Wild In The Kitchen: Venison Neck BBQ

Venison Neck BBQ

If you are like me, you don’t like to waste any part of the deer you harvest. For years when I cleaned a deer, the neck went into a bin for ground meat or straight into the trash can. That all changed when I sampled this incredible dish while in a hunting camp in Bullock County, Ala.

1 neck section, skinned

BBQ butt rub

2 cups apple juice

2 cups apple cider vinegar.

Skin the neck and remove any silver skin. Split one side of the neck lengthwise, and remove the windpipe. Wash the neck thoroughly, and rub down the inside and outside of the neck lightly with cooking oil. Rub the neck liberally, inside and out, with BBQ butt rub. Place five or six slices of bacon in the neck cavity, and bring the two neck halves back together. Wrap the outside of the neck with the remaining bacon. Tie the neck together with twine. Smoke at 225 degrees for two hours. Remove and put neck in an aluminum pan, and add apple juice and remaining vinegar. Seal tightly with foil, and cook at 225 degrees two more hours.