Smoked deer

[DarqMan]

Last Friday our group at work knocked off at noon and had a potluck cookout complete with adult beverages.  Since I've been doing so much better and still had the deer my boss gave me after my accident I decided to throw it on Thursday night and take it in. 

I didn't have time to do 10.5's brine, but I did inject it with about 1/4 bottle of CT and rubbed the outside down real good with a good dose of Salt Lick.  I put it on the Traeger with hickory pellets about 7:30pm.  I checked it at 12:30 before I went to bed and it was at an IT of 135.  I woke up at 3am to check and the IT was around 150.  I went back to bed and woke up at 7am and the IT was 165.  I FTC'd and put in a cooler where it stayed until the noon event.

At noon, when I unwrapped it, it was "steaming" hot and smelled so delicious.  Since this was my first deer (my boss calls it a "ham") I didn't know what to expect.  Well, it didn't last long.  I sliced about half and warned everyone the outter crust was super hot.  Just a few minutes later I was slicing the rest of it and it was gone.  I'll have to admit, for a first attempt it turned out better than I expected and the compliments sure boosted my ego.

Tonight, my boss gave my another one he got at deer camp this past weekend, although a bit smaller.  This time I'm not going to freeze it and do 10.5's brine.  Probably early next week i'll smoke it and take it in for the crew.

By the way, I got my bike back yesterday.  It looked and rode as good as new, but I'll have to admit, it was a bit nervous riding for the first time since the wreck.  I'm sure that will go away with time.... I did wear a helmet so that was comforting.

[DTAggie]

Steve, great to see you back here and even better to hear you are doing good and are back on the bike.  Sounds like the deer was a hit!

[classicrockgriller]

Who is this "Masked Man"? ;D

Glad to hear you are getting back to some kind of normal being!

Hope Mom is doing good also.

Been missing you!

BTW! In case you forgot ....... We like pics! ;D

Actually is great to see you post!

[hal4uk]

Hey Darq!  Good to see ya SMOKIN!

[SouthernSmoked]

Hey DarqMan!  Good to see you back!

[squirtthecat]

Awesome!  Welcome back!   What temps were you running the Traeger at?

[BuyLowSellHigh]

Looks like a mystery guest snuck in.    ;)

Welcome back Steve.  Good to see you're smoking and cooking again.

[Caneyscud]

Steve,

Congrats on the venison.  And good to see you around.  Sounds like you are mending well.  Bet getting up on that horse again wasn't easy.  Had a finish carpenter 5 years ago that went down and messed up his shoulder and face pretty good and messed up the bike pretty good also.  First time in 30 years of riding he had gone down hard.  He also was not wearing a helmet.  He also had long hair - down to his belt that got tangled up in the bike and a hunk had been torn out.  When he got back on the horse he said it wasn't too hard, but said it was the first time in 30 years he had ridden without long hair (he had cut it all off) and it felt weird!!!  I'm practicing imagining a wrapped package.  ;D

[DarqMan]

Awesome!  Welcome back!   What temps were you running the Traeger at?

Pat, I started it at 225 on P4 and then cut it back to "smoke" when I went to bed until 3am when I cranked it back to 225 until it came off.  I was just paranoid I wouldn't wake up at 3am to check it and didn't want to overcook but it all worked out well.

[DarqMan]

Steve,

Congrats on the venison.  And good to see you around.  Sounds like you are mending well.  Bet getting up on that horse again wasn't easy.  Had a finish carpenter 5 years ago that went down and messed up his shoulder and face pretty good and messed up the bike pretty good also.  First time in 30 years of riding he had gone down hard.  He also was not wearing a helmet.  He also had long hair - down to his belt that got tangled up in the bike and a hunk had been torn out.  When he got back on the horse he said it wasn't too hard, but said it was the first time in 30 years he had ridden without long hair (he had cut it all off) and it felt weird!!!  I'm practicing imagining a wrapped package.  ;D

Mike, I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I used to have long hair but started shaving when I bought my first bike in 2007.  I haven't shaved since the accident so the wound in my head can heal and I too have a "bald" spot where the pavement took a chunk of hair out.  I'm sure I'll get used to feeling comfortable riding again but it will probably take a little time.

Your gift should be there today.  Just imagine it's "Amazon" wrapping paper!  I hope you don't already have what I picked out and I hope you like it.  Merry Christmas my friend.

[DarqMan]

Who is this "Masked Man"? ;D

Glad to hear you are getting back to some kind of normal being!

Hope Mom is doing good also.

Been missing you!

BTW! In case you forgot ....... We like pics! ;D

Actually is great to see you post!

Thank you Sonny!  I've been missing you guys too. And I know, I should have taken pics but I can promise you it really happened ;D

Mom is doing much better. For those of you who didn't hear, two weeks after my accident my mother went in to have a stint put in.  They found her arteries were 99% blocked and promptly performed triple bypass.  The surgery went fine and then three days later they forced her to walk.  She fell down and went into cardiac arrest and we almost lost her. She was in the hospital three more weeks recoverying and then went to Jim Thorpe for therapy for a week.  She is now home recoverying and doing better.  

Did your box of goodies ever show up?  

[Tenpoint5]

Darq on the ham brine I will warn you the venison ham will REALLY TAKE ON the salt. When you slice it, make sure you slice it really thin. It will have the taste of chipped beef. Similar to the stuff you buy in a jar for $10 an ounce and you only get 4 tissue paper thin slices in it. But it will be good

[KyNola]

Welcome back Darq!  Good to have you back on here again.