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Art Eatman · October 8, 1999, 09:11 PM

I've always been partial to roasts. I've done this with one of these little store-bought cooker-dealies, but a real backyard barbecue pit works best.

If you're picky about what sort of deer you shoot, you don't need any of that marinating and whatnot that ruins the flavor. Wine and all that...

So, takin' a deer ham and pressin' on regardless, I work up a basting mix. The mix is generally different every time, 'cause I never remember what I put in it last time. I use the cheapest BBQ sauce from any grocery. Add maybe a half a stick of butter, slop in some Lea & Perrins Whigglewiggy and a cup of water, maybe. A dash of oregano or such and a good dusting of fresh-ground black pepper. Keep it hot enough to stay all blended together...ADD NO SALT!!!

The Fire: The whole deal is heat control, and for me, using mesquite is a given. I use a mix of oak, mesquite and charcoal briquets and get a very hot bed of coals for the start. I sear both sides, basting and turning every three to five minutes until a crust builds up. Then spread the coals until you have the equivalent of a 300-degree oven. Put some green or half-dry and some dry mesquite at the edges for smoke. Keep some briquets burning, off to the side, to add as necessary to keep the coals from getting cold during the three to four hours of cooking time.

Using tongs--no forks!--I turn the meat every fifteen to twenty minutes; about a beer's worth of time. Baste, each time. It is important to keep the cook lubricated, and an occasional small dribble of beer on the meat won't hurt anything--I learned by accident...

First time out, use a meat thermometer, and at around 150 to 155 in the center, it's as done as is needed. 160 is pretty much well done...A 10- to 12-lb roast off a small young whitetail will take about three to three & a half hours.

But, well done or not, it will be juicy! It will not be dry, since there's no salt in the basting mix, and the tongs don't allow the meat to bleed.

I did maybe 25 or 30 of these, and had a standing offer that if anybody didn't like it, I'd cook a filet for them. Haven't yet had to learn how to cook a steak...

Goes well with red beans, rice pilaf, tossed salad, beer, tequila; or even Sangria Wine or Backslider's Wine, according to a couple of old folkies...

Daggonit, I done went and made myself hungry!

, Art

October 8, 1999, 09:11 PM	#19
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	I've always been partial to roasts. I've done this with one of these little store-bought cooker-dealies, but a real backyard barbecue pit works best. If you're picky about what sort of deer you shoot, you don't need any of that marinating and whatnot that ruins the flavor. Wine and all that... So, takin' a deer ham and pressin' on regardless, I work up a basting mix. The mix is generally different every time, 'cause I never remember what I put in it last time. I use the cheapest BBQ sauce from any grocery. Add maybe a half a stick of butter, slop in some Lea & Perrins Whigglewiggy and a cup of water, maybe. A dash of oregano or such and a good dusting of fresh-ground black pepper. Keep it hot enough to stay all blended together...ADD NO SALT!!! The Fire: The whole deal is heat control, and for me, using mesquite is a given. I use a mix of oak, mesquite and charcoal briquets and get a very hot bed of coals for the start. I sear both sides, basting and turning every three to five minutes until a crust builds up. Then spread the coals until you have the equivalent of a 300-degree oven. Put some green or half-dry and some dry mesquite at the edges for smoke. Keep some briquets burning, off to the side, to add as necessary to keep the coals from getting cold during the three to four hours of cooking time. Using tongs--no forks!--I turn the meat every fifteen to twenty minutes; about a beer's worth of time. Baste, each time. It is important to keep the cook lubricated, and an occasional small dribble of beer on the meat won't hurt anything--I learned by accident... First time out, use a meat thermometer, and at around 150 to 155 in the center, it's as done as is needed. 160 is pretty much well done...A 10- to 12-lb roast off a small young whitetail will take about three to three & a half hours. But, well done or not, it will be juicy! It will not be dry, since there's no salt in the basting mix, and the tongs don't allow the meat to bleed. I did maybe 25 or 30 of these, and had a standing offer that if anybody didn't like it, I'd cook a filet for them. Haven't yet had to learn how to cook a steak... Goes well with red beans, rice pilaf, tossed salad, beer, tequila; or even Sangria Wine or Backslider's Wine, according to a couple of old folkies... Daggonit, I done went and made myself hungry! , Art