Jerky a wild game delight
HOW TO MAKE THIS SUPER SNACK
RELEASE THE DOVES, sound the trumpets, drum roll
please – OK, maybe jerky making isn’t an “art,” but finding
that bulletproof recipe which tickles your taste buds is a
quest on the celestial plane.
Jerky, a healthy meat snack packed with protein, is a
lightweight treat for any outdoor excursion. It can be made
from either muscle or ground meat, though I prefer muscle.
As a big game hunter, I always save a few cuts for jerky, but
goose flesh and rabbit meat also work.
JORDAN
Jerky prevents camp dinner boredom with repeated
DUROCHER
steaks, chops or roasts, and it requires lengthy prepping,
marinating and curing. Whether you are new to the jerky scene or a veteran jerky
maker, there is always something to learn.
TRY THESE SIX STEPS:
• Step 1 – Choosing meat
Any meat can be made into jerky, but I like to use a cut that is lean on
the inside with less marble running through it. Fat on the outside of the
cut is fine, because it’s easy to trim off. A saves trim time and lessens
the risk of fat going rancid.
• Step 2 – Slicing meat
Run it through a meat slicer for consistent cuts a quarter inch thick.
Thicker or thinner than that means more or less drying time. If you
don’t have a meat slicer, freeze the meat slightly and slice with a knife.
Semi-frozen meat makes uniform slicing easier.
• Step 3 – Trimming fat
Fat can cause the meat to go rancid. Scissors remove it more easily and
safely than a knife. Scissors also help shape the meat into jerky strips.
• Step 4 – Marinating
Basic marinade ingredients are soya sauce, liquid smoke, garlic and/or
onion powder and Worcestershire sauce. Some recipes call for brown
sugar as well, and there are many to choose from online. A good set
of measuring spoons is an asset. From this base, you can add hot or
sweet flavouring. Submerge the meat in it and refrigerate in a lock-tight
container (to confine the smell) for 16 to 24 hours before drying.
Throughout that time, stir the mixture occasionally so each piece of
meat is equally and evenly penetrated with marinade.
• Step 5 – Curing
Place the cured meat on racks in a dehydrator with a top-mounted
fan. Avoid overlapping – it means the meat takes longer to dry out and
pieces stick to each other. If you don’t own a dehydrator, hang meat
from racks in a household oven, with the door propped open, set to
150–175 Fahrenheit.
• Step 6 – Enjoy!
Eat the meat of your labour. If you can’t eat it all at once, freeze the
leftovers in freezer bags. Even the slightest piece of fat can go rancid.
Next time you bag a big game animal try making jerky. You’ll be glad you did.
20 | FISH , HUNT RIDE
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