Fantastic Venison Jerky
Submitted by Kirt in Utah
4-5 Lbs. lean venison
1/3 Cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 Cup Soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. black pepper (optional – to taste)
1 tsp. liquid smoke (mesquite, hickory or whatever you prefer)
Add liquid ingredients to bowl. Wisk in garlic powder and onion powder. Add remaining ingredients and mix well (pepper will settle to bottom). Add venison and mix well with hands until all meat is fully coated. Refrigerate and let marinate at least 24 Hours.
In oven: Lay out venison on cookie sheet, bake at lowest temperature setting (usually 150-170). Flip pieces over every hour or so. Jerky will be done when you can bend piece in center and no red or dark pink is showing. Piece should bend and crack, but not break.
In dehydrator: Lay out pieces on dehydrator trays. Finish times will depend on thickness of meat and temperature settings used on dehydrator. I usually set mine between 120-150 with my jerky pieces cut about 1/4 inch thick. Jerky is usually done in 10-12 hours. I recommend rotating your trays about halfway through the process as most dehydrators don’t distribute heat evenly.
Once done, you can store in ziploc bags for immediate consumption or use vacuum seal bags and oxygen absorbers to keep longer.