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1
For the brine, bring all those ingredients to a boil and then chill completely. After it is cold, strain out the spices and immerse the elk in the liquid. Continue to brine in the fridge or a cool environment.
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2
After 3 days, remove the shoulder. Crush the black pepper, coriander and fennel seed and rub the spices into the elk, covering it completely.
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3
Smoke the shoulder (I used mesquite, but there are any number of possibilities) at 150-180 degrees until the internal temperature of the elk reaches 145. I give you the variation because I am not BBQ master enough to keep the temperature solid. This can take as little as an hour on the side of your grill, or 8 hours using colder smoke. The longer you do it, the more tender it will be - and the smokier.
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4
Next, set your oven to 280. Cover the bottom of a deep pan with an inch of water, place a bowl or a rack in the bottom of the pan so your elk can sit above the liquid. Set the elk on its rack or pedestal, cover the pan tightly with tin foil and put in the oven for 3 hours, or until the elk is falling off the bone.
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5
You can serve the pastrami right away, or let cool and then re-steam to serve the next day.
