Monte Burch - The Complete Jerky Book: How to Dry, Cure, and Preserve Everything from Venison to Turkey

Copyright 2010 by Monte Burch

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Burch, Monte.

The complete jerky book: how to dry, cure, and preserve everything from venison to turkey/Monte Burch.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-61608-040-2 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. Dried beef. 2. Dried meat. 3. Cookery (Game) I. Title.

TX749.5.B43B79 2010

641.6'6--dc22 2010008172

Printed in China

I 've hunted deer from Alaska to Mexico and just about everywhere in between, and one thing I've noticed is that, no matter where you are, you can always count on someone bringing jerky to deer camp. Hunting camp wouldn't be the same without it.

I don't know how many deer I've taken over the years, but a great deal of my venison has gone into jerky. Our family has been making and snacking on jerky since the early 1970s. Even today, there's usually a jar of it on my office desk, at least until my supply runs out. When I'm out hunting, I always have some while I'm sitting in my tree stand, waiting for a whitetail to come by. Jerky is a great snack, and it can be made out of just about any lean meat, including domestic meats. Beef is the most common meat for commercially made jerky, while homemade jerky can made from all different kinds of wild game.

In days past, jerky making was an essential survival skill; today it's more of a hobby, a great way to utilize venison or other meat, and provide a tasty, nutritious snack food. Jerky making can be as simple as slicing meat into thin strips and drying, or can be more involved by grinding and adding any number of spices. It's a fun pastime, especially when you start experimenting with different recipes. Making jerky is a great way to learn an ancient skill, and will provide you with an appreciation of the ways of our ancestors. In this book, you'll find the oldest and the latest information on making jerky. You'll find many old and new recipes, some resurrected from the past, some taken from my family's recipe books, and others garnered from friends and deer-camp buddies who all enjoy making jerky. We hope you'll enjoy this enough to start making jerky own your own. Just be forewarned: Once you become involved in this fun and rewarding hobby, you'll be hooked for a long time.

Monte Burch, Humansville, MO, February 2010

T he word jerky is derived from a Peruvian term, quichua (pronounced kee-chew-a). The native South American Quechua term, ch'arki or charque, came from this, and means dried meat. The term eventually made its way north and was adopted by Native Americans. Early scouts, explorers, and trappers heard the word and soon turned it into jerky.

While we can trace the origins of the word, no one really knows how the ancient process of drying meat for storage began. The technique of drying meat, fruits, and vegetables to preserve them is one of mankind's oldest skills. You wonder who actually discovered that a hunk of mastodon meat left in the sun was still edible, and began the process. Dried meat not only does not decay or invite insect infestation as much as fresh meat, but it can be stored for periods of time and is lightweight, making it easy to transport and eat on the gothe original fast food. This was extremely important for hunters and gatherers as they often killed game and foraged far from their campsites, consuming the dried meat as they followed future food sources.

A staple food since mankind's beginnings, jerky was a common food of the Native Americans and was carried by the explorers, trappers, and scouts as they discovered and opened North America.

No longer a staple in some modern cultures, today jerky is primarily a snack foodan extremely nutritious food that you can take outdoors or enjoy at home.

There is evidence that jerky was produced thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt. It became an important food back then because it could be produced in large quantities and stored, adding to the diet of dried grain that most people ate. Jerky was introduced into Europe in the 1500s by the Spaniards who then, during the early conquest of the Americas, brought their jerky into North America. Native Americans, including the Inuits, were already well versed in drying game meats and fish. As the North American continent was explored, jerky became a staple and much valued food source. Trappers, traders, and explorers lived off jerky as they made their way across the continent. Today jerky is not considered a staple food, but rather, a popular and nutritious snack food.

BENEFITS

D ried meat is very dense and provides a concentrated source of nutrients. Jerky, which is made from lean meat, is low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein and energy. A pound of meat will weigh about 4 ounces after it has been made into jerky. With most of the moisture removed, jerky is more shelf stable and can be stored without refrigeration for short periods of time. Because of that, jerky is a favorite food of backpackers, hunters, fishermen, and outdoorsmen.

Just about any type of meat can be dried, including meat from game animals such as deer, moose, and elk; domestic livestock such as cows and pigs; and birds or fowl, including game birds such as turkeys, pheasants, ducks, and geese. Fish have also traditionally been dried for storage. Fruit such as apples can even be dried into jerky-like strips, although these are called leather, not jerky. One of the most commonly used meats is venison. If you have a successful deer season, you may have more venison than you want to cook normally, and jerky is an excellent way of preserving the lesser cuts, especially if the meat is made into ground jerky. If you wish to put the entire deer into jerky, a white-tailed deer that weighs 150 pounds will typically field dress to about 115 to 120 pounds. This will yield about 75 to 80 pounds of meat. If you make all of the meat into jerky, you should have between 15 and 20 pounds of jerky.

Making your own jerky is easy, fun, and a great way of preserving and utilizing meat from game animals such as white-tailed deer.

TODAY'S METHODS

J erky was once made by simply hanging strips of meat over a tree limb. This resulted in a product that was very tough and long lasting. Today's jerky can be made under more controlled conditions, providing a much softer and tastier food. Like wine or beer making, jerky making is part science and part art. It's fun to experiment with different recipes.