Smoke-roast venison leg

Use your flat based black iron pot to smoke a leg of venison on top of the stove or on coals next to your camping fire.

The meat is dry roasted in the cast iron pot  and at the same time it obtains a smoky flavour.  The only  requirement is a heavy, flat based pot, deep enough to contain the meat cut and a well fitted lid.  You will also need about one tablespoon of smoking wood shavings for food smoking(sold at most outdoor shops). Make a “bowl” for the wood shavings with tin foil. Put these on the base of the pot.  Place  a wire cake stand or trivet to stand the meat on over this, but not touching it.

Rub the meat cut with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice . Season the leg with a dry curing mix of salt, pepper, brown sugar, coriander a knifepoint of saltpetre (for a pink colour) and some bicarb of soda. Leave to stand for 4 hours before the cooking/smoking proses)

Place the seasoned meat on the wire cake stand.  Place a large sheet of tin foil over the pot then place the lid on – this is to ensure a good fit for the lid.

Put the pot on high heat and let it smoke for about  30 minutes.  Then reduce the heat to medium and allow it to cook tor a further 1 ½ hours .  Timing is correct for an average leg of about 1,5 kg  with the bone.  Use a meat thermometer . 60 Degrees celsius equals medium done.   Do not lift the lid during this time.  Do not add any liquid. 

Once cooked, remove the meat, the meat can be eaten hot but is even better eaten cold.  It has the characteristic pink hue of smoked meat but retains all the juiciness and does not dry out at all.