Venison jerky is one of the easiest and most delicious snacks you can make, and it’s more fun to turn out some tasty batches with your own deer.
Weston Supply’s awesome Jerky Board and Knife Combo combines a double-sided oak cutting board and stainless steel knife. Make precise cuts for slices of meat that are 1⁄4- or 3/8-inch thick. This ensures consistent thicknesses so they’ll all dry evenly and at the same rate. The board also has an insert for thinner slices of meats or vegetables.
The package includes 1 ounce of cure and enough Weston Garlic & Pepper Jerky Seasoning to do five pounds of meat. It’s a great addition to the kitchen the entire family can enjoy.
Here’s a great deer jerky recipe to try from Steven VanDeKeere of Indiana with your venison!
Ingredients
5 pounds trimmed deer roasts (In case of tag sandwich substitute beef sirloin tip roast)
2 Tbsp Tender Quick
1-1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Seasoning Salt
2 Tbsp McCormick Hot Shot
1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
2 Tsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Celery Salt
The key to this jerky, in my opinion, is to cut the meat with the grain, while still semi-frozen. Doing so allows for a slightly thicker cut. (1/4-3/8″) I use a repeatedly sharpened fillet knife to do this. Once the meat is trimmed and sliced, I layer it in a bowl with the seasoning mix sprinkled over every layer. I refrigerate 24-36 hours.
Then, I place the jerky strips in single layers on dryer racks and place in the oven. 170-180 degrees with the door propped slightly open for 6-7 hours turning once 1/2 way through. After the 6-7 hour dehydrating time I turn off the oven and leave the jerky set inside. Shut the door and wait until the oven has cooled to room temp.
Doing this prevents any extra condensation to form after you cut the jerky into bite size pieces and place into Zip-loc style bags. The jerky is not shelf stable for more than 48 hours. After that I recommend storing in a refrigerator up to 2 weeks. (If it lasts that long!)