Deer Jerky Seasoning

Making homemade jerky hasn't changed a great deal in the last several hundred years; the most flavorful jerky is created by those that have mastered both the science and the art of preserving this thinly-sliced meat. Over the years we've been asked by many of our hunting customers to come up with a deer jerky seasoning and we came up with this blend that contains salt for curing, and gives oniony, garlicky, almost barbecue-y flavor with a touch of heat. We hand-blend our jerky seasoning from sea salt, curing salt (aka Insta-Cure), garlic, onion, black pepper and chipotle.

Jerky is a light-weight, portable protein snack that's been popular for centuries across all the cultures of the world. There is evidence that a prototype of modern jerky existed in ancient Egypt, with thin slices of meat treated with salt and dried in the sun. In ancient Rome, they made coppiette, dried meat sticks sold in bundles of two, or couples. It is still considered a delicacy today. The word “jerky” is derived from the Quechua word ch’arki, which means “dried meat” and was most likely a specific word for alpaca or llama meat. When the conquistadors arrived in South America, they adopted ch’arki as their own, appreciating the ease of transport and staying power of the preservative process. The conquistadors put their own accented spin on the word, and launched ch’arki, now jerky, on the path it still travels.

Tips From Our Kitchen

There are two types of jerky - ground meat or muscle jerky. Muscle jerky tends to be more popular, as ground meat requires the expense of a grinder and bit more experience. It's recommended that the meat you use for jerky should be frozen first as that helps to reduce the potential for bacterial growth in the meat, and any thawing should be done in the refrigerator. For best results, slice the deer meat while it’s still partially frozen as it makes it easier to slice.

Meat should be no more than 1/4-inch thick to facilitate thorough drying and fat should be trimmed off to protect about rancidity. If you want to marinate jerky then leave it in the marinade for 24-48 hours, because drying will cause water-based seasonings to evaporate, so you want the slices of meat to fully absorb the marinade. To make enough marinade for 3 pounds of jerky, use 2 tablespoons of Deer Jerky Seasoning, 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1/3 cup of Worcestershire sauce. When you are ready to begin dehydration, remove the meat from the marinade and pat it completely dry. If you choose not to marinate the meat, toss it in the seasoning blend and pat it in so it’s fully adhered to the meat.

You can dry your jerky by smoking it, using a dehydrator, put it in a convection oven or the oven in your kitchen. Many of our hunter friends believe the dehydrator is the tool of choice, and an oven will make your jerky too crispy. The USDA recommends a cooking or drying temperature of at least 160°F to kill any harmful bacteria, and thorough cooking and drying can take 5-6 hours, and possibly more. You'll know the jerky is done when your test piece cracks a bit but doesn't break when it's bent.

You should always store jerky in the refrigerator so it lasts longer. Keep your jerky in a paper bag or tightly sealed glass jar; plastic bags are not recommended because they can create condensation, which increases the likelihood of mold growth. Storing in the fridge usually provides a shelf life of 2-4 weeks. You can also store finished jerky in the freezer for a very long time.

Insufficient drying or improper storage can lead to the growth of mold.

ATTENTION: This seasoning blend is not for general use in seasoning foods. This blend has curing salt in it, which contains sodium nitrate. It is intended only for use in curing meats.

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