Old Timber Outdoors
Strips of dark venison jerky on parchment beside a glass jar
Illustration
All recipes Deer round (whole muscle)

Venison Jerky (Marinade-Boil Method)

Thin strips from the round, marinated, heated to 160°F in the marinade, then dried.

8 servings45 min hands-on17 hr 30 min total

Stove and oven · Snack

Skill: Some experience

Untested draft

Ingredients

  • 2 lbDeer round (whole muscle), sliced 1/4 inch thick with the grain
  • ½ cupSoy sauce
  • 2 tbspMaple syrup
  • 2 tspBlack pepper, cracked
  • 1 tspGarlic, granulated
  • 1/2 cup water

You'll need

Stovetop, Instant-read thermometer. And one of: Dehydrator, or Oven + Sheet pan with wire rack.

Leftovers

NCHFP: properly dried jerky keeps two weeks at room temperature in a sealed container; refrigerate or freeze for longer keeping. Old Timber labels it refrigerated by default. Dry texture alone is not proof of shelf stability.

Method

  1. Partly freeze the round for easier slicing, then slice 1/4 inch thick.
  2. Mix the soy, maple, pepper, garlic and water. Marinate the strips in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Follow exactly: Bring the strips and marinade to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Check several of the thickest strips with a thermometer for 160°F.
  4. Follow exactly: Drain, lay the strips in a single layer and dry in a dehydrator or a low oven on a rack until a cooled piece bends and cracks but does not snap. Follow the source for drying temperature.
  5. Cool, pack in airtight containers and refrigerate or freeze.
Cook to 160°F before dryingLocked process step from NCHFP: heat strips to 160°F before drying. Not changeable by skill level.
  • Do not make jerky from meat that touched gut contents during field dressing; cook that meat thoroughly in other dishes instead (NCHFP).
  • Freezing does not eliminate bacteria (NCHFP).
  • Consider CWD testing before eating venison (CDC).

Food safety sources