We used this recipe when we had a lot of venison. It works well with deer, elk, or beef.

For the brine:
2 quarts cool water
1 cup Tenderquick or Morton’s curing salt
3 tablespoons sugar
6 whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 clove of minced garlic
2 teaspoons mixed pickling spices

Pour brine over a 5- or 6-pound chunk of meat which has been placed in a stone crock or plastic container. Let stand at room temperature for 36 hours. Placing the meat in a heavy ziplock bag would probably work as well.

To cook, rinse the brine off and simmer gently until tender.

Add vegetables— carrots, onion, cabbage, rutabaga, and potatoes, and cook until they are done.

Grandpa Olson’s favorite meal was a boiled dinner like this although he usually used beef shortribs instead of corned beef.

He would cook a huge kettle full and never get tired of it, commenting that it got better each time he heated it up. Grandma didn’t always agree.