Who doesn’t like jerky?  Ok, vegans and vegetarians put your hands down.

I make a lot of jerky throughout the year.  I love it, my kids love it, and it’s a healthy high-protein snack that is great to pack along on any outdoor adventure.

I have used a wet marinade recipe for many years consisting of equal parts Soy Sauce, Worchestershire Sause, Teriyaki Sauce plus fresh garlic, and a variety of spices.  It works well for smoker or oven drying.

For no-mess dehydrator drying, I’ve turned to dry cures from Hi Mountain Seasonings because they are very easy to use and produce excellent results.  Everything is spelled out in a well-designed instruction sheet and there are a variety of flavors to choose from.  They even provide a shaker bottle in each kit.

Here’s how I go about it:

Cut meat into 1/4″ thick pieces. These can be strips as shown or if you’re using a roast or larger cut, they can be like thin steaks. Cutting across the grain makes it easier to tear off a bite.

Next follow the instructions and mix the correct amout of cure with seasongs. Apply evenly to both sides but don’t fret about precise coverage.

Next stack the meat tightly and wrap in plastic wrap or pack tightly in a Zip-Lock bag, squeezing out the air. This ensures good cure and seasoning mix contact.

Three pounds of lean elk jerky ready to cure in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

For this batch I decided to use my Little Chief electric smoker and some mesquite chips. I wrap this smoker in cardboard to keep the heat in.

Three racks loaded and ready to go!  Drying time will vary so check it regularly after a few hours.  Enjoy!