Venison is among the leanest of red meats, flavorful but more healthful than beef because of its low fat content. This attribute also means it often dries out, especially when cooked for a long period of time. However, the long cooking times at low temperatures associated with smoking meat on a backyard barbecue work well with venison neck roasts if you create a moisture barrier with a dry rub and introduce some fat into the cooking process.
Dry-rub and Wood Chip Prep
Step 1
Place the venison neck roast on a clean baking sheet and work the dry-rub seasonings over the meat generously with your hands, covering all surfaces with a thin crust.
Step 2
Cover the meat tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the roast overnight, letting the seasonings soak into the meat.
Step 3
Mix the hickory and mesquite wood chips together in a large plastic bowl or bucket about an hour before cooking time and fill the vessel with enough water to either submerge or float all chips. Leave the wood to soak.
Smoking the Neck Roast
Step 1
Wrap the seasoned neck roast in bacon on the day of smoking, forming a bacon cover over all venison surfaces. The bacon fat keeps the lean venison moist during cooking. Refrigerate the wrapped roast until making ready the grill fire.
Step 2
Open all firebox and grill vents and chimneys to their widest positions for maximum air flow. Open the main grilling chamber hatch and remove and set aside the cooking grate.
Step 3
Place five or six handfuls of natural lump charcoal into the top chamber of the chimney starter, and crumple up two sheets of newspaper into the starter's lower chamber. Place the starter atop the coal grate inside the main grilling chamber and light the newspaper from below.
Step 4
Wait 20 minutes for the coals to fully ignite before dumping the lit coals into the side firebox and closing the firebox hatch.
Step 5
Place the foil roasting pan atop the coal grate inside the main grilling chamber before placing the cooking grate back into position.
Step 6
Place the bacon-wrapped neck roast atop the cooking grate, directly above the foil roasting pan, and close the grill lid. Open the firebox hatch and toss two handfuls of wet wood chips atop the lit coals, then close the hatch.
Step 7
Monitor the temperature gauge of the main grilling chamber for about 20 minutes, adjusting grill vents and chimneys until reaching a steady cooking temperature of 250 degrees.
Step 8
Add two handfuls of charcoal to the firebox every hour and a handful of wet wood chips every 30 minutes to maintain heat and smoke levels. Smoke the roast for about eight hours before removing, carving and serving.
Tips and Warnings
- Don't skip the bacon wrap or dry-rub seasoning. The dry-rub creates a moisture barrier that actually pulls juices back into the meat during cooking, and the bacon supplies extra flavor and moisture. Throwing wet wood chips into a charcoal fire may sound strange, but this step is essential for maximum smoke flow. Wet wood creates more smoke and thus more flavor. Dry chips burn up quickly and produce little smoke.
- Never handle hot chimney starters, grill hatches or vents without protective mitts or gloves. Use long-handled grilling utensils when moving or removing meat from grills or smokers.
Things You'll Need
- Venison neck roast
- Dry-rub seasoning (salt and pepper based)
- Baking sheet
- Plastic wrap
- 1 lb. mesquite wood chips
- 2 lbs. hickory wood chips
- Large plastic bowl or bucket
- 1 lb. bacon
- Barrel-style grill with offset firebox
- Large bag natural lump charcoal
- Charcoal chimney starter
- 2 full sheets newspaper
- Long butane grill lighter
- Foil roasting pan
