Dry Deer Meat

[Traditional-Archer]

In the past I would take my venison to a butcher near by to get the meat dried like dry beef. So good, as with so many other butcher in the area this butcher will no longer process deer. Legal and time issues.

Can anyone help, what can I do to dry my own venison.

Thanks,

[OkKeith]

Is it basically just jerky with no seasoning? Would a simple food dehydrator work? When I was in college, we made all our jerky in the oven. Set it at the lowest temperature then hold the oven door open a crack with a wooden spoon. Seems like this would work too.

My problem was I ate half of what I was making before it was all done. If I wanted 3 pounds for a trip, I needed to make 5 or so to end up with that much.

Good luck,
OkKeith

[Blackhawk]

Ok has the right idea.  I marinate my deer meat overnight in a favorite jerky recipe and then let it drip dry for an hour or so.  It then goes in the oven on a rack at low temp, door open, for a few hours.

[Traditional-Archer]

Thanks Scott and Keith,

I was thinking the same thing,I just needed to hear it from someone other than my commin sense.

Thanks again.

[Bakes168]

I've also read about hanging strips of the meat on a rack next to an open fire for a while until they are dry. Same think I would think, and you will get a nice smokey flavor  :D .

Bakes

[Bakes168]

But only use hard woods, not anything like pine.

[ilarcher]

I use a dehydator. Its the same thing your butcher would use.

I have made it both ways,with and without seasoning. I have some in my dehydator right now with cajin spice on it for jerky.

My problem is that it is all jerky in my house, the kids eat it all before I can use any of it as "dried venison" for camping.

Check into a dehydator, its well worth the money and pays for itself in the first year if you use it enough. Mine is just one of the round ones that you can add the trays to, its about 100 bucks at most retail stores.

[Dave Bulla]

You said like dry beef...

To me, dry beef is a salt/sugar cured chunk that is slow smoked like a ham for weeks then sliced real thin like lunch meat.  Is that what you mean?  Like the stuff used for chipped beef or SOS?  SOS is a white gravy with the chipped beef in it usually served on toast.  Used to be common in the military.  Can be real good or real bad...

Anyway, if this is what you want, jerky ain't gonna be the same.  Jerky is great, but it's not the same process and it tastes different.  I just got done writing about this stuff on the other post here called "teach me about smoking meat" but unfortunately, I don't know the process for the slow smoked and cured stuff.  There was a book recomended that is supposed to cover it though....