Venison Jerky

Deer hunting season brought a supply of fresh venison, and the most reliable way to preserve it for work lunches was jerky. Thin slices of lean venison dried slowly over low heat or hung near the woodstove — concentrated protein that kept for months without refrigeration. Mountain workers carried venison jerky in their pockets, chewing it throughout the day.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs venison hindquarter (lean cut, all fat and silver skin removed)
• Marinade: ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp cayenne, ½ tsp liquid smoke

Directions

1. Slice venison against the grain into strips ¼ inch thick. Partially freezing the meat (1 hour in freezer) makes slicing much easier.
2. Combine all marinade ingredients. Submerge venison strips in marinade. Cover and refrigerate 8–24 hours.
3. Remove strips from marinade and pat completely dry.
4. Traditional method: hang strips on a drying rack near the woodstove or in a warm attic with good airflow for 2–4 days.
5. Modern oven method: lay strips on wire racks over baking sheets. Dry at 170°F (lowest oven setting) for 4–6 hours, turning once halfway.
6. Jerky is done when it bends and cracks slightly but does not snap in two.
7. Store in cloth bags or loosely sealed containers. Keeps weeks at room temperature.

Notes

Traditional mountain jerky used no marinade at all — just salt rubbed into thin-sliced venison and then dried. The marinade recipe above reflects the 1970s version when soy sauce and Worcestershire became available in rural stores. The key is removing all fat — fat goes rancid quickly and ruins jerky.