Jerky is good way to get the most out of deer meat

Department of Conservation

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Venison, sometimes gamey, sometimes tough and often too abundant, poses something of a challenge for hunters. After solving the problems of how to kill a deer and dress the carcass, the final question is what to do with all the resulting meat. One answer is to "jerk" it.

Most of us know jerky as leathery brown strips of dried meat wrapped in plastic in convenience stores. But jerked meat has been around as long as humans have hunted.

There are many reasons for this.

First, jerking meat can be as simple as hanging strips of meat over a smoldering fire.

Jerked meat is light and compact. With reasonable care it keeps almost indefinitely. The smoke and spices used in many recipes go a long way toward making gamey-tasting meat delicious. Finally, you can jerk any piece of meat, solving the problem of what to do with less-choice venison cuts.

Jerking consists of three steps -- cutting, seasoning and drying. The object of cutting is to make the meat thin enough to dry fully. The uncooked strips should be no thicker than a quarter of an inch. Some pieces of meat, such as sheet muscle in the belly or just under the hide along the flanks, are naturally thin and not much good for anything else. These are easy to prepare.

Slicing thicker pieces of meat thinly can be difficult. Meat at room temperature is flabby and tends to shift under pressure. This makes uniform slicing almost impossible. To solve this problem, put meat in the freezer until it becomes stiff, but not solid. With a sharp knife, you can easily shave one-eighth-inch slices from slabs of stiff meat.

Another way of getting thin jerky material is to grind the venison and roll it flat. This offers the added advantage of breaking down the fibers in stringy cuts.

Variety of seasonings

Purists season their jerky with nothing more than salt and wood smoke, but most hunters use marinades based on either soy or Worcestershire sauce. Pepper and garlic are the most common seasonings. Adding vinegar or monosodium glutamate to marinades tenderizes the meat. If you don't want to take time to smoke the meat, you can add smoke flavorings, which grocery stores stock in their spice aisles.

"Slow" is the key word in cooking jerky. Smoker grills specially designed to provide sustained low heat are ideal. However, you can get the same effect with any charcoal grill that has a tight-fitting lid. Adjusting top and bottom vents allows you to control air flow to the coals, which in turn determines temperature. Indoors, you can use an oven set on low -- 150 to 200 degrees. Keep the door ajar so moisture can escape.

Wherever you cook your jerky, place it on a wire rack so hot air circulates freely around it.

Check the meat often to avoid overcooking. Finished jerky should be stiff, but not crisp.

Smoking provides the greatest protection against spoilage. However, all jerky should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer unless it will be eaten within a few days. Drying significantly reduces the weight and volume of meat. When freezer space is limited, jerking will help you fit in all your venison.

Consider recipes starting points in your quest for the perfect jerk. Here are two good ones.