I've been getting into making jerky and playing around with flavors. Was wondering if anyone had any good jerky recipes that they wouldn't mind sharing.

Preparing the meat

Use approximately 1.5 to 2 pounds of lean meat (venison, top round or flank steak work best). The easiest and best tasting would be to use venison straps and loins. You can cut these very simply at home and they taste much better than the hams (less fat and sinew to deal with).

For easier slicing, meat should be slightly frozen. For deer hams, consider taking the meat to a butcher. Make sure you call in advance to see if they will process venison. Some butchers will not do this for you. Ask for 1/8 inch cut. Ask to remove as much fat as possible. Remember, fat is not your friend when making jerky – remove as much as possible. Try to slice the meat WITH the grain as much as possible.

Preparing the brine

Mix the following ingredients into a very large re-sealable plastic Ziploc bag:

- 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2/3 cup Soy Sauce (can be replaced with Teriyaki if desired – a bit sweeter)
- 3 teaspoons black pepper (fresh cracked is best, but not a necessity)
- 3 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon honey (more if you want sweeter)

Depending on how hot/spicy you like, feel free to add more red pepper flakes, black pepper or add a teaspoon or two of cayenne pepper. Feel free to use garlic powder if desired.

Marinating

Place the meat strips into the brine. Move the meat around so that the brine is evenly distributed. Try to remove as much air as possible from the Ziploc bag.

Lay bag flat in the refrigerator for about 5 to 6 hours. Make sure to flip and move bag around after about 3 hours so that all meat gets evenly brined.

Remove meat from brine and pat dry with paper towels.

Dehydrating

Place meat strips on the dehydrator racks evenly. You can fill the racks completely - just make sure the meat strips do not overlap each other.

Turn dehydrator on ‘Jerky or Meat Setting’ - which is about 150 degrees.

Rotate racks every hour or so until jerky has reached desired consistency. Usually 4 to 6 hours. Thicker pieces should be left on longer.

Place finished jerky on paper towels and allow to air dry for 2 hours before storing.

You can store in air-dry containers or put them in freezer bags and freeze. It’ll last up to a year.

Alright, I'll have to try that one, sounds good. Much appreciated.