Deer hunting season may be a memory now, but there’s still a fantastic way to savor a slice of your hunt while you’re waiting for fall to roll around again. Fire up the wood smoker and cook some seasoned venison jerky!
A flavorful strip of jerky is the perfect meaty, protein-packed snack to gnaw on as you head back into the woods to scout or simply enjoy a day out. For packable food that’s handy for hunters and hikers alike, nothing beats it—and it’s downright satisfying when it comes from a deer you harvested yourself.
Have you got a nice venison top round or rump roast wrapped up in the freezer? Get ready to toss on the Redmond Real Salt and Organic Garlic Pepper seasonings and get smokin’.
Jerky is an age-old way to bring deer meat from the field to the table—or your backpack, saddlebag, or however you enjoy the outdoors. Review these tips and tricks below before tackling our Redmond Hunt recipe to make sure your jerky turns out just right.
Lean meats make the best jerky, and venison is one of the leanest—which means you already have a point in your favor for cranking out some good stuff. The best cuts to make jerky are the backstraps, tenderloins, and hindquarters, though any piece will do. Just choose meat that’s large enough to produce a decent-sized strip of jerky.
Once you’ve picked your cut, hold off cutting till you know how to slice the meat to make it most tender. "Going against the grain" implies bucking the natural way of things, and it's a great idea when it comes to slicing venison. Meat is made up of striated muscle fibers, or what we call “grain.” Cutting with the grain, or in the same direction, helps those fibers stay together—and results in tough meat and a serious workout for your jaw.
So how do you ensure you're cutting meat against the grain? Visually, you should be able to see lines running one direction through your venison. If it’s hard to tell just by looking at it, grab the ends of the cut and pull in opposite directions. Natural striations should become noticeable. Cut across, not with, these lines.
Cutting Tips: Cut meat with even thickness (about ¼ inch strips) to encourage consistent drying and smoking on all pieces. Meat is also easier to cut—whether with a knife or slicer—when it’s partially frozen. If your meat is fresh, freeze it for about an hour and a half. If it’s already frozen, let it thaw slightly before cutting.
Many jerky recipes call for a curing salt, also known as prague powder. It extends shelf life of cured meats and contains a mixture of sodium chloride (salt), nitrite (to slow growth of bacteria), and red coloring. But is it necessary when smoking jerky?
We tapped the knowledge of our resident Redmond chef, Shawn Wilson, on using prague powder versus natural Redmond Real Salt (or other salts). Here’s what he had to say on how to cure jerky without nitrates:
“Salt nitrates like prague powder are good if you’re curing over a long period of time using traditional methods which require meat to be hung and dried in specific climate and humidity. However, I prefer Redmond Real Salt for simple, short-term curing as well as anything I need to dry or smoke, like jerky. It works great. While the sodium nitrite in curing salts takes some of the risk out of curing, it isn’t necessary for cooking, smoking, or short-term curing processes.”
So swapping out prague salt—which can actually be toxic if sprinkled on food without discretion—for all-natural Redmond Real Salt or another quality salt is a smarter and healthier choice when meat is headed for the smoker. As a bonus, Real Salt is packed with 60+ trace minerals, which gives our salt a slightly sweet flavor and pinkish tint that adds a nice touch to jerky.
Smoking venison adds a natural yet complex and woodsy flavor—and leaves meat more tender than a dehydrator. Here are some tips we recommend for tastier smoking:
You’re now ready to assemble your gear and ingredients and get to the good stuff—the heady smell of smoking meat and that first taste test! There’s a lot to love about the layers of flavor in this recipe. Brown sugar and soy sauce bring a sweet, tangy kick. Wood pellets add a deeper layer of smoky goodness. And chunky Redmond seasoning tops it off with a peppery bite of heat. Let’s get to it. (You can also watch the quick two-minute video below to see the recipe in action.)
By Jacelyn Hansen
Our smoked venison jerky recipe comes from Jacelyn Hansen, a passionate food preservationist. Jacelyn and her family have years of experience in the great outdoors. They lived and worked on a mountainous cattle ranch in northern Utah which doubles as a hunting ranch teeming with trophy mule deer, elk, pronghorn, and Shiras moose.
The Hansens received a wild game tag each year with their employment and jerked lots of meat using this favorite family recipe. For Jacelyn, it brings back memories of hunting with her husband and long, hot, hungry days in the saddle when a handful of jerky was all there was to reach for.
“Smoking jerky is a great food preservation method,” she said, “and a handy way to utilize your deer meat and make it easy to eat.”
Interested in another satisfying way to use your deer meat? Click below to check out our Dutch Oven Venison Stew recipe! It’s savory, satisfying, and a delicious way to warm up and fill up your stomach after a day on the trail or in the woods.
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