Hi Mountain Jerky

Hi Mountain Jerky is a company who, according to their website, have continued the traditions of the old west when it comes to making the seasonings for making the marinades for beef jerky and all the additional accessories you may need. Hi Mountain Jerky have a full service website delivering spices and recipes for you to make your own jerky. They also have retail outlets in 51 states and some countries outside the USA. Their online store has products ranging from cans of smoke to the beef jerky gun and the spares parts you may need.

Jerky mix

Jerky mix is a phrase used to describe a dry mixture of spices which can be used to make up your marinade. These can be bought at specialist shops, supermarkets or online or you can make your own by preparing your jerky mix in advance. When you use your mix you will need to be sure that you have blended the liquid and the mix well to a slightly runny paste. You also need to make sure you fully cover the meat strips and let it marinade over night. One company who make a reasonable commercial product is Hi Mountain Jerky.

Oven beef jerky

Oven beef jerky is relatively easy to make if you are careful to keep the temperature as low as possible. The reason you need to keep the temperature low for oven beef jerky is that what you are trying to do is dry the meat not cook it. This is one of the reasons that making jerky in a microwave oven is much more difficult as they tend to cook the meat. Cooking meat until it dries out hard is not making jerky in an oven. The other thing you need to work on is getting a good jerky mix for your marinade.

Buy jerky

Should you buy jerky online? This is a question that many people ask themselves and they search many site to find an answer for themselves. I ask why would you buy jerky when it is so simple to make your own? I think that, for most people, the thought of making jerky is just too difficult or messy. They think that they will need an expensive dehydrator before they can even start but that isn't true. While it is true that a good dehydrator will help you make better jerky you can make oven beef jerky in your own oven at home.

Making venison jerky

Making venison jerky is a pretty simple process once you have all the required ingredients and a good dehydrator. You can make a dehydrator to use when making venison jerky as long as you follow some simple rules. Some simple steps are mix the marinade well, partly freeze the meat, slice across the grain, soak in the marinade over night, keep the dehydrator temperature down, check the process regularly and move the strips around to keep the drying even. Follow these simple rules and you'll produce such a good quality product you may never buy jerky again.

Deer jerky marinade

A good deer jerky marinade will take into account the different flavour of the deer meat compared with good quality beef, white meat or fish jerky. You can find a good deer jerky marinade by searching online or browsing your local library for a good recipe book. Typically they will include spices and sugar or salt. The sugar and salt are the curative products which are necessary to the dehydration and long term storage process. The dehydrating process on it's own usually isn't sufficient for the jerky to keep. Getting a good marinade is an important step to making venison jerky.

Jerky marinades

Jerky marinades are every where online and in books but you don't have to follow any of them. You can create your own jerky marinades but I would suggest that you begin your adventure into the wonderful world of homemade jerky by following the established jerky marinades recipes first and then determining what you would like to change. Mostly the things people generally like to change is to make the marinade more or less sweet or more or less hot. Whatever you do, if you like to hunt you will be able to develop your own deer jerky marinade.

Ground jerky

Ground jerky is a softer chew than jerky strips but takes longer to make. It is often easier to at least partially freeze the meat before you put it through the grinder as it grinds better. It is important to thoroughly mix the marinade with the ground jerky and it's best to do it by hand. You will freeze your hands though so you have to mix it until you can't feel your fingers to get a thorough mix. Once it is mixed through with one of your favorite jerky marinades you will have to grind it again but finer this time.

Venison jerky marinade

Venison jerky marinade is essentially the same as any other jerky marinade but venison requires a bit more tenderizing before the marinade process. A good marinade will include spices, and sufficient liquid to make a runny paste. Venison jerky marinade should be made to match the stronger taste of the venison, it has been suggested that red wine can substitute for water or vinegar in the spice mix to add a special flavor. There have been suggestions that you could use liquid smoke to give a smoked flavor to your jerky. This works for those who don't have a smoker but like that flavor. Some people prefer the easier chewing of ground jerky rather than the strips of meat.

Online jerky

Online jerky sales have been increasing over the last 5 years as more people discover the ease and convenience of buying jerky online. One of the problems with online jerky purchases is that you just don't know what the quality is going to be before you buy. Most of the companies who sell jerky online are reputable and really do want you to become a regular customer. They understand that this will not happen if the quality is poor or the delivery is slow. If you are bothered by the slight risk of buying jerky online then you possibly should look into making your own. All you need is the meat and a good venison jerky marinade.

Vension jerky

Venison jerky is made from the meat of a deer. Deer are farmed animals in many parts of the world but are also wild and are hunted for their meat. Often venison jerky, because deer can be tough, is tenderized before dehydrating. This is different to the jerky made from farmed animals. Tenderizing can be done by pounding the cuts with a rolling pin or a tenderizing mallet. Almost any of the marinades used for other meats can be used with venison and the results will be just as succulent. Online, jerky of almost any type can be purchased with a simple search.

Biltong jerky

Biltong jerky is the name given to the jerky made in South Africa. Biltong jerky is made in a similar fashion to beef jerky but is usually cured with vinegar, salt and other spices. Biltong jerky is also usually air dried and is often thicker than other types of jerky. Biltong does not have to be made from beef, although it usually is, other game or fish can be used as well. This is the type of dried meat that the original European settlers made so they could travel further into the interior away from Cape Town. Sausage jerky is another unusual type of jerky.

Biltong Jerky Recipe.

Makes 4 servings

Salting mixture:
1 lb salt.
2 oz sugar.
1 oz saltpeter.
pepper and chili spices to taste.

Cut strips of meat following the grain of muscle.
Make strips 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick.
Best made during cool dry weather if possible.

Salt the meat by rubbing the mixture in well and leave in the basin of salt mixture overnight. Dip a cloth in vinegar, wring dry and wipe the meat well.

Hang the strips of meat in a cool, dry, well ventilated place until dry.

You can also hang the meat on an oven rack placed in the top slot of the oven.

Dry the meat on low heat.

Sausage jerky

Sausage jerky is really a traditional sausage which has been put through a drying process. Sausage jerky is, in reality, jerkified sausage. Since jerky is dehydrated meat it stands to reason that sausage jerky is dehydrated sausage. Like with jerky this would enable you to keep your sausages much longer with no refrigeration than would be the case of with a normal sausage. I haven't tried one but I am sure I would like dried sausage almost as much as I like cold cooked sausage. Jerky made from deer meat is usually called venison jerky.