With venison from the boss's December hunt, blueberries I picked from a local patch, blueberry ale brewed locally, and green onions from my makeshift front yard garden, this recipe is locavore certified! Don't beat yourself up too much if you're not able to acquire these exact ingredients locally — though we do encourage you to substitute things you can get locally (Pork from your local farmer/butcher, the wild ramps in your backyard, raspberries from the farmer's market?)...
Serves 6-8
- Ingredients -
3 lbs venison
(We used a lesser cut for this recipe since you're smoking low and slow)
6 oz
Fat Head's Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chili powder
Blueberry Barbecue Sauce
Garnish
a dozen or so blueberries
two sprigs green onions, chopped
- Tools -
Weston Smoker
wood chips (peach, apple, or cherry are ideal)
Soak your wood chips (for at least a half hour), fill the smoker's water bowl with hot water, and preheat your smoker to 200°F.
Rub the entire outside of the venison with a mixture of cinnamon and chili powder. Place it in an aluminum pan and pour the Bumble Berry into the bottom of the pan. Smoke 8-12 hours, until the venison falls apart and has a full, smoky flavor.
If you're making your BBQ sauce at the same time as the venison (we did), simply place a pan of the sauce in the smoker 4 hours before the venison should be done. Two birds, one stone.
Once the venison is fork tender, pull it apart with two forks, until completely shredded. Pour the Blueberry BBQ Sauce over top, then sprinkle with blueberries and onions. Serve immediately, hot.
