Dry deer meat, also known as venison, to make venison jerky.
Deer meat, also known as venison, offers a new flavor if you're bored of steak and chicken. If you are preparing a dinner of venison, you can use it much as you would a steak--you can braise it, grill it or bake it. If you have extra venison and want to save it for later, however, dry it to make venison jerky that you can take with you for a quick and easy snack.
Instructions
Oven
1. Place a sheet of aluminum foil onto your cookie sheet, then coat the aluminum foil lightly with vegetable oil.
2. Lay the strips of venison onto the aluminum foil. Do not let the strips touch each other or the edge of the cookie sheet.
3. Place the cookie sheet into an oven and turn the heat to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Close the oven door most of the way, leaving it open a couple of inches. This allows the moisture to escape, which will let your jerky dry more quickly.
5. Check your venison jerky after about four hours. Remove a strip from the oven and try to bend it. It should be flexible enough that it does not snap in half, but dry enough that the meat cracks at the edges of the bend. If the venison is not yet done, allow it to continue baking. It may take up to eight hours for your venison to dry sufficiently.
Dehydrator
6. Coat the dehydrator racks with a thin layer of vegetable oil.
7. Place the strips of venison onto the dehydrator racks, leaving room all around each strip of venison to allow adequate airflow.
8. Rotate the trays on your dehydrator every hour if it does not have a fan. Move the top tray to the bottom, thereby moving all the other trays up.
9. Turn on the dehydrator and allow it to run for about four hours before checking your jerky, as outlined in the "Oven" section. Check your jerky regularly after four hours until it is done, which may take up to eight hours.
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