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| Peppered Deer Jerky heading for the dehydrator. |
By far one of the most frequently asked questions I get asked
after having a successful deer season is when I am going to start making deer
jerky. Typically, I have only made my Spicy'n'Sweet Deer Jerky which has also turned into one of most
popular post, but that's not the case anymore. I began experimenting with
popular types of jerky and have tried to put my own twist on them.
The peppered style jerky was one of the first ones I began to try;
I took this one thinking that it would be the easiest one to make. I was
partially right, but still this is a simplistic yet complex jerky to try or
should I say alter to get it the way I thought it was great. Since I did all
the experimenting now the most difficult take for you will be operating a
pepper grinder.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs – Strips of Jerky Meat (Venison or Beef)
½ Cup – Soy Sauce
½ Cup – Worcestershire Sauce
¼ Cup – Honey
2 Tbsp. – Liquid Smoke (Hickory)
1 Tbsp. – Finely Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. – Onion Powder
1 tsp. – Garlic Powder
To Taste – Coarse Ground Black Pepper
This recipe starts by creating the marinade. Combine the Soy
Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, honey, Liquid Smoke, finely Ground Pepper, Onion
Powder, and Garlic Powder into a pour a whisk together. Once the marinade is thoroughly
mixed pour it over the jerky meat in a container that can be sealed. Make sure
all the meat is covered with marinade and seal container. Allow it to marinade
for 12 to 36 hours.
After removing the jerky strips from the marinade lay them out and
apply the coarse ground black pepper over the strips. The strips can be laid
out on the trays for the dehydrator if you wish. With this step apply as much or
as little pepper as you would like, this is where you can customize how potent
your pepper flavor is of your jerky. I would err on the side of caution a go a
little lighter if you are concerned because if you remember the original
marinade had already had a tablespoon of ground pepper as well to provide
flavor.
Now that
you have the strips peppered and placed on the trays, place the trays in the
dehydrator. I normally allow mine to run at 165⁰ for four to five hours and this gives the
jerky the perfect crisp outside with a tender body. This can vary depending on
the type of dehydrator you use or style of dehydration you use. With this last
step you must know your equipment and experiment to see what works best for
you.
