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Smoked Venison Tasso Ham
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Venison Tasso Ham

Spicy smoked venison ham inspired by classic Creole tasso. The rub recipe will make enough for about 5 lbs of ham.
Prep Time16 mins
Cook Time3 hrs
Dry-brining time8 hrs
Course: Charcuterie
Cuisine: American, Creole
Keyword: Charcuterie, Tasso, Venison ham

Ingredients

Rub

  • 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 Tbsp. ground sage
  • 1.5 Tbsp. dried thyme
  • 1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
  • 1/2 Tbsp. ground white pepper
  • 1/2 Tbsp. cumin seed

Ham

  • 2.5 lbs venison breast rib meat, or neck, in whole pieces at least 8-16 oz each. You can also use a whole leg muscle, trimmed of sinew.
  • 2 % Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp Instacure no1
  • ¼ cup maple sugar or brown sugar you can also brush the meat with warm honey before applying the spice mix as another option

Instructions

Rub

  • Toast the fennel, white pepper and cumin in a dry pan until aromatic, then grind and mix with the other rub ingredients and reserve.

Cure the meat

  • Season the venison with salt, sugar and instacure, mix well, then vacuum seal and allow to rest for 48 hours.

Smoking and finishing in the oven

  • Remove the meat from the smoker, pat dry, then lightly coat with the spice mix and smoke at 250F for 1.5 hours. Remove the meat from the smoker, warp tightly in parchment, and bake at 250 F for another 1.5 hours or until fork-tender. If you use a whole muscle from the leg, smoke it until it hits an internal temperature of 150F (you will not need to transfer it to the oven).