How to Make Deer Jerky

Using Ground Venison

If you are wondering how to make deer jerky with ground venison, you'll be glad to hear that it's a pretty simple process!

This is how we make almost all of our jerky, since it utilizes more of the deer meat and gives us less waste from our hard earned harvest!

Be sure to only use plain deer meat, with no other meat added to it, such as beef or pork. You want it as lean as possible, as this makes for quicker drying, and to hold its shape well.

However, you don't need to go nuts and use the best cuts of the deer for this! You can cut from around the ribs, and neck, to get more out from your deer that way, instead of allowing those portions to go to waste.

We mix ours in 2 pound batches for different seasonings, but always make at least 4 pounds at a time.

Adding moisture in the form of water, or liquid seasonings, reduces the amount of shrinkage in your jerky.

If you are going to use mainly dry spices, then you will want to add ice water to the meat when you add the curing salts.

For a 2 pound batch, you will need to add ½ cup of ice water, 2 teaspoons canning salt, and ½ heaping teaspoon of Morton Tender Quick to the ground venison.

You can usually find the canning salt and Morton Tender Quick in the canning or pickling section of your supermarket.

Thoroughly mix the salts into the meat. Then allow it to sit in the refrigerator over night in either a plastic bowl, or a plastic Ziploc bag. Do not use a metal bowl.

You will want to re-mix it again before adding your seasonings.

We find that the simplest way of making jerky is by using a gun and dehydrator.

For those of you that do not have a dehydrator or jerky gun, there is another option.

After mixing your spices into your meat, place it between 2 sheets of wax paper and using a rolling pin, roll it until it is 1/8 of an inch thick.

You can either cut it with a dull knife before drying it, or afterward, with scissors or a pizza cutter. It is best to try and cut it ahead of time, so air circulates around it better, helping it to dry quicker.

Place the jerky strips into the oven on a cooling rack and have a pan or foil under it, to catch any drips.

Set the oven on 180 degrees and leave the oven door cracked while you dry it, to allow moisture to escape.

The time it takes to dry will vary, anywhere from a couple of hours to 8! The hardest part of how to make deer jerky is in the waiting!

Looking for deer jerky recipes? Click the links below!

Hot and Spicy Recipes!

Milder Recipes! ___________________________________________________________________

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