How To Make Venison Jerky: A Comprehensive Guide for Hunters

If you’re looking to craft a delicious venison jerky, this guide will provide the essential information and techniques for making your own at home. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of the process, from choosing the perfect cut of deer meat to marinating and drying techniques that result in mouthwatering homemade jerky.

Discover tips for trimming away fat and freezing your venison for easier slicing, as well as guidance on cutting thin slices based on your preferred type of jerky. You’ll also learn about creating a flavorful marinade mixture that enhances the taste of your homemade deer jerky.

Whether you choose an oven setup or prefer using a dehydrator or smoker appliance, we have expert advice on achieving optimal drying results. And if ground venison is more readily available, this guide even covers making delicious jerky with a handy device called a “jerky gun.” So get ready to master the art of making venison jerky and impress friends and family with your newfound culinary skills.

Table of Contents:

• Choosing the Right Cut of Venison
• Preparing Venison Strips
  • Slicing techniques for different types of jerkies
  • Importance of freezing meat prior to slicing
• Marinating Your Venison Jerkies
  • The Importance of Soaking Time in Marinades
  • Popular Marinade Options with Soy Sauce
• Oven-Based Dehydration Method
  • Setting up Skewers and Cooling Racks
  • Oven Temperature Range for Dehydration
  • Tips for Oven-Based Venison Jerky
• Making Jerky from Ground Venison
  • Using a Jerky Gun for Ground Meat Preparation
  • Marination Process for Ground Venison
  • Drying Ground Venison Jerky
• FAQs in Relation to How to Make Venison Jerky
  • How to Make Deer Jerky Step by Step?
  • How to Make Tasty Venison Jerky?
  • What Cut of Venison is Best for Jerky?
  • How Long to Dehydrate Venison Jerky?
• Conclusion

Choosing the Right Cut of Venison

When it comes to making venison jerky, selecting the right cut is key.

Start by choosing whole roasts from the hind legs of the deer, which have minimal fat content and yield leaner slices perfect for drying into jerky.

Trim away any excess fat, connective tissue, and muscle sheathing before slicing the meat into thin strips for the drying process.

Freezing the meat for one to two hours before slicing can make it firmer and easier to work with.

Selecting the right cut of meat is paramount for a successful jerky outcome.

Preparing Venison Strips

Get ready to slice and dice your deer meat into thin strips for the perfect homemade jerky texture.

Slicing techniques for different types of jerkies

• Forever Jerky: Cut the meat across the grain into very thin slices – about 1/8-inch thick.
• WeeK-And-A-Half-Jerkey: Aim for slices around 1/4-inch thick for a heartier bite.
• Gone-By-Tomorrow-Jerkey: Cut slightly thicker than week-and-a-half-jerkies at approximately 3/8-inch thickness while still maintaining an even size throughout each piece.

Use an electric meat slicer or a sharp knife to ensure consistent thickness in every slice.

Importance of freezing meat prior to slicing

Freezing the venison for one to two hours until it’s firm but not solid makes it easier to slice into thin, even strips and reduces potential bacterial growth on the surface of the meat during handling and preparation.

Once the meat is thinly sliced, marinate it with a blend of soy sauce, brown sugar and curing salt to bring out its flavor.

Marinating Your Venison Jerkies

Before drying out your sliced venison pieces into jerkies, marinate them in a mixture that suits your taste preferences.

Ensure that the venison slices are left to soak in their marinade for a full day so as to let the flavors sink into and soften the meat.

A popular option includes soy sauce added into brine; this improves both coloration and flavor profile once dried up later on during processing stages.

The Importance of Soaking Time in Marinades

The minimum recommended soaking time is 24 hours, but you can leave it longer if desired – some even recommend marinating for up to 48 hours.

This extended period allows the flavors from your chosen ingredients to infuse deeply into each slice of venison, creating a more intense and satisfying final product.

Popular Marinade Options with Soy Sauce

Soy sauce serves as an excellent base ingredient when crafting flavorful marinades for venison jerky.

Here are three different soy-based recipes you might want to try:

1. Tangy Teriyaki: Combine equal parts soy sauce and pineapple juice along with brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, black pepper flakes (optional), green onions (chopped), toasted sesame seeds (optional).
2. Sweet and Spicy: Whisk together soy sauce, honey or maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, Sriracha hot sauce, smoked paprika powder (optional), garlic powder, onion powder.
3. Bold BBQ: Combine your favorite barbecue sauce with an equal amount of soy sauce. Add in some apple cider vinegar for tanginess and a few dashes of liquid smoke to enhance the smoky flavor profile further.

Remember that patience is key during marination phase since this step plays such an important role towards achieving high-quality end results worth savoring later on.

Oven-Based Dehydration Method

Don’t have a dehydrator or smoker? No problem. You can still make delicious homemade deer jerky in your oven.

Setting up Skewers and Cooling Racks

Thread pre-cut venison strips onto wooden skewers and hang them vertically from the top racks of your oven, with baking cooling racks placed beneath to catch drippings.

Oven Temperature Range for Dehydration

Set your oven to a temperature range of 170-200°F and leave the door slightly open for 4-10 hours, allowing moisture to escape during dehydration.

Check if your jerky is ready by bending a cooled piece; it should be pliable without breaking.

Tips for Oven-Based Venison Jerky

• Rotate skewers every couple of hours for even dehydration.
• Use cooling racks with raised feet for better air circulation.
• Brush on marinade halfway through cooking for added flavor.

For more information on making deer jerky, check out The MeatEater.

Making Jerky from Ground Venison

For those who prefer or find it more practical to make jerky from ground meat instead of whole cuts, use a jerky gun device designed specifically with this purpose in mind during preparation steps before moving onto subsequent marinating phases mentioned earlier.

Using a Jerky Gun for Ground Meat Preparation

A jerky gun is an essential tool when working with ground venison, as it allows you to shape the meat into uniform strips that will dry evenly.

Marination Process for Ground Venison

1. Create Your Marinade: A popular option includes soy sauce added into brine; this improves both coloration and flavor profile once dried up later on during processing stages.
2. Mixing Meat & Marinade: In a large bowl combine your ground venison along with chosen marinade.
3. Refrigerate: Cover your bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight, allowing flavors to penetrate deeply into the ground venison before extruding it through a jerky gun.

The drying process remains similar whether working with sliced or ground meat; however, keep in mind that due to their different thicknesses and densities, cooking times may vary slightly between these two methods of preparation.

Drying Ground Venison Jerky

You can use either an oven-based dehydration method or dehydrator when making deer jerky from ground venison.

Making homemade deer jerky from ground venison provides another delicious option for hunters and cooks alike looking to enjoy this nutritious snack without needing extensive culinary expertise or expensive tools/gadgets typically associated with traditional food processing techniques.

FAQs in Relation to How to Make Venison Jerky

How to Make Deer Jerky Step by Step?

To make deer jerky, choose the right cut of venison, slice it thin, marinate it, and dry it evenly using an oven, dehydrator, or smoker.

How to Make Tasty Venison Jerky?

For delicious venison jerky, select lean cuts of meat, prepare a flavorful marinade, and dry it to your desired texture.

What Cut of Venison is Best for Jerky?

The best cuts of venison for jerky are lean muscle sections like top round roast, eye round roast, bottom round roast, or sirloin tip roast.

How Long to Dehydrate Venison Jerky?

Dehydration time varies, but typically takes between four to twelve hours depending on equipment and meat thickness.

For more information on making deer jerky, check out the MeatEater’s guide.

Conclusion

Want to make your own venison jerky? Follow these steps for optimal results: choose the right cut of meat, trim away any fat or connective tissue, slice the meat into strips, marinate it for optimal flavor, dry the jerky using an oven, dehydrator, or smoker, and use a proper jerky gun device if making jerky from ground venison meat.

By making your own venison jerky, you can enjoy this delicious snack at home and impress your friends with your culinary skills.

For more information on making venison jerky, check out these credible sources:

• MeatEater: How to Make Venison Jerky
• Outdoor Life: How to Make Venison Jerky
• Food.com: Venison Jerky Recipe

With these tips and resources, you’ll be a venison jerky-making pro in no time!