BBQ Smoked Venison

Preparation

• Bring 2 cups of water to a simmer and add salt, BBQ sauce, molasses, and BBQ rub and stir until the salt and rub dissolve.
• Remove the brine from the heat and allow it to cool a bit before adding the beer. Finally, add enough water to the brine to make 1 gallon and place it in the refrigerator or on ice to cool completely.
• Add the round roasts to a Ziploc bag and pour enough cold brine to thoroughly cover all the pieces. Squeeze out any excess air and place the Ziploc bag in a large bowl and place it in the refrigerator or in a cooler on ice for 2-3 days. This recipe will not use all brine, so the excess can be poured in a plastic jug and frozen for later use. The excess brine is great for chicken and pork, although I cut the soak time down to 12-24 hours for domestic meat.
• Once the brining time is complete, simply remove the deer roasts and place them on a sheet pan. Pat each piece lightly with paper towels and sprinkle with the BBQ rub and apply a light drizzle of cooking oil.
• Heat your smoker or grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit using fruit wood like cherry or apple.
• Add the venison and smoke for 2-4 hours depending on the size of the roast, until they hit and internal temperature of 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Allow roasts to rest on a cutting board for 20-30 minutes. Thinly slice the roasts against the grain and pile slice on a brioche bun with some fresh pickles and drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce.