Venison jerky, . . . the old way

[Dwight55]

OK, . . . native Americans made jerky and none of them used my electric dehydrator, . . . or yours.

So, . . . how did they make good jerkey?

What spices did they have and use?

I'm thinking of trying my hand at it this fall, . . . just don't know how to do it.

Thanks, may God bless,
Dwight

[Deebo]

Hmmm, excellent question.
I would guess sun dried, maybe spread on branches and wind dried.
Maybe smoked, in the teepee?
As for spices, wow, maybe onion grass, salt?
I just this week purchased 50 dollars worth of sliced beef, and have been making jerky for days.
Red Chile, Super jalapeno with Habanero kicker, the first attempt at Lime salt Pepper, on the dehydrator, and last nights batch is marinating (call it "the grab bag" because it has, left over red chile powder, salt, jalapeno mustard, juice from "vinegar peppers", hot sauce, and lots of black pepper), we will see how the last batch turns out.

[Arklatex]

I've seen it done over a campfire before. You make a tripod and drape thin strips across the supports. Then cover it and let it smoke real slow. The longer you cure it the longer it keeps. I reckon you can use whatever spices you want and the smoke will also add flavor. Search for campfire jerky on the Internet and you'll come across all kinds of recipes and instructions.

Here's a picture of one setup

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161209/b18d97ebb2ff98acc732dc63e66952d8.jpg

[MrsInor]

Us American Indians (I refuse to use the guvmint Native American term) would pound the meat thin (a flat rock works well) and just before it gets to the quarter inch thickness, add some dried berries to it. Salt was available but not used much. Bear grease can be pounded into it also.

Use a rack and hang out in the sun, turning every two hours or so.

For longer keeping - smoke it as Arklatex shows above.

[Dwight55]

Woo-hoo, . . . now we're cookin, . . .

I'm thinking I can already see my Joann fabric 50% off coupon, . . . some canvas, . . . and a smokin' teepee in my future.

Thanks, folks, . . .

Funny, . . . how just a little bit of help, . . . usually helps out a lot.

May God bless,
Dwight

[MountainGirl]

Woo-hoo, . . . now we're cookin, . . .

I'm thinking I can already see my Joann fabric 50% off coupon, . . . some canvas, . . . and a smokin' teepee in my future.

Thanks, folks, . . .

Funny, . . . how just a little bit of help, . . . usually helps out a lot.

May God bless,
Dwight

Hey Dwight - did you ever try doin this? It's on my first up list for this spring...starting with a permanent smoking tipi.

[Dwight55]

Hey Dwight - did you ever try doin this? It's on my first up list for this spring...starting with a permanent smoking tipi.

I haven't done it yet, . . . but it is one of those things in the back of the old mind. I was hoping for a deer this season, . . . but missed my one chance, . . . just as I broke the shot, . . . it jumped sideways, . . . all I got was a pile of white fur on the ground.

Still have a black powder season this weekend, . . . "maybe ???"

Really wanted some smoked venison jerky, . . .

May God bless,
Dwight

[MountainGirl]

I haven't done it yet, . . . but it is one of those things in the back of the old mind. I was hoping for a deer this season, . . . but missed my one chance, . . . just as I broke the shot, . . . it jumped sideways, . . . all I got was a pile of white fur on the ground.

Still have a black powder season this weekend, . . . "maybe ???"

Really wanted some smoked venison jerky, . . .

May God bless,
Dwight

My plan is to build what I want, then buy a cheap beef roast to practice on, lol.
Going to do some slices in a very light salt brine, some in a salt/cider, some black peppered, and some au natural.
(We're very stocked up on salt, pepper, cider vinegar)
If the apple trees survived, we'll eventually have a source for cider, etc.
Test times, learning times, fun times :)

Good luck with your hunt, if ya go!

[Coppertop]

I hunted Alaska a few years ago with my native brother in law. We got a caribou and he took some thin slices, put some salt/pepper on it and hung it in the trees. When we went back by there two days later, we had jerky. It only lasted a couple of days (eaten) so I wasn't sure how long it would have stored. I was a little leary of it being in the sun and with bugs around, but apparently the salt and pepper did the job.

I like the idea of the smoke teepee, but i'll stick with my electric smoker for now.

[hawgrider]

I hunted Alaska a few years ago with my native brother in law. We got a caribou and he took some thin slices, put some salt/pepper on it and hung it in the trees. When we went back by there two days later, we had jerky. It only lasted a couple of days (eaten) so I wasn't sure how long it would have stored. I was a little leary of it being in the sun and with bugs around, but apparently the salt and pepper did the job.

I like the idea of the smoke teepee, but i'll stick with my electric smoker for now.

The black pepper keeps the bugs off. We use black pepper during warm weather hunts to keep flys off a hanging carcass.

[Dwight55]

Well, . . . I got zeroed on deer this season, . . .

But like Mt. Girl, . . . just may try my hand on some beef, . . . been holed up like a cornered groundhog this winter.

Just have to wait and see what occurs later this spring, . . . got an apple tree that has to come down, and it will make some good wood for smoking.

Anybody got any other recipes, . . . chime in, . . . jerky is always good stuff. I'm just looking for stuff that will work should we preppers need it to work without being able to go to Kroger for supplies.

May God bless,
Dwight

[MountainGirl]

Well, . . . I got zeroed on deer this season, . . .

But like Mt. Girl, . . . just may try my hand on some beef, . . . been holed up like a cornered groundhog this winter.

Just have to wait and see what occurs later this spring, . . . got an apple tree that has to come down, and it will make some good wood for smoking.

Anybody got any other recipes, . . . chime in, . . . jerky is always good stuff. I'm just looking for stuff that will work should we preppers need it to work without being able to go to Kroger for supplies.

May God bless,
Dwight

I'm dedicating this summer to making meat, sideways style lol. :)

My campfire efforts I'll post in this thread; electric efforts I'll post on:

https://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?11803-Making-Meat-on-Peaceful-Mountain

Are you still going to give it a go?

[Dwight55]

I'm dedicating this summer to making meat, sideways style lol. :)

My campfire efforts I'll post in this thread; electric efforts I'll post on:

https://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?11803-Making-Meat-on-Peaceful-Mountain

Are you still going to give it a go?

We had a super late spring this year, . . . now all of a sudden it is 90 out there today.

My garden is in need of some serious attention, . . . and if I don't mow, . . . I'll have to hire someone to come in a bale the stuff, . . . got a bee hive where the super got collapsed (probably a stinking mouse), . . . and my phone keeps wringing for gun holsters, belts, etc.

I'm thinking that somewhere up in July, . . . I might just give a try at some open air jerky, . . . build some kind of box where the flies cannot get to it, . . . and see what happens. Folks keep saying it cannot be done, . . . but the native folks did it 200 years ago and lived to tell about it.

Anyway, . . . that's sort of the plan, . . . if I live through berry picking season coming up.

May God bless,
Dwight

[BucketBack]

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