# Smoked duck and Vension ribs



## sapper299 (May 7, 2020)

Had some ducks given to me. I doubt these were "wild" but farm raised and free to roam as they were pretty fatty, unlike most of the ducks I get hunting. Anyway, I decided to smoke them with a maple and soy glaze and threw on some venison ribs while I was at it, from last years buck. Turned out fantastic.


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## kruizer (May 7, 2020)

Looks mighty fine.


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## Blues1 (May 7, 2020)

They really do look good1


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## jaxgatorz (May 7, 2020)

Looks great !!!


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## buzzy (May 7, 2020)

Both look real good. Be very interested in details on doing the ribs? I've tried doing them in the oven but never turned out good enough for me to take time to smoke them.  Yours look awesome.
Thanks


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## flatbroke (May 7, 2020)

Looks really nice


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## sapper299 (May 7, 2020)

On the ribs. Its real hit and miss each year.I butcher all my own game, so I can make sure I leave as much meat on the ribs as I can. Just treat them like lean spare ribs, smoke low and check often. Wrap when they start to dry out, glazing with some kind of sauce to add moisture and continue to cook until they get as done as you like. I am not a big fall off the bone type so mine have a little chew left.


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## Winterrider (May 7, 2020)

Yum. . . All I can say.


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## one eyed jack (May 7, 2020)

Ducks are looking great.  I used to low and slow them regularly, but that was 35 years ago.

Seems they've gotten mighty expensive, in the grocery stores.


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## jcam222 (May 7, 2020)

All looks great. Sooner or later I’d like to try smoking both those myself.


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## bertman (May 7, 2020)

Venison ribs. Seriously? You need to share more.


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## sapper299 (May 8, 2020)

First off, these only seem to work well with deer from the Southern/Western states. Northern deer have way too much tallow to get away with cooking like this unless they are eaten right away while still hot. If they cool, its like eating a candle. As you can see in the pictures, these are more the St Louis style cut. I cut straight across the ribs about 2 inches below the loin/backstrap with a hand saw. The rib plate that is left is trimmed up, any broken bones are sawed off clean and all the hanging scraps are removed for grind meat. If i did my part, there should not be a lot of damaged meat in this area with the exception of the front most end of the ribs. If you can get away with it, a head shot saves a lot of waste and kills instantly.. When you skin out the deer, take your time, use a very sharp knife and just remove the hide and the topmost layer of fat, just under the skin, as you skin it out. This leaves as much meat on the ribs as possible. Sometimes, like this buck, its thicker than most pork ribs. I don't like to brine red meat, but a salt water soak for a couple hours to help remove any blood left in the vessels is worth the effort. Then, just salt and pepper and pop in the smoker. I have an Oklahoma Joe that has been modified with a taller stack, a 90 degree elbow inside to draw the smoke at the grate level and a steel plate with gradually larger holes to diffuse the heat from the fire box so I don't have a hot spot right inside the smoker box.  Smoke until the surface starts to look dry and a bark is forming. Caution here, if you allow a lot of bark to form, you have already gone too far and the meat will be dry and almost inedible. You want the meat to be smoky, but not leather, so wrap earlier than you normally would and always include some form of moisture and a little oil or butter- the fat will not evaporate as steam if your foil is not fully sealed like other liquids will. One other thing to remember is these always get smoked as a rack or they will dry out in less than an hour and be ruined. Remove the ribs when they feel firm and done to your liking. If you like a medium rare rib roast like meat, pull it at 135-140, if you want smoky ribs with a little chew, pull at 180. If they go over 190, they will be fall off the bone tender- good for pulled venison filling for sandwiches or a pasta sauce.


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## archeryrob (May 11, 2020)

sapper299 said:


> First off, these only seem to work well with deer from the Southern/Western states. Northern deer have way too much tallow to get away with cooking like this unless they are eaten right away while still hot. If they cool, its like eating a candle.



I agree, I am in Maryland and our deer eat a lot of clover, soy and corn. Fat is an understatement. I shot does last year that had almost 3/8" layer of fat on the rump and the flank on the ribs had fat over and under it. I rendered some of that fat and flank was being saved for the dog as treats. I ate one as it looked good and it greased the entire roof of my mouth. Deer fat makes good candles and black powder bullet lube and won't spoil if left out for months/years. BUT it doesn't taste worth a damn.


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## daveman92789 (May 11, 2020)

Ahh yes i love vension ribs. I myself butcher all of my game exspecially vension. Brats, Kielbasa, summer sausage, snack sticks, burger you name it I've probably turned venison into it. Just last week i smoke a vension rack and wish i had a better picture. I marinaded mine in Allegro Game Tame for 2hrs, dry rubbed using mustard as a binder and smoked them. 3hrs unwrapped and 2hrs wrapped. When i wrapped i just added butter. I went to about 185ish with them.... It passed the bite test... In the picture below you can see a little smoke ring but you can also see just how juicy the meat is.


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