venison jerky

[pj4]

we want to try make venison jerky and am looking for advice on diff. ways and reciepts that poeple have tried and liked. i did noticed at gander, they had several diff erent jerky packges for sale. has any one tried these?

[Guest]

I am curious about this same topic. I have tried several different recipes in a dehydrator and I either mess up the recipe or dry it too long. The last couple times I have liked the recipe but, ended up drying the meat too long, but every time I checked it, it doesn't "feel" done and then I must let it go too long. Anyway, if anyone has any tips I would appreciated them.

[This message has been edited by shoeclerk (edited 11-13-2003).]

[feverpetal]

The fact that you are using a dehydrator might have something to do with it... While they are good with fruit, meat is an entirely different topic. I enjoy all types of marinades, from simple saltwater to elaborate measured concoctions. But the meat always goes in the oven, on kabob sticks, overnight. The slight cooking imparts a more "real" flavor to the meat. At least, that's how I see it.

fp

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"Cast riiiiight....there."

[barebackjack]

After trying hi mountain several different times, I finally read the directions and it worked out great. I grind up my venison and use a jerky shooter, if you follow the simple directions that come with the ingredients I am sure you will be happy with the outcome. You can find the mix at gander mountain or various other places. Good luck

[Havin' Fun]

I use a dehydrator and love the venison. I cut my venison down to leave NO FAT OR TALOw. Than, slice it into thin strips.

I buy the dehydrator jerky mix, pour in some tomato juice, soy sauce, garlic powder and let the jerkey soak for 24 hours in the marinade. Than place on dehydrator and cover with pepper. I run on hi power and check quite ofter. Best if done on a saturday or sunday. Get up early, start it....and stay home and watch some football all day and check it every 30 minutes after 4 or 5 hours.

[huskminn]

I, too, have had good success with my dehydrator, although all dehydrators are not the same.

You can avoid some problems with over-drying by making sure that each strip of meat is the same thickness, width and length. Obviously, it's tough to get things so exact, but each one should finish at about the same time.

I've also had plenty of good jerky that's been done in an oven. This year I may try some smoked in my Weber.

Good luck!

[deerdragger]

I make a couple of batches of jerky each year for deer camp - here's what I've had luck with: Take the roast that your going to use out of the freezer and put it in the fridge for a day or so, that way it will still be good and frosty when you slice it - easier to get uniform slices. As for seasonings, I have two basic recipies...one is a maranade - 3 parts soy sauce, 1 part brown sugar, 1 part liquid smoke. A bottle of liquid smoke is usually a half a cup, so it works out as a 1/2 cup liquid smoke, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 cups soy sauce. Let the slices (I cut it across the grain) maranade for at least a day in the fridge. I then put the meat on the dehydrator (just a cheapie I got at Walmart) for about 12 to 14 hours. You have to check it frequently after about 10 hours or so, shuffle the trays and pick out any pieces that are already done.

A good way to tell if it's done is by tearing a piece between your fingers, it should still be pliable, but you shouldn't be able to see any moisture beads as you tear.

Another good recipie is a dry rub - 1 part crushed red peper, 1 part ground garlic powder, 2 parts cuyane pepper, 3 parts black pepper, 5 parts salt. Add about a teaspoon of "Tender Quick", a meat tenderizer/preservative that you can buy in the spice isle of your grocery store. Mix all these things together, sprinkle just a hair in each side of each meat slice, layering them into a tuperware container - separating each layer with wax paper, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. It's easy to put too much seasoning on each slice, which is fine if you like it hot - trial and error is the key.

The dry rub stuff dehydrates much faster (obviously) and needs to be checked after 4 or 5 hours.

[Sinker]

Deerdragger,that first recipe sounds pretty straightforward.I think I'll try it.I've been using a recipe that came with my dehydrator but it's time for something different.Your process sounds the same as mine.I'll rotate and restack the trays during the drying and remove pieces that are done before the others.I made some wild turkey jerky earlier this year from the one I got last fall.However,that time I used the oven because I've read that when making turkey jerky that it needs to be above 160 degrees for safety reasons.-Here's a tip for overdryed jerky:Mix up a little water and brown sugar in a small cup and brush both sides of the piece of jerky and put it back in the container in the fridge.Softens it pretty nicely.Take it easy.

[Royce Aardahl]

Jerky nut here. I've made it so many different ways I think I am preserved from eating so much of it. My favorite way buy far is with my American Harvestor dehydrator and High Mountain Jerky cure with ground venison. As a matter of fact I just mixed up 2 more pounds 20 minutes ago. Hickory blend with an extra Tea Spoon of pepper. mmmmm mmmmm mmmmmmmmmm! Cures overnight and goes on the machine in the a.m. One way to make nice big jerkies is to use a tupperware hamburger press. 1/3 cup for each one. Press it out with a spoon works best. Then bang it on the table on some plastic wrap and put it on the machine. 5 racks and 25 jerkies with 4 pounds of meat. I just started using the jerky shooter and it works great also. Thinner jerkies so drying time is cut in half. 6 racks and lots of strips with 2 pounds of meat. Shrinkage is usually about half. High mountain has a lot of variety also. Price is good also. 7 bucks for spice that will do 15 pounds or so.

[Royce Aardahl]

Just starting to use the jerky shooter and another lesson learned this a.m. Put a small piece of wax paper on table and shoot the jerky on it. 3 quick squeezes you get a 5 inch jerky. Let the wax paper move with the jerky. Then flip it on the tray. Much easier than shooting it on the trays and I went from 6 trays to 4 trays with a thicker jerky. I'm starting to like this shooter. Taste test time in 7 hours.

[Guest]

Thanks for all of the ideas! Looking forward to giving it a shot.

[bigdog]

If you are looking for a good mix try Slice and spice. Have it at Coborns and at spicenslice.com. This is the best mix I have tried for regular jerky and the jerky shooter type jerky.

[Redlantern]

I have a jerky shooter. It is made of plastic. I also washed it in the dishwasher. The water was too hot and distorted the tube. I suggest washing them by hand.

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Erik

[Royce Aardahl]

spicenslice looks a little spendy. Over a buck to a pound of meat. High Mountain is about 45 cents. At Coborns also.

[BLACKJACK]

One thing I don't like about the jerky shooter is that it seems like the slices are too thin, looking for one that has wider slots. But as someone pointed out, it does dry faster. Nowadays I just put my burger jerky between two pieces of wax paper and roll it/pat it to the thickness I like, then cut it into slices with a knife.

Like that idea of doing the tupper ware hamburger press, will need to try that.

For the question about getting your jerky too dry, try to get uniform slices and let your test piece of jerky cool on the counter for 20 minutes, jerky hot out of the dehydrator will appear wetter. And if you still get it too dry, use the old too dry weed trick, put a slice of bread or orange peel in with your stash (jerky).

Any good ideas on slicing meat to get uniform slices?? I've done some cutting by hand, tried freezing it partly, but you always end up with some thin pieces and some thick pieces. Been looking at one of those slicers, but hard to justify the cost....

[loosegoose]

I have used the high mountain mix as well as some other marinade recipes that I've gotten from the web. There are tons of them out there. I do muscle jerky, cut up roasts or steaks with a meat slicer, marinade it over night and I do mine on a charcoal smoker with hickory wook chips, very tasty and it doesn't take very long at all. Depending on temperature a batch may only take a couple of hours. I have learned to not get it too dry on the smoker, if it's too wet let it dry on the counter for a few hours after smoking.