making jerky in the great outdoors

Great video! I've been wondering about that for some time now.

that is a nice video. Nothing beats jerkey for some quick and easy protein when out in the woods. Of course, I'm spoiled and like to marinate mine in some soy sause, teryaki, and spice it up with some peppers!

BucksBrandon wrote:
that is a nice video. Nothing beats jerkey for some quick and easy protein when out in the woods. Of course, I'm spoiled and like to marinate mine in some soy sause, teryaki, and spice it up with some peppers!

Tasty, but it is nice to know the basics too and that the sauce isn't needed for my son and his restricted diet. Almost all methods I have seen before use some kind of (normally store bought) marinade first. Some of the other videos are good too.

Okay guys,
I have to say it......This is not jerky!!!
    This is Dry meat, when we make dry meat the Native american way this is how it works.This is the kind that we make on the Rez  and if you wish to blend it into pemmican more power to you..It is healthier for all because it does not  have salts or sugars.My children grew up making this with their elders..LOL as well as using it when they were teething,,
  When we use the word jerky, it is marinated for added flavor but also the smoking woods are more regulated pending others tastes.

Len
I have made jerky both jerky and dry meat for 40 plus years.Some of those I have made jerky for have dietary challenges.I find the recipe below works good for those with diet challenges.Especially when I make jerky for teens and twenty somethings who need some flavor..LOL I won't go into making the habenero jerky that is a favorite at our house..LOL some people like their lips..hehehe

Braggs amino acids seasoning.Dilute it out because it does have a natural occurring salt (I do 1/2 and 1/2 with water).
powdered garlic,
powdered onion,
a shot of apple cider vinegar or a wine(this is an acid that helps the flavor form but also helps keep the meat from being overly chewy)
If you prefer or can have honey for the sweeter form.I have used stevia as well for diabetics who like a touch of sweetness.
If you like it hot toss in some cayanne ,,
if you like it the peppered kind sprinkle it one as put it in the racks

HappyHouse wrote:

Len
I have made jerky both jerky and dry meat for 40 plus years.Some of those I have made jerky for have dietary challenges.I find the recipe below works good for those with diet challenges.Especially when I make jerky for teens and twenty somethings who need some flavor..LOL I won't go into making the habenero jerky that is a favorite at our house..LOL some people like their lips..hehehe

Thank you, I have dropped it in a file.

10 to 15 years ago I went several years straight with an excess of free venison.  I made lots of jerky.  I seasoned it with salt, sugar, pepper, salad dressing....   It was all good.

Too much salt was easy to achieve, but it was still good.

Smoking it in a smoker added a dimension to the flavor, but I decided drying it in the oven was easier and just as good.

It wasn't juicy and tender like Jack's Links, but it was tasty and filling. The thing I decided was most important was trimming the meat properly, to eliminate any traces of tendons and most or all of the fat. The trimming of the meat was the most tedious part.

I tried recipe after recipe, the best was a mix of salt, brown sugar, and black pepper.  Less is better, season to taste. Soak it in a marinade in the fridge for 12-36 hours and dry thoroughly in the oven.

The smoker wasn't worth it, in my opinion.  It was added hassle and took longer than the oven, the flavor it gave was not good enough in comparison to beat the 1/2 or 1/3 as long a drying time in a 130+ degree oven.

I'd estimate a shelf life of several weeks or more in the pantry, keeping it dry is important.  Months or years in the freezer. Mine never lasted that long before it was eaten.

I made a lot of jerky, making up a new recipe for each batch.  Some of it was excellent, some of it wasn't as good as that other batch.  But it all got ate.

I never got around to trying to reconstitute any into soup or stew.  I wish I had.