Jerky Crisis

[Bill]

So last night I ground up five pounds of venison to make a batch of jerky with the Con Yeager kit. Sprinkled the cure into the meat then went for the seasoning pack and it was as hard as a rock. Did I mention that this kit had been sitting in the cupboard a couple of years? smileys-whistling-823718 Anyway I tried to soften up the spice mix in the water you are supposed to add but it didn't go so well. Finally, I decided to just throw in a cup of brown sugar, some liquid smoke and various spices that I have used in past jerky recipes. Turned out pretty darn good for a spur of the moment recipe. I think I even prefer it to anything I have made before. lol

[Dutch]

And you didn't measure, I bet.

[Bill]

A pinch of this, a handful of that, this smells good I'll throw it in!

[Deleted]

I got the recipe off of bill and made my own the other week and it turned out very good.

[Deleted]

I have made jerkey in the past.  The method I used is really simple, and I'll share it with you.  I cut the toughest piece of venison, usually a shoulder roast, into strips.  Rib meat works pretty well for this too.  Last year, that is all I used. I have never used a commercial seasoning mixture. I roll the strips in a mixture of salt, pepper, and brown sugar (not a real formula here) and poke a toothpick through one end of the strips.  I then hang them from an oven rack and put a tray under them to catch drippings (otherwise Ms. Doris gets all het up about her oven).  I put the oven on warm overnight, and in the morning, bag the jerkey.  Keep in mind that rib meat is usually pretty fatty, so you might need a drip pan with a rim, such as a biscuit tray, to catch the fat that drips off.  If you like your jerkey HOT, you can use a hot sauce to dip the strips in.  I made some for Crawford and he allowed as how it was pretty mild, but then he likes Buffalo Wings in the "Wow!" variety.

[fleroo]

Every deer I get goes to jerky. I married the Jerky Queen, and she had Jerky Babies. All jerk is made from ground meat, and shot out of that enormous Gander Mtn brand jerk gun. After experimenting with many recipes, the best jerky she has mad, hands down, is the Nesco jerky mix that Wal-Mart sells... or sold. Not sure if they still do, as we get it in bulk online now.

Anyhow, if you are shooting ground deer out of a gun to make jerky, DO NOT add any type of fat to the ground meat. That will completely ruin a good jerk.

[Bill]

Brown sugar makes the best jerky, I don't care what anyone says.

[Deleted]

But how do you make it into sticks? Is it chewy?

[davet]

Because I run outta strength with one of those hand shooters, a few years ago I purchased one of those Kitchen Aid grinder attachments for my wife's Kitchen Aid mixer. Now, with that grinder comes 2 different size tube's for sausage stuffer's. I use the larger "stuffer" to shoot out the mixed jerky onto my dryer. It takes a good 10 to 12 hours for the dryer to get the jerky fully made......but man.....it's good "stuff."

[3212]

I'm having venison meatloaf with veggies.Last octobers doe.I picked up a bottle of port wine for the steaks.My wife makes a wine sauce and triples the recipe because I put it on the mashed potatoes also.