http://www.agen.ufl.edu/~foodsaf/sd005b.html
Wild Side of the Menu: No 3.
Preservation of Game Meats
Pat Beck and Martin Marchello
Drying or "Jerkying"
Drying or "jerkying" meat is an art that has been known since the dawn of
civilization. There are
many recipes which can be tried, but before you begin check the jerky
maker's check list and then
adapt these directions to your own circumstances.
A Jerky Maker's Check List
1.Use fresh lean meat that is free of fat and connective tissue.
2.Slice the meat across the grain.
3.Add the correct amount of seasoning. If you do not have a scale, use
approximate equivalent
measures for the jerky recipes as seen in Table 1.
4.Cure the meat the correct length of time at 38º
5.Salted meat should be placed in wooden, stainless steel or stone
containers.
6.Keep the drying or smoking temperature in the smokehouse or oven at
120ºF (use a
thermometer).
7.If an oven is used, line the sides and bottom with aluminum foil to
catch the drippings. Open
the door to the first or second stop, or prop open to allow moisture
to escape and to lower
the oven temperature. A fan will speed air circulation and the
drying process.
8.Use hardwood for smoking. (Do not use pine, fir or conifers because
they cause off-flavors.)
9.Remove the jerky from the smoke house or oven before it gets too
hard for your taste. Five
pounds of fresh meat should weigh approximately 2 pounds after
drying or smoking.
10.Store jerky in clean, airtight containers or plastic bags, or wrap
it in freezer paper and freeze
it. Check often during the first month to be sure jerky is dry
enough to keep well. Although
jerky will last almost indefinitely at any temperature, its quality
deteriorates after a few months.
11.Seasonings and smoking or drying times can be changed to suit
individual tastes.
Large pieces of meat which are pickle cured make excellent jerky when
sliced and dried or smoked.
Corned meat pickles are preferred because spices are included in the
cure.
Table 1. Seasoning Measurements for Jerky
Salt
10.5 ounces (298 grams)
= 1 cup
8.0 ounces (227 grams)
= 3/4 cup
3.0 ounces (85 grams)
= 4 1/2 level tablespoons
Sugar
5.0 ounces (141 grams)
= 2/3 cup
3.5 ounces (100 grams)
= 1/2 cup
1.0 ounce (28 grams)
= 2 level tablespoons
Ground Spices
0.5 ounce (14.3 grams)
= 6 level teaspoons
0.08 ounce (2.4 grams)
= 1 level teaspoon
Saltpeter
(Potassium Nitrate)
0.3 ounce (8.5 grams)
= 2 level teaspoons
Deer Jerky
Debone hind leg, splitting into individual muscles; top, bottom and tip.
Pump with brine (2 pounds
commercial saltcure mixture/gallon of water). You can use an ordinary
syringe. Inject into several
areas.
Place in crock or USDA approved plastic container. Do not use plastic
containers such as garbage
cans, plastic bags or supermarket ice cream buckets. Cover completely
with brine and weight meat
down to keep it submerged.
Store in cooler (38ºF) for 10 days.
Every 2 days change the position of the meat and weight it down again.
After 10 days remove from brine and smoke 5 hours at 150ºF.
Hang to dry at room temperature (about 2 weeks). Cut off to use as
needed.
Venison Jerky
100 pounds of meat (coarse grind - 75 pounds; fine grind - 25
pounds)
2 pounds (3 cups) salt
3 ounces (3/4 cup) cardamom
2 ounces (3/4 cup) marjoram
3 ounces commercial cure (6%) - determined by container
weight (cure is optional, as it is used to
develop a pink color and as a preservative)
5 ounces monosodium glutamate (MSG) - determined by container weight
(optional)
3 ounces (3/4 cup) cayenne pepper
7 ounces (1 3/4 cups) black pepper
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Mix ground meat, salt, cardamom, marjoram, garlic powder, cure, MSG and
peppers together until
very tacky. Press into loaf pans lined with foil or cellophane wrap. Let
stand 30 minutes at room
temperature. Put into cooler until firm or slightly frozen to make
slicing easier. Slice into strips 1/6
inch thick, 1 inch wide. Combine liquid smoke and water.
Place in oven at 170ºF for drying. Dry 2 hours to produce a chewy jerky
or 3 hours for a hard, dry
product.
Oven-Method Jerky
3 pounds venison
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke in 2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste
Slice the meat 1/4 inch thick. Remove all fat. Lay the meat out in a
single layer on a clean counter
surface. Dab each piece with a brush dipped in the water and liquid
smoke. Salt generously.
Sprinkle with pepper if desired. Place the strips layer on layer in a
large bowl or crock. Place a plate
and weight on the top of meat. Let stand at a cool temperature (45ºF or
less), overnight or at least
six hours. Remove meat strips from bowl and dry.
Remove oven racks. Stretch meat strips across the racks. Allow the edges
to touch but not overlap.
Do not cover the entire rack. Allow room for air circulation in the oven.
Arrange the racks so the
top rack is no closer than 4 inches from the top source of heat and the
bottom rack no closer than 4
inches from the bottom of the oven. Set the oven temperature at 1500ºF
and let the meat dry for
about 11 hours. Check the meat early in the drying process. If there is
excessive drip, catch it on
aluminum foil on a rack near the bottom of the oven. Lower the
temperature till the oven feels warm
but does not cook the meat. Cool and store in an airtight container.
Note: Frozen meat may be "jerked." Thaw meat and proceed according to one
of the recipes given.
1.This document is HE155 (Revised), a publication of the NDSU
Extension Service, North Dakota State
University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. Publication date:
October 1987.
2.Pat Beck, Nutrition Specialist, and Martin Marchello, Professor of
Animal and Range Sciences
Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND.
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