Venison Pastrami...Help please

[coffee_junkie]

So I plan on making some, starting to cure tonight. I have a couple of questions though. I plan on following meat hunters thread to do this. I am having a problem finding some dried/ground juniper berries, I have found a juniper bush across the street that I can pick fresh for the cure/brine. Would it make a huge difference if I skipped the juniper berries in the dry rub?

 

[fire it up]

If you can't find them then just leave them out, it will still be perfectly fine.
Not sure about picking them off a bush, maybe it is fine, maybe not but I have no clue but no worries, until I recently got a bunch of juniper berries from a member here I only used them 2-3 times out of all the pastramis I have made.

 

[meat hunter]

Hey there Coffee, I don't think it would make that much difference. Go ahead and make it with what you have, but if you need some Juniper berries in the future, there a few places on ebay right now that sell them. You have a whole foods store in your area? Or as I call it, the hippie store LOL. Like a big organic store, they would surely have them. Just an idea. Good luck on the pastrami, can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[coffee_junkie]

I was wondering if I could substitute with some Gin??? Any thoughts?

 

[meat hunter]

I don't know if I'd do that. Granted, Gin is made with juniper berries, but not entirely. I think that would give an unpleasant taste to it. If you have not started the brine process and really want the berries, just hold off. Find them online, you could have them in a week?

 

[doctor phreak]

coffee i really dont have any input but i love pastrami and will keep a eye out to see how yours turned out....good luck.....
BTW ... your avatar really Phreaks me out.....Brrrrrr.....

 

[coffee_junkie]

I cant wait to try it. It has been on my to do list for quite some time.