SMOKED LONE STAR VENISON JERKY

“Venison is for making jerky! It’s lean, healthy, and tastes amazing! This recipe is VERY simple and easy to accomplish with any type of lean red meat protein.” Happy Cooking to All! -Guy

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Recipe from
@teamfitzgeraldwayoflife on Instagram
Fitzgerald Productions on Facebook

Learn more about the Yoder Smokers YS640S

INGREDIENTS

  • 2–3 pounds venison shoulder, cut into 1”–2” strips (we used whitetail)
  • Marinade:
    • 2 cups teriyaki sauce
    • ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tablespoons Cattleman’s Grill Lone Star Brisket Seasoning (this is PHENOMENAL for jerky!)
    • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Mix all marinade ingredients listed above into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add strips of venison to a large ziplock (or similar) bag, pour in the marinade, and seal it well.
  3. Work it around with your fingers until all the liquid is coating the meat. If some pieces stick together, that’s ok.
  4. Place the bag in the fridge for 12 hours—turn it over and re-work the meat at the halfway point.
  5. Set the Yoder pellet smoker to 150ºF and prepare to cook on the top rack, about halfway back and toward the chimney side.
  6. Remove meat strips from the marinade and place them on a towel-lined cookie sheet or cutting board. Use more paper towels to pat each piece and soak up excess marinade. Place the meat strips in a bowl once finished.
  7. Place in the fridge uncovered for 2 hours.
  8. Remove from the fridge and place each piece on the top grate of the smoker about ¼” apart (it may take a couple rounds to get 2–3 pounds done, depending on your slices and smoker size).
  9. Here’s my trick that is VITAL to the best jerky turnout: place a 2”–3” piece of smoke wood in the side of the lid between the lid and smoker to vent it for the entire cook (about 4–5 hours total). This is the magic trick that lets the jerky slow smoke and pick up that smoky goodness without cooking too fast or burning. I see a LOT of burnt jerky, especially on the edges, and this is why—that’s something I learned the hard way years ago.
  10. Bring the jerky to 150ºF internal temp using an instant read thermometer (Note: depending on the thickness of each piece, this will happen at different times of the process, as no two pieces of meat will be the same, so keep an eye on each piece every 20-30 mins, check them all, and pull any piece(s) off that hit 150ºF, when that happens, even if more remains unfinished), let it all rest in an open top bowl on the counter for a few hours, after it’s all done being smoked/cooked.
  11. Now enjoy some of the best jerky you’ll ever eat! The Lonestar brisket rub seasoning mix brings a great balance of flavor to the venison. Store in sealed bags or containers in the fridge for up to a week, or vacuum seal and freeze (if it lasts that long—which it usually doesn’t around here!).