How to make Moose Jerky

Moose meat is very lean so it makes wonderful jerky.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Moose meat
• Slicer
• Seasonings, Crushed Peppercorns, Liquid Smoke and Soy Sauce
• Food Dehydrator (160 Liter capacity)
• Bag Sealer
• Time and Beer

1. Remove Moose meat from the freezer and start defrosting. 16 pounds of raw Moose meat will yield about 5.5 pounds of Jerky (35%). As the meat thaws (but while it is still very firm) slice it paper thin (no more than 1/8 of an inch thick).

2. Season with Chris Wald's secret recipe - Peppered Beef Jerky Mix, whole black peppercorns, and liquid smoke or Teriyaki Beef Jerky Mix, soy sauce and liquid smoke. Marinate slices for several hours or overnight, in the refrigerator. Drain all liquid before continuing.
   Hint: If you don't have a local game processor, enter "Jerky Spice Mix" in an internet search to find suppliers.

3. Lay the slices on the racks and stack in the Food Dehydrator. I recommend a 160 liter Food Dehydrator since it is large enough to make all your jerky in one batch and you don't have to rotate trays during the process. According to Chris, the cost to buy 5.5 pounds of Jerky is about $175 so the equipment pays for itself after only a few batches of Jerky.
   Hint: enter "160 Liter Food Dehydrator" in an internet search and you will find suppliers.

4. Dehydrate per the directions for your equipment. After the manufacturers recommend time test the jerky to make sure it is very, very dry. (A slice will snap in half easily) Thick, chewy Moose jerky is unpleasant.

5. Package Moose jerky with a vacuum seal machine using a variety of bag sizes so that you only open what you need. Don't worry about shelf life, it will get eaten long before any expiration date.

6. Eat your Moose jerky as a snack while camping/RVing/hunting. Moose jerky is an excellent food to pack for outdoor adventures as it is very high protien, doesn't require further cooking, and is very light to carry. It is also tasty when paired with Canadian Beer after a hot afternoon of lawn mowing.

Tips & Warnings

• Set aside at least 6-8 hours for this project, with wait time in between work time. (Nearly 24 hours total if you marinade the meat overnight)
• Seal in a variety of quantities so that you consume the entire bag and don't have to restore the jerky - it gets soft.
• Very lean Beef, Buffalo, or Deer can be substituted for Moose meat
• Moose jerky is addictive.

Resources

• Check out this great supplier of Butchery and Jerky needs. They ship everywhere and are Super Friendly !!
• This is a great place to buy a 160 liter Dehydrator
• This is a great place to find a hunting romance

[tropicanachick]

on 5/24/2009 Normally I'm not a fan of Moose Jerky - but I can't resist making it with this fab recipe!!