How to Make Venison Jerky
One of the easiest ways to use venison (or any lean meat) is to make jerky. Jerky is dried meat that has been flavored with some basic ingredients. Adding cure as a preservative is a good idea, however it is not always included with every recipe. The salt in the soy sauce is a cure as well. Remember that you will need to use lean meat with as much fat trimmed off as possible. Fat becomes rancid and can’t be used for jerky.
Equipment Needed
There are several options. A food dehydrator, smoker, or oven all work well. A food dehydrator is fairly easy to use. The oven option can be messy, but works well. If you are familiar with smokers, then smoking and drying out the jerky is a good option. A cutting board and sharp knife will be needed, unless you have a slicing machine.
The Process
Place the lean venison in a freezer until the meat is nearly frozen. This is going to make slicing it uniformly, much easier. Try to make the meat as uniform in thickness as possible. This will assure all the jerky finishes close to the same time. While the meat is setting up in the freezer, mix your wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients. Make sure the sugar and honey are completely dissolved before adding the remaining ingredients. Once all the ingredients are dissolved and thoroughly mixed, you are ready to slice the meat. Take the meat out of the freezer and slice into uniform pieces. If you have a slicer, it will be much faster. If a slice is not available, use a sharp knife and do the best you can. Take the sliced meat and place it in a large bowl, mixing and coating the meat thoroughly. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, overnight is best, if you have the time. After the meat has been marinating in the spices, place it in a pasta type drainer and let some of the liquid run off the meat. Place in your food dehydrator and give it some time. Be patient and try not to open and close the doors.
Ingredients (experiment and find out what you like most, the possibilities are endless)
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Garlic and onion powder
- Paprika
- Black pepper
- Crushed red pepper
- Pink curing salt
- Lemon juice
- Liquid smoke
- Worchester sauce
- Soy sauce
- Apple cider
