enough to avoid charring. For 4 1/2 hours we turned it periodically and brushed it with a rosemary brush dipped in a mixture of tallow and marrow from Paige’s stores. The fat helped the surface of the meat from drying out while it smoked gently.

After smoking/drying, we moved the shoulder indoors to the oven for a low and slow braise. Mirepoix, herbs, spices, and more marrow filled the pan with flavor, and we let the venison cook covered for another three and a half hours. By the end, the meat pulled apart effortlessly, rich and tender, infused with the depth of smoke and marrow.

The final dinner was beautiful. The venison was served with a reduction of the braising liquid, alongside fire-roasted squash, charred lemony broccoli, and garlic mashed potatoes. The pumpkin-polenta cake with vanilla cream and huckleberry jam will have to be a post of it’s own.

Twenty-four hours of patience and it was absolutely worth it. Want the whole recipe?

24-Hour Venison

Ingredients

For the Dry Brine:

• ½ cup kosher salt

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp fennel seed, lightly crushed

• ½ tsp cracked black pepper

For Smoking/Brushing:

• 2 tbsp beef tallow

• 1 tbsp bone marrow (or about 10% of tallow mixture)

• Fresh rosemary, for brushing

• Twine to wrap the rosemary into a brush

For the Braise:

• 2 cups mirepoix ( 2:1:1 onion, carrot, celery)

• Herbs: thyme, rosemary, bay leaf (leftover from brushing)

• 4 cups braising liquid (broth, wine, or a combination)

• Remaining tallow and marrow mixture

• Salt and pepper to taste (remember when reducing your sauce that it will become very salty, so be careful)

For Serving:

• Roasted squash

• Charred lemony broccoli

• Garlic mashed potatoes

• Reduction of braising liquid

Method

Dry Brine the Venison

1. Mix salt, sugar, cumin, paprika, fennel, and pepper.

2. Rub the venison shoulder generously with the mixture, covering every surface.

3. Place on a sheet tray with a rack, uncovered in the fridge overnight, or a minimum of 4 hours. This draws out excess moisture, tightens the proteins, and allows the salt and spices to penetrate the meat, while setting up a great surface for caramelization.

Smoke the Venison

1. Build a fire and create a hanging setup with metal skewers and a clothes hanger or similar rig.

2. Hang the venison just off to the side of the flames, close enough to smoke, far enough to avoid charring. If you have a proper smoker, go for it!

3. For 3-4 hours, turn occasionally and brush with a rosemary brush dipped in a mixture of tallow and marrow. This keeps the surface moist and enhances flavor. If you’re smoking in a smoker, flip and brush once per hour.

Braise Low and Slow

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).

2. Transfer smoked venison to a covered roasting pan, hotel pan or Le Cruiset dutch oven pot with mirepoix, herbs, spices, and remaining tallow/marrow mixture. A crock pot might work well in this instance too, but bringing it up to high temperature to start the cooking process might take more time, so add an additional 1-2 hours.

3. Add enough braising liquid to cover the meat in the pan. Cover the surface with a sheet of parchment to prevent evaporation, and cover tightly with a lid or tin foil.

4. Cook for 30 minutes to bring up to temperature, and then reduce the temp to 300°F (148°C). Braise for 3 more hours until the meat is tender and pull-apart ready.

Finish and Serve

1. Meat: Remove venison from the braising liquid and pull apart or slice.

2. Sauce: Reduce the braising liquid until nappe - dip a spoon into the sauce then pull it out and run your finger along it. Is it thick and doesn’t run over the line of the spoon? You have your sauce - taste it for salt level. Mount or emulsify a bit of the bone marrow jam, or cold cubed butter, into the sauce to make it rich and creamy.

3. Plate with fire-roasted squash, charred lemony broccoli, and garlic mashed potatoes. Drizzle with the reduced sauce.

Chef Notes:

• Patience is key—this is a 24-hour project from start to finish.

• The dry brine and smoke step are critical to building depth and complexity without overcooking or drying the meat.

• Using marrow and tallow throughout elevates richness and helps keep the shoulder succulent.

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Abigail