MAY THE POWER OF THE BEAST BE WITHIN YOU!
Wild game jerky has fueled my outdoor adventures for decades. I consider it one of the major food groups, though I must admit that my tastes tend to gravitate to food of the high protein variety. It is the ultimate paleo production, and it may be the perfect food for the trail walker everywhere.
Jerky is nothing more than meat that has been dried to prevent spoilage. Cut into thin strips, it can be processed in the sun, or smoked, or created in your home food dehydrator or oven.
Some type of salt is an essential ingredient, which helps remove moisture from the meat and acts to inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Other than that, the combinations of seasonings and marinades and recipe variations are nearly endless. Some people like it spicy, and hot. Others prefer a more subtle or flavorful blend.
Rabbit Jerky anyone, or maybe some goose? How about a Jamaican Jerk? Or a honey sweetened batch of salmon, or some other fish jerky?
The jerky making frontier, like all of the outdoors, is vast and untamed.
Go wild!
Experiment, create, and play.
Most of all...get out there - outside - and get it done, with some jerky in your pocket!
Here are just a few of some of the recipes that I can recommend:
VENISON JERKY WITH CHIPOTLES IN ADOBO
I am becoming a jerky aficionado, and I must say that so far this is one of the best jerky marinades I have tried. It makes me wonder if even an old shoe would taste good after hanging out in this for a while.
Long term storage does not seem to be a problem with this creation. It simply does not last that long in my house.
Kudos to Hank Shaw of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. This man is a master wizard when it comes to wild game.
INGREDIENTS
4 or 5 pound venison roast
1 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup sliced onion
1 head garlic, peeled
1 seven-ounce can of chipotles in adobo
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons salt
Cut meat into 1/4" strips and place in a non-reactive bowl. Combine remaining ingredients into blender and mix well. Pour over meat and refrigerate for 36-48 hours, stirring occasionally. Dehydrate for 6-8 hours, or until done.
*I have also made jerky with this marinade from antelope, deer, and now, mountain goat. I love them all.
Re-posted with Permissions. Thank You Hank!
PONGHORN JERKY WITH RAISINS AND MADEIRA
INGREDIENTS
3-4 pound rump roast or similar cut
3/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 cup Soy Sauce
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup Good Madeira
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tbsp Salt
DIRECTIONS
Cut meat into 1/4" strips. Place remaining ingredients into blender and mix well. Then pour mixture over meat and refrigerate for at least 48 hours. Dehydrate for 8-10 hours, or until done.
Pairs nicely with the remaining Madeira, but then again, that's the general idea.
Enjoy!
- Bear in mind that this jerky does not call for any type of added preservative. Refrigeration, or freezing, is best for long-term storage.
Recipe by Michael Patrick McCarty
PIGEON JERKY
Most people don't think of making jerky out of this common and often underrated bird, so good pigeon jerky recipes are scarce as hen's teeth. Either that, or our fanatic pigeon shooting friends are holding them quite close to the vest.
We've been experimenting a bit with pigeon jerky and we have a few ideas. Many beef jerky marinades seem to work fairly well. It also works well with dove, and duck or goose jerky recipes can be adapted too. You might even say - it's all good!
We'd love to hear about some of your favorite creations.
Soy and Ginger Pigeon Jerky
6 pigeon breasts
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Pound and flatten pigeon breasts in an effort to make them as uniform as possible, then cut into thin strips about 1/4" thick. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the breast meat. Marinade for 4 to 12 hours in refrigerator, then dehydrate for about 8 hours at 155 degrees. It is done when it cracks easily when bent.
Serve with some creamy goat cheese of your choice on a good artisan cracker and a glass of good Port to wash it down. Guaranteed to stump the crowd, because almost no one can guess it's origin. They will, however, want more.
By Michael Patrick McCarty
Parts of this post first appeared at:
http://throughahunterseyes.com and http://www.thebackyardprovider.com/recipes/squab/pigeon-jerky/
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Active Member Outdoor Writers Association of America
"One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted". From Meditations on Hunting by José Ortega y Gasset
Recommended Reading:
From My Personal Wild Game Cookbook Collection
We generally have a copy of this title in our bookstore stock, if so interested.
Top Image Source at https://pixabay.com/en/users/Meditations-2077322/