DEERNUT Jerky
2-3 lbs. Deer Roast
1 C. Worchestershire Sauce
1 C. Soy Sauce
4 t. Liquid Smoke
4 T. Brown Sugar
4 t. Onion Powder
4 t. Garlic Powder
¾ t. Black Pepper
1 t. Pickling Salt (a little preservative so you can leave the jerky flexible)

Friday 3pm – take roast out of freezer and place on plate in fridge to thaw

Saturday morning remove and slice across the grain with a very sharp knife as thin as you can (I think 1/4 inch might be too thick to dry and preserve well). I try to make big sheets of jerky – a cross-section of the roast. The meat should be about ¾ frozen and firm so it can be sliced this thin. If it is too soft, put it in the freezer for a while.

Mix all ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag and place open ziplock in a big bowl to hold the bag upright. Place meat slices in as you work so that marinade splashes between all pieces as you add them – you don’t want meat slices stuck together. Seal the ziplock with no air inside and lay flat on a plate in the fridge for 24 hours (you can double the recipe and have 2 ziplocks layered on the plate). Remove every 6 hours or so and squish around to mix it and lay it back on the plate flat.


Sunday morning take out of the marinade and spread pieces flat on trays of a dehydrator with at least ¼ inch separation between pieces. Rotate trays (top to bottom) as the bottom starts to dry. It should take 6-8 hours to finish. Remove pieces as they lose almost all (not all) of their moisture. They should be lightweight, but not crumbly and crispy. I remove them when they appear all dry but are still somewhat flexible.


Store in a gallon Ziplock bag in the fridge.