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John's Journal... Entry 231, Day 2 JERKY - THE ULTIMATE SNACK FOOD What Is Jerky? Editor's Note: At this time of the year, most successful deer hunters have a freezer full of venison. In just a few hours at night, with little or no preparation time, you can cut up some venison strips, soak them in the marinades that we recommend and dry your jerky in the oven, using toothpicks and a dripping tray. To help you solve the problem of responding when someone asks you, "What are you going to do with that freezer full of venison?" this week we'll offer some of our favorite, easy-to-prepare venison jerky recipes. Come to "John's Journal" every day this week to get new and different recipes for making venison jerky. You'll be glad you did. (Or, you can use beef to make jerky, if you're not fortunate enough to have plenty of deer meat). Jerky was first used by the indigenous people in the New World and was quickly adopted by the European settlers. The Spanish made the jerky from meat that they had hunted but that could not be eaten immediately. What the American Indians referred to as "pemmican" was made by drying the meat and adding it to either dried fruit or animal fat. Meat, whether it was buffalo or whale meat, was cut into strips and hung on racks to dry in the sun. The Europeans quickly learned how to make the jerky for themselves, realizing how important it was to be able to make and transport this meat in their travels. Then the animals they hunted along the trails out West, such as the Chisholm Trail, the Sante Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail could be made into jerky and used as snacks at a later date. The definition of jerky is a product that is a nutrient-dense meat that has become lightweight by the process of drying it. Once made into jerky, a pound of meat only weighs about 4 four ounces. Because most of the moisture in the meat is removed, it can be stored without refrigeration, which makes it an ideal food for people who do not have access to refrigerators, like the early settlers of our country. Home Style Jerky: 1) Combine all ingredients, and marinate in the fridge
for at least 8 hours, mixing occasionally. Honey
Lemon Jerky: 1) Put venison steak in freezer for about 1/2-hour, just
until firm. Warrior's Jerky: 1) Place meat strips in shallow glass container. Western
Barbecue Jerky: 1) Slice meat into long strips, 3/16- to 1/4-inch thick.
Since uniform slices will shorten the drying process, you may want to
use a meat slicer. Oven Jerky: 1) Put steak in freezer for 1/2-hour, until just firm.
To learn more delicious ways to prepare venison, click here to find out about John and Denise Phillips' "Just Venison" CD. TOMORROW: FROM ANCIENT EGYPT TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN JERKY
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Check back each day this week for more about JERKY - THE ULTIMATE SNACK FOOD ... Day 1 - From Frozen Venison
to Mid-Afternoon Snack
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