This St. Patrick's Day, enjoy all the flavor of the classic sandwich in a cheesy casserole
Corned Venison Reuben Casserole
30 Min
Prep Time
210 Min
Cook Time
5-7
Servings
Medium
Difficulty
A piled-high Reuben sandwich might be one of the more classic St. Patrick's Day meals. Corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and pickles make up the classic presentation. These same flavors blend well in casserole form, and it's even better when you substitute the beef for corned venison you have made yourself.
We use the same corning (brining) recipe we use for our venison pastrami. The cured venison roast gets slow braised in venison or beef stock for several hours until it's fork tender. Let it cool, then slice the roasts thinly across the grain.
If you can get your hands on some home-made sauerkraut, use it. If you have never tried fermenting at home, look into it. You will love the results. Until then, canned kraut works fine for the recipe.
Layer the ingredients in a 13 x 9 baking dish, then bake until everything is bubbly and the cheese on top is lightly browned and fully melted.
Ingredients
Brine
For 4 to 5 pounds of meat use
2 quarts of water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Instacure #1
1 cinnamon stick, broken
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
8 whole cloves
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried powdered ginger
Casserole
3 to 4 pounds corned venison roast
32 ounces beef broth
32 ounces sauerkraut, homemade or canned
4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1.5 cups chopped dill pickles
Dressing (recipe below)
Rueben Dressing
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon fresh grated horseradish or prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon paprika
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Cooking Instructions
You will have to plan about a week ahead of time for this one. Add the brine ingredients to a pot and bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir well and remove from heat. Allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
Trim the venison roasts well and add to a large glass or plastic container. Pour over the brine mixture, cover the container, and refrigerate for seven days, flipping the roasts in the brine once per day.
Once the venison has cured, rinse it well. Place the roasts in a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Pour on the venison or beef stock. Cover the pot and place into a 325-degree oven for 4 hours or until the venison is fork tender. Remove the roasts from the pot and allow to cool.
Blend the sauce ingredients.
To build the casserole, slice the corned venison roasts into thin slices across the grain. Assemble the casserole by adding a layer of sliced venison to the bottom of the dish, then sprinkle on half of the sauerkraut, half of the cheese and half of the pickles.
Spoon over half the sauce. Repeat the process in another layer with the remaining ingredients, ending with remaining cheese as the casserole topper.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and everything is cooked through.
