Deer season is the perfect season.

This magical time of 12 months brings out chef-level creativity in hunters hoping to hone their cooking expertise, however many are cautious of dehydrating their venison. This isn’t so stunning—making deer jerky is daunting for those who’ve by no means carried out it earlier than. 

Fortunately, I’m right here to assist break the method down into bite-sized chunks. Observe the instructions beneath for a whole information to creating venison jerky at house, together with a customizable marinade recipe for a mouth-watering dose of smoky warmth. 

Supplies to Make Deer Jerky

Making jerky is among the best methods to protect meat, but it surely isn’t the quickest. You’ll most likely want at the least two days to finish the method. Most of that point is hands-off, however prep can get messy. There are some things you’ll want to start out with:

• Venison: You want deer to make deer jerky, and chances are you’ll want greater than you suppose. Dehydrating meat can cut back its weight by over 50%, so I like to recommend beginning with at the least a pound. All the time use super-lean cuts to make jerky since fats doesn’t dehydrate properly. I’m keen on neck meat, although flank and leg are additionally standard selections. 
• Dehydrator: You should utilize any dehydrator that’s rated for making jerky. I take advantage of the Nesco Snackmaster Encore and discover it fairly dependable and straightforward to work with. When you don’t have a dehydrator, you should use an oven. 
• Marinade: You’ll want a marinade to tenderize your deer jerky and add taste. You should utilize my recipe beneath or create a concoction to suit your tastes. 
• Knife: Use a paring knife to trim the meat and a butcher knife to slice it. Remember that it’s exhausting to attain the ultra-thin cuts you want for jerky. A boring blade gained’t do the job, so sharpen your knife properly earlier than you start.
• Paper towels: Towels are a should. I choose single-use paper napkins as a result of I’m not into washing blood and hair from towels, however extra sustainable households can use dish towels. 
• Storage containers: Sealable hermetic containers are a should for correct storage. You should utilize Ziploc luggage or Tupperware, however Mylar luggage with oxygen absorbers will protect dry items the longest.

Smoky Chipotle Marinade Recipe

I like this marinade! It provides a strong smoky taste minimize with sugary sweetness and simply the correct amount of tangy spice. The next recipe is sweet for one or two kilos of meat, however you possibly can simply double it for extra jerky. Right here’s what you’ll want:

• ½ cup liquid aminos 
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. liquid smoke
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. mustard
• 1 tsp. floor black pepper
• 1 tsp complete peppercorns
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• ½ tsp. chipotle powder
• 4 tbsp. sugar

Combine your marinade solely whenever you’re prepared to start the jerky-making course of. Mix all of the substances in a big bowl and whisk properly, making certain the sugar has dissolved absolutely. Retailer your marinade within the fridge till you’re prepared so as to add the meat. 

The venison doesn’t need to be swimming within the marinade for taste. If the liquid doesn’t absolutely cowl the meat, that’s okay. You possibly can add two or three tablespoons of water to stretch it or just stir it up manually each few hours. In the long run, you’ll have some marinade liquid left over. Don’t apply it to a second batch of jerky as a result of it would style horrible and will trigger pathogen switch. 

Word you can add, subtract, and mess around with ingredient ratios to suit your tastes. Creating your individual jerky marinade is simple and enjoyable, but it surely’s totally different from a primary marinade of spices, salt, acid, and oil.

You don’t want the oil right here since it could possibly shorten jerky’s shelf life, so add it provided that you intend to eat all of your jerky instantly. 

The right way to Make Deer Jerky

1. Trim the Meat

Trimming the meat is a necessary first step. You need to take away any hair, tendons, fats caps, and pesky silverskin hanging on to the muscle. Tendons and silverskin aren’t edible. They might trigger the meat to twist throughout dehydration, and their texture will damage the standard of the ultimate product. 

Fats is edible and will make jerky style higher, but it surely causes dried meat to spoil shortly. Particularly for those who plan on long-term storage, correct trimming is significant.

2. Freeze the Meat

You don’t have to freeze the meat, however I extremely suggest it. Wild sport like deer typically carries trichinella parasites, which might make you very sick. You possibly can kill the parasites by freezing the meat for at the least 30 days. 

For most individuals, freezing isn’t a problem. When you’ve bagged an enormous one, you may have a number of meat and can doubtless freeze at the least a portion of it anyway, so simply wait a month or two after harvest.

When you don’t have a freezer, it’s best to start making your jerky as quickly as doable after you butcher and trim the meat to safeguard your self towards contamination. 

3. Slice the Meat

Take the venison out of the freezer and let it defrost barely, however not solely. Partially frozen meat is tougher than defrosted meat. The firmness makes it a lot simpler to slice, particularly in very skinny strips like we would like for jerky. 

How skinny must you go? That is determined by your private choice. I prefer to slice mine ¼-inch thick, although some choose thinner or thicker slices. When you minimize it a lot thicker, it would take perpetually to dehydrate and will by no means dry totally. 

There’s additionally the problem of route. Slicing with the grain offers a chewier, more durable jerky. It can additionally allow you to trim away any intramuscular fats you discover contained in the meat. Slicing towards the grain will sever the muscle fibers, making jerky rather more tender. I prefer it each methods, however many individuals have stronger preferences. 

4. Shock the Meat

Don’t fear—stunning doesn’t require electrical energy. Merely fill a bowl with water and ice, then put your pre-cut meat inside. Go away it for 5 or ten minutes to soak within the water. Stunning is an elective step, however I wouldn’t suggest skipping it. 

Soaking meat in chilly water attracts extra blood from the flesh. Even for those who dressed and drained your kill completely, there’s nonetheless plenty of blood within the muscle. Deer blood provides venison its gamey taste, which will get rather more concentrated because the meat is dried. 

Even for those who like a little bit of gaminess, it could possibly get very overwhelming in absolutely dehydrated meat. Stunning the meat reduces that gamey taste and permits your marinade to shine by. 

5. Marinate the Meat

After you shock it, take the sliced meat from the ice tub and put it within the marinade. Cowl the dish with tin foil, then go away it to marinate within the fridge in a single day. It ought to sit within the marinade for at the least 12 however not more than 24 hours. Why is timing so necessary right here?

The marinade provides taste and tenderizes the meat by breaking down its muscle fiber. Since venison is so robust already, this can be a important step—jerky that hasn’t been marinated for lengthy sufficient feels and tastes like the only of an previous shoe.

Alternatively, over-marinating meat will truly break down an excessive amount of muscle fiber, inflicting it to go mushy.

6. Drain the Marinade

In addition to tenderizing and flavoring, marinade additionally provides moisture. That is unlucky as a result of no person needs moist jerky. It could go rancid shortly and defeat the entire goal, so drain the marinade and pat the venison slices dry with a paper towel. 

7. Dehydrate the Meat

Organize the sliced venison on the racks of your dehydrator, ensuring to house the items aside. You must seek the advice of the proprietor’s guide to find out how lengthy your venison ought to stay within the dehydrator. Completely different items often include particular directions for numerous meals gadgets.

In fact, some guidelines apply throughout the board. Thicker venison slices will take longer to dry, and thinner ones can be carried out extra shortly. When you don’t have an proprietor’s guide, it’s a good suggestion to depart your jerky in for at the least 4 hours, then test on it periodically. 

Sadly, not each dehydrator can deliver meat to secure temperatures. Usually talking, in case your dehydrator goes as much as at the least 160 levels, it ought to be secure to make use of for venison jerky. If it doesn’t attain these temperatures (otherwise you don’t have a dehydrator), you’ll want to make use of the oven. 

8. Test Your Progress

Test your progress after 4 hours by inspecting a single piece of jerky. Absolutely dehydrated meat ought to be stiff and dry but pliable sufficient to bend barely. Whenever you bend it additional, it ought to snap in half. You’ll see small, skinny, white strips of dried sinew operating by the inside.  

In case your piece feels moist, springy, or doesn’t break in half, put it again. When you’re fairly satisfied it’s carried out, go forward and take a chunk. Folks choose jerky to various levels of dryness, and if it tastes good as-is, you possibly can cease the method. If you would like it drier, simply add extra time. 

9. Take away the Jerky

As soon as it’s dehydrated, take the jerky out and set it to relaxation on a paper towel to chill. Even totally dried jerky should have a little bit of grease on it, and the towel will soak up any additional moisture that may be current.

10. Retailer and Get pleasure from

At my home, jerky by no means lasts lengthy sufficient to truly go rancid, however I’ve heard it could possibly occur. Retailer your jerky in an hermetic bag or a sealed container to lock in taste and stop it from going unhealthy too shortly. It ought to final for a number of weeks at room temperature. 

If in case you have house within the fridge, storing it there’ll prolong the shelf-life to round 4 months. Those that need to preserve jerky good indefinitely ought to freeze it.

Learn extra about the best way to retailer jerky long run

The right way to Make Venison Jerky within the Oven

No dehydrator? No downside. To make venison jerky within the oven, prepare the items on oven-safe racks and place a sheet pan beneath them to catch the drippings.

Then, set your oven to the bottom doable temperature (often round 170 levels) and put the meat inside. Test it for doneness after 4 hours, leaving it in longer as wanted.  

Keep in mind, dehydrating is the method of eradicating moisture. If in case you have a convection oven, moisture will escape mechanically as air is blown out and recirculated by your unit.

When you don’t have a vented convection oven, crack open the door to permit air to flee. It will enhance drying time, however it’s essential to make a genuinely dehydrated jerky as a substitute of baked deer meat.

Feeling hungry but? I can’t blame you. With deer jerky, you possibly can protect your seasonal meat and have scrumptious snacks all 12 months lengthy. Now that you know the way to make venison jerky like a boss, it’s time to get that meat out and begin cooking!