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By: Angelo Biondo

History of Beef Jerky

In past generations people inhabiting the Rocky Mountains and regions west of the Rocky have enjoyed various smoked meat products before the birth of America. The early Indians would dry venison, buffalo and elk meat. Some would rub salt and berries on the meat and let it dry in the hot sun to create “Pemmican” jerky.

Early settlers would use smoking and curing method that afforded them nourishment during the hard winter months. Smoking and curing provided a means of meat preservation.  Early trappers and explorers built smoke huts to hang the cuts of meat over a fire. They used the smoke to cure and flavor the meat while the heat would dry the meat. Homesteader settling in the early west had their own recipe for smoked meat, with each family having their own personalized version.

The meat would be cut into strips, flavored and cured to create the Jerky.  They would strip the meat from the carcass into various sizes and cut pieces allowing it be made into jerky.  It would not have been possible to use some of these cuts if the meat had not been preserved.  Smoked meats became a staple for the people living in these remote areas of the Country.

The process of making Jerky and smoking meats has evolved since the Indians of the old west dried their meats in the sun.  Today we have sophisticated smoke houses and electric home smokers and dehydrators.  We have innovative recipes and many means of obtaining them, from libraries to the internet.  Anyone who is interested in making jerky or curing their own meats have all the information at their finger tips.  So, let’s get started with one of the favorites I have in my collection and I’ll point you in the direction to start your own collection..  We’re talking about venison here, but these recipes can be used for any meat, including fish.  We use to throw Sheephead (a large greasy bottom feeder) back in until a friend of ours let us try some he smoked.  To be honest with you it tasted a lot like smoked white fish.

You will need:

• A smoker, dehydrator, or convection oven 
• A brine recipe 
• A slab of meat cut about 2” to  2 ½” thick 
• A very sharp carving knife 

Note: When drying the meat, you will need to have an even airflow around the meat while it is hanging to dry properly.  If using an over, its best to use a convection oven for this purpose.

Making Venison Jerky

The meat will shrink about 30% during the drying process so keep that in mind. Slice the meat about ¼ inches thick. To insure tenderness slice the meat across the grain. I like to cut at an angle across the grain. Cutting the meat with the grain, will make the jerky tough and hard to eat..

All fat should be trimmed from the meat before smoking.  This is especially true with venison.  Dear are from the goat family and like goat and sheep they have tallow not fat.  Tallow is used for making candles and it does not freeze.  When you freeze venison you will notice when removed from the freezer that the deer fat or tallow is not frozen.  It might be hard, but not frozen.  This is the reason that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recommends deer meat not be kept frozen over 4 months. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the DEC recommend trimming all fat from venison and that it be used within 4 months of processing the meat.  To make it easier to cut even quarter inch slices, partially freeze the deer meat before you cut it. Slices of even thickness will dry evenly when dehydrating or smoking.  

In most cases the venison slices are then marinated in a brine mixture in which the curing process is started while it is soaking.  This is an advantage over the dry rub or marinade, where the curing process is not started until you place the meat in the smoker.  A lot of people like to use Morton® Tender Quick®, a commercial curing mix. This products has a bacteria inhibiter in the ingredients to inhibit bacteria growth while the jerky is being prepared and dried. 

Marinating the Jerky 

Once you have sliced the venison for jerky, place the meat slices in a large plastic zip-lock freezer storage bag and place in the refrigerator.

Mix marinade, being sure to use a non-reactive container. Some containers will react to the salts and ingredients in the preservatives used in the marinade.

When mixing the marinade (recipe is shown below), make sure all ingredients are mixed thoroughly and thoroughly dissolved. You will then pour this marinade into the zip-lock bag containing the jerky slices making sure the meat is thoroughly covered and allowed to fully maranate the meat.  Place the bag in a large bowl and refrigerate. Most recipes call for the meat to soak in the marinade for 48 hours. 

Be sure to stir and mix the marinade several times while the meat is marinating to insure even saturation of the seasoning into the meat. 

Spicy Venison Jerky

Ingrediants:

5 lbs. sliced venison.

1 c water

¾ c of soy sauce

½ c of brown sugar

¼ c honey

¼ c molasses

½ c Worcestershire sauce

4 large cloves of garlic (crushed)

1 medium onion (diced)

2 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp of red pepper flakes

1 tbsp black pepper

2 teaspoons of Morton® Tender Quick®

1 teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all liquids in a 4 qt. sauce pan and stir until mixed.
2. Brown onions and garlic and add to liquid.
3. Add all other ingredients, stir well and bring to a boil. 
4. Lower heat and let simmer for 15 min. 
5. Let cool to room temperature and add to sliced jerky. 
6. Place back in refrigerator and marinate for 48 hours, stirring several times while soaking. 

The U.S.D.A (United States Department of Agriculture), recommends cooking before drying. I have included their recommendations below and suggest you read them, however I recommend you read the directions for your unit before doing so.  Your smoker or dehydrator may tell you to start the process at a higher temperature and then lower the temp after a period of time. 

The Perfect Drying Temperature

The meat has been marinated, cured and seasoned, now it’s time to dry the jerky.

Place the meat in the smoker, dehydrator or oven to dry. Set your appliance temperature to 150^o F. The recommended ideal temperature for drying jerky is between 140^o to 150^o F.  If the drying temperature is below 140^o, the meat could spoil. Above 150^o or higher, and the meat could become hard and brittle. 

Cooking Before Drying

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recommend that all jerky (or red) meat be cooked to 160^o F and 165^o F. for poultry before the dehydrating process begins. This will insure all bacteria is killed and the end product will be safe for everyone.  I strongly recommend you visit Food Safety of Jerky for detailed information regarding this important subject. 

If the above link doesn’t work you can click on or paste the following link into your browser:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/jerky_and_food_safety/index.asp . The USDA offers a number of Jerky recipes, how too’s, and tips, etc., you will find interesting and helpful for your jerky project. 

How To Dry Deer Jerky 

This will depend on the appliance you choose to use.  The time it takes to cook and dry the jerky is highly dependant on the type of appliance, temperature, thickness of the meat, etc.  There are to many variables to tell you exactly what to do at this point and the amount of time it will take can vary from 4 to 8 hours. 

Assuming you are using the recommended temperatures above, you will easily be able to determine when you jerky has finished the drying process.  The jerky should be flexible, not brittle.  When you bend it in half, it should break at the edges but not break in half. 

The link provided above, and the instructions that cam with your appliance should clarify any questions you might have when using these appliances.  If you are using your kitchen oven, I would use the lowest heat (no lower than 140^o F.) turn the meat often and rotate the racks every hour.  If you are using a convection over, the air flow will help to dry the meat faster and take much less time than a standard oven.

Good luck!

Enjoy