You’ll need a smoker or dehydrator for this recipe. Or maybe try googling “dehydrate meat in oven” if that’s what ya’ got.
Howard and I used a Ronco Food Dehydrator that we bought at a garage sale for $1 with tasty success for many years, up until we bought our new smoker a few months ago. We find that with the new smoker, the flavour of the jerky now more closely resembles the jerky commerically avaiable (but better), and without the food additives.
That said, the meat we dried on the Ronco was super tasty and totally worth the effort. Use what you have.
makes a nice, light, snack
Bison Jerky
yield: however much it is, it will never be enough
| Bison bottom round steaks, cut on the bias, across the grain, about ¼” thick | 2 kg ( 4½ lb) |
| Soya Sauce | 180 ml (¾ C) |
| Very Warm Water | 60 ml (¼ C) |
| Mirin or Sherry | 60 ml (¼ C) |
| Sugar – (I use Sucanat) | 15 ml (1 T) |
| Sunflower or Safflower Oil | 30 ml (2 T) |
| Garlic, minced | 3 medium cloves |
| Ginger, minced | 15 ml (1 T) |
| Ground Pepper | 5 ml (1 t) |
| Chili Flakes | TT – (I use a couple of pinches) |
C=cup T=tablespoon
t=teaspoon TT=to taste
Combine the warm water and sugar to dissolve. Add the remaining marinade ingredients, and stir to combine. Ensure the marinade has cooled completely to room temperature before proceeding.
Combine the meat and marinade in a bowl or Tupperware-like container. Toss with your hands to ensure all meat is covered. Cover and refrigerate for 6-12 hours.
Lay the meat out on the smoker/dehydrator racks. If smoking, allow the meat to sit open to the air. This will slightly dry it, and give it a sort of “skin” (about 1-2 hours). If dehydrating, the meat can go directly into the drier.
bountiful bevy of bison
We smoke the meat for 90 minutes, then use the dehydrate mode of the smoker to finish the meat. Total time is 4 to 5 hours, depending on the thickness of the meat, and your preference for chewy to dry.
homemade beggin' strips
Tips:
- Beef is an easy-to-find substitute for the bison. Bottom or outside round is my favourite cut for jerky.
- Mirin is a Japanese rice wine with a high sugar content. As mirin is not available at our little island grocery store, I often use sherry, and add an extra teaspoon of sugar to the marinade.
- I prefer sunflower or safflower oils over vegetable oils from canola, corn, or soybean. Most of the latter set (unless labelled organic, non-gmo) are made with Genetically Modified crops.
You’ll need a smoker or dehydrator for this recipe. Or maybe try googling “dehydrate meat in oven” if that’s what ya’ got.
Howard and I used a Ronco Food Dehydrator that we bought at a garage sale for $1 with tasty success for many years, up until we bought our new smoker a few months ago. We find that with the new smoker, the flavour of the jerky now more closely resembles the jerky commerically avaiable (but better), and without the food additives.
That said, the meat we dried on the Ronco was super tasty and totally worth the effort. Use what you have.
This recipe rules! I made jerky from this recipe the other night and it was delicious. I used beef instead of Bison and since I didn’t have any soy sauce I used Tamari. I also used Alepo pepper (Turkish) and I added some crushed brown mustard seed. I smoked it with Hickory for about 3 hrs, which is more than the recipe specifies but I wanted it extra smoky. Since I don’t have a dehydrator I put the jerky in egg cartons to complete the drying process. It is some of the best jerky I’ve ever had. Thanks Island Vittles!
Thanks for stopping by, and so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Theresa