Sweet-Hot Jerky
Based on a casual observation of my hunting buddy’s jerky choices, I’d say that sweet- and hot- flavored jerky is about even with teriyaki.
Turning venison into jerky is a natural. It’s lean, practically devoid of fat, and dries out faster than beef.
The meat has to be trimmed of all visible silver skin, sinew, and anything that’s not muscle. How you slice the meat will directly affect the chewability of the jerky. Meat has a distinct grain. Slicing across the grain makes it more tender. Slicing with the grain will make it last longer, but you might get a sore jaw if it’s cut too thick. About ⅛ to ¼ inch is perfect.
See also: Kinda Spicy Oven Venison Jerky and Ed Broskey’s Duck Jerky
Sweet-Hot Jerky
Servings: 4 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Slice meat as thinly as possible. If needed, lightly pound meat to even thickness. Combine soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl, add sliced meat, and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Combine kosher salt with remaining ingredients. Coat meat evenly, and stack sliced game one on top of the other. Wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Dry on racks in a 200-degree smoker. Average drying time is 2 to 3 hours, depending on meat thickness.
Notes
Note: Jerky stored for more than a couple of weeks should be properly packaged and frozen.