Healthy Living

This year we ended up with three good size deer after hunting season, which we are very thankful for as we have filled our freezers with homemade summer sausage, ring bologna, and brats.  Since this is the first time we have left over venison, we thought we would try making our own venison jerky.

There are apparently two types of jerky.  One is solid muscle or sliced jerky, and the other is pressed or ground meat jerky.  The solid muscle type reminds me of a leather strap and usually involves a lot of work with your teeth and jaw to eat it.  Since we have a teenager with braces, we tried the ground meat or pressed version as its easier to eat.

To make ground meat venison jerky you will need the following:

• Meat grinder
• Bulk spices
• Kitchen scale
• Jerky shooter
• Dehydrator

The first step is to thaw and grind your venison using a meat grinder and then freeze until ready to make jerky.  We first used a 3/8-inch plate to grind our venison, followed by a 1/8-inch plate to ensure the meat was thoroughly ground.

JERKY RECIPES

These recipes are MSG free and the only preservative (cure) is celery juice powder instead of the typical synthetic sodium nitrite/nitrate found in most jerky.  You can also purchase the spices below in bulk (either organic or conventional) to save money.  We will soon be offering prepackaged organic mixes, let us know if you’re interested.

Thaw the ground venison and either weigh or divide into whatever size batches you prefer (1 lb., 2 lb., etc.).  We eyeballed it because we don’t have a scale (yet), but we knew how many pounds we had to start with. The recipes listed below are for 1 pound batches.

Combine the dry spices per each recipe below, multiplying by the number of ground venison pounds in your batch.  Put your venison in a large mixing bowl and make a sort of meat bowl out of it pushing your venison up the sides of the bowl.  Then add about ¼ of the spice mix by sprinkling all over the meat.  Roll up your sleeves, clean your hands, take any jewelry off and mix thoroughly with your hands.  Repeat 3 more times with the remaining spices.  It helps to have your kids help you sprinkle while your hands are full of meat.  Over mixing is better. Just keep mixing! Once all the dry spices are mixed you can make one last meat bowl and add in all your wet ingredients and mix thoroughly one more time.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

Word of caution, when using a jerky shooter you need to limit your wet ingredients to 2-4 tablespoons of total liquid ingredients per pound of meat.  Otherwise, it will take too long to dehydrate and the finished jerky may contain residual liquid, causing it to spoil when stored at room temperature.

Pepper

• ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon stevia
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon celery juice powder

Original

• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon liquid aminos
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon celery juice powder

Cajun

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• ¼ teaspoon celery juice powder

Chorizo

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• ¼ teaspoon celery juice powder

PRESSING THE GROUND VENISON USING A JERKY SHOOTER

• Pack the marinated venison into the jerky gun tightly making sure there are no air pockets.
• “Shoot” the marinated venison onto dehydrator racks leaving 1/8 inch spaces between each piece.
• Once all the meat is placed on to racks, set dehydrator temperature to 155 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Set dehydrator timer (if it has one) or a timer for 6 hours.
• After about 3 hours rotate the racks in the dehydrator. As you are rotating each rack, check to see if any of the jerky is done to your desired dryness (usually the recipes with no wet ingredients). Pull these dried pieces and set to the side.
• Continue drying until all jerky is done to your liking, you may need to turn jerky strips over occasionally.

STORING THE FINISHED JERKY

If you are making a large batch of jerky, store extra jerky in a freezer.  For the jerky you wish to eat, place into a brown paper bag or glass jar and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator (depending on how fast you eat it).  Storing in the refrigerator will help prevent spoilage and mold growth.

Never store finished jerky in a plastic bag for long periods of time unless you place it into the freezer. A sealed plastic bag will produce condensation and could cause your jerky to mold.

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