Jerky from Wild Game Meats

Jerky Marinade
• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds of lean meat (beef, pork or venison)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon each of black pepper and garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon hickory smoke-flavored salt
Combine all ingredients. Place strips of meat in a shallow pan and cover with marinade. Cover and refrigerate
1-2 hours or overnight. Products marinated for several hours may be more salty than some people prefer. If
you choose to heat the meat prior to drying to decrease the risk of foodborne illness, do so at the end of
the marination time. To heat, bring strips and marinade to a boil and boil for 5 minutes before draining and
drying. If strips are more than 1/4 inch thick, the length of time may need to be increased. To reduce risk of
foodborne illness, check the temperature of several strips with a metal stem-type thermometer to determine
that 160ºF has been reached.
Drying the Meat
Remove meat strips from the marinade and drain on clean, absorbent disposable towels. Arrange strips on
dehydrator trays or cake racks placed on baking sheets for oven drying. Place the slices close together, but
not touching or overlapping. Place the racks in a dehydrator or oven preheated to 145ºF. Let strips dry 10 to
14 hours. Properly dried jerky is chewy and leathery. To test for dryness remove a strip of jerky from the
heat. Let cool slightly, then bend the jerky; it should crack but not break when bent. Once drying is completed,
pat off any beads of oil with clean, absorbent disposable towels and cool. Remove strips from the
racks. Cool.
Making Jerky from Ground Meat
Jerky can be made from ground meat using special presses to form or shape the product. Disease-causing
microorganisms are more difficult to eliminate in ground meat than in whole meat strips. (If ground meat is
used, follow the general tips for safe handling of meat and poultry, above.) Follow the dehydrator manufacturer’s
directions when heating the product at the end of drying time. Again, an internal temperature of
160ºF is necessary to eliminate disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, if present.
Storing the Jerky
Package in glass jars with tight fitting lids or heavy plastic food storage bags. Vacuum packaging is also a good
option. Pack jerky with the least possible amount of air trapped in the container. Too much air causes offflavors
and rancidity to develop. Label and date packages. Store containers in a cool, dry, dark place or the
refrigerator or freezer. Properly dried jerky will keep approximately two weeks in a sealed container at
room temperature. It will keep 3 to 6 months in the refrigerator and up to one year in the freezer.

100% Pure Venison