Newbie Venison jerky (problems) questions

[Tajue17]

hello everyone,,, I made a batch of fresh jerkey the other night from a deer I just got and I used the Cabelas "original" jerky mix.... this has enough in it for 4- batches with each being for 5# of meat,,,,  okay I had 3# and I figured I divide up the mix accordingly and at the final result was very good tasting jerkey at first but after a few seconds it was just too salty!!!

has anyone used this brand?

the big question is,,,, can I use any marinade or barbeque sauce to make jerky if I let it mainade for 8hrs and then basically cook it how you normally would???

I'm using a 155degree jerky maker and the directions say to run it for 8hrs...  thanks for any info or opinions

[Dave Bulla]

You don't really even need a marinade.  I've made great jerky by just salting like you would a steak then salt it about the same amount again.  Sprinkle with coarse black pepper, a little powdered oregano and some red pepper if you want.  Of course I do mine in a smoker and it adds a lot more flavor.

You can also use the same ingredients as above minus the salt and add about a cup of soy sauce (Kikoman brand seems to be best) and about a half cup of light brown sugar.  Mix it all up and let it set for a couple hours or overnight in the fridge.  It's not rocket science and you have a lot of leeway.

[Doug in MI]

The best commercial jerky cure I have used is High Mountain brand. I do mine in two pound batches because that gives me the best most uniform results. I have treid other brands and found some extreemly salty compared to others.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I make my jerky using marinade and here's my recipe.

1/4 cup Dales Steak Seasoning....or straight soy sauce if you can't find Dales
1/3 cup of Liquid Smoke....Hickory is best
1/4 cup brown sugar

Don't thaw meat in water......venison soaks up any liquid like a sponge, so if it's soaked in water, it will not absorb any of the marinade and end up tasting bland

#2
Equal parts of Honey and Worchestershire sauce.......simple but Oh so Good!
Also makes a great glaze for grilling just about everything.

Dehydrate or put in smoker,or in the oven.....whatever works for you. I personally use a dehydrater for about 12-14hrs.
No need to let it go until it's like pine bark, I always get mine out when I can still bend it without it breaking or tearing in half.

Also remember that your jerky will only be as tender as the cut of meat you start with. So, if your using tough cuts of meat, it would be wise to tenderize the crap out of them first, or grind and use a jerky gun, lay flat on a shallow tray then cover with marinade, let sit overnight then dehydrate as normal.

[agross1]

Originally posted by Doug in MI:
The best commercial jerky cure I have used is High Mountain brand. I do mine in two pound batches because that gives me the best most uniform results. I have treid other brands and found some extreemly salty compared to others.

i have been using high mountain jerky for years, it's cheap, easy and everyone that tries it loves it,  i do the cajun one, but when i do it i do about 14 pounds and use the whole package at once it doesn't last long where ever i take it

[Todd Robbins]

For 3-4 pounds of meat, I use 10 ounces of soy sauce, 5 ounces of Louisiana Hot Sauce (this doesn't add any heat at all, for some reason), and five ounces of Bull Gator sauce, 1 cup of dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of pink salt, and whatever hot sauce you want to taste.  I use one teaspoon of Dave's Insanity Ghost Pepper Sauce, and it is HOT.  Marinate over night or longer.  Dehydrate for 8 hours at 155 degrees.  I baste my jerky at about 4 hours with the leftover marinade, and that makes a big difference in the final product.

[PP]

Another vote for high mountain.  It comes with a chart for different amounts of meat.  I've done anywhere from a pound to four pounds following their recipe and it always turns out good.