How to Make Great Venison Jerky
Posted By
Bill Winke
at
5/26/2010 12:00:00 AM
Filed under:
journal
I have eaten Kurt's venison jerky, so I can personally testify to how good it is. In this blog, Scott Prucha shares Kurt Schroeder's methods for making an awesome batch of jerky from last year's buck or doe.
The following is from Scott Prucha (photos by Kurt Schroeder):
Last summer I shared a recipe for a deer mineral that I use to supplement the deer’s nutrition and attract whitetails to my trail cams. I have received some comments that readers have tried it with great success, that’s terrific. However, the recipe I want to discuss today is not for deer but hungry hunters instead.
Today’s topic: Venison Jerky.
There are few things that remind me of a hunting trip or deer camp more than a good batch of venison jerky. To get the scoop I went to my friend and hunting partner Kurt Schroeder. When we pile in the truck for a hunting trip we are seldom out of the driveway before someone asks Kurt, “Did you bring a batch of jerky?” Kurt always complies and we are soon munching away on flavorful wild game. 
The following is Kurt’s jerky recipe.
Kurt butchers his own deer (and sometimes mine) and any of the venison that can’t be made into steaks, chops or roasts goes into the scrap meat pile. This meat either gets converted to hamburger or my favorite, jerky. The meat that is destined to become jerky is run through a grinder without any other fat added.
The next step is to add the Jerky seasoning to the ground meat. There are many varieties and flavors out there but Kurt prefers L.E.M.’s powder mix. One small package of seasoning is added to each two pounds of ground meat.
After mixing in the seasoning, leave the covered in the refrigerator overnight. The following day, load the meat into a jerky gun which lays out six-inch long, perfect ribbons of raw meat onto the trays of the dehydrator.
Leave the meat in the dehydrator for approximately 8 hours and you’re done. It is that simple!
Kurt always packs his jerky into small lots and seals them with a vacuum sealer. It sounds pretty simple for something that tastes so good. So give it a try and that next deer that you hang a tag on, Bon appétit!
Have a safe summer. By the way I am certainly happy to test anyone’s secret jerky recipe just don’t send them to Bill’s address I will never see it!
