Venison Jerky
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Venison Jerky
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| Servings |
| 3lbs meat |
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Ingredients
- 3lbs venison — Whole muscle roast, trimmed well and sliced, or ground
- 3tsp salt — table or canning/pickling (be mindful that 1 Tbsp = 3 tsp… it’s easy to ruin a batch)
- 1tsp cure — Instacure or Prague Powder #1
- 1tsp onion powder
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1tsp black pepper — fine ground
- to taste black pepper — coarse ground. Partially for appearance.
- 2liquid oz soy sauce — ( 2 oz = 1/4 cup)
- 2.7liquid oz Worcestershire sauce — (2.7 oz = 1/3 cup)
- 1tsp Cayenne Pepper — to taste, this amount is a suggestion only. I usually double it.
- 1Tbsp liquid smoke — Optional. Omit if drying with smoke.
Instructions
- Mix ingredients except meat well in a glass, plastic or glazed crockery bowl.
- Add the meat and mix. With sliced meat take care to see that all meat surfaces get covered. This can take a little manipulation.
- Cover and store in the fridge from 1-3 days. Mix a little a couple of times a day.
- Place meat on the drying racks of your smoker or dehydrator. If using an oven try a cooling rack. If using ground meats you should use a “jerky gun” designed to extrude the jerky into uniform thickness and width.
- Dry in either a smoker, a dehydrator, or a low oven with the door very slightly propped open. Use only dehydrators with a fan and a thermostat. For safe processing, start with 160°F until all the meat has come up to that temperature – an hour should be plenty. Then drop to 150°F and dry until it is has a firm texture, but before it cracks when bent. The time varies widely depending on humidity, thickness, and your smoker or dehydrator. 4-8 hours is typical. Check it periodically.
- If there is any fat pooled on the surface, pat the pieces dry with a paper towel while still warm. Let cool before packaging.
- Jerky can be stored long term in many ways. Best is refrigerated in a sealed jar or plastic bag.
Recipe Notes
USDA instructions for safe Jerky processing available at:
fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety