Even slices make even jerky. A slicer turns a partly frozen roast into identical strips; a sharp knife works too, with patience.
Choose the cut
Use lean cuts such as eye of round, top round or bottom round, and trim all visible fat, which goes rancid in storage. For venison, any lean, well-trimmed muscle works.
Slice
- Partly freeze the meat until firm, as the National Center for Home Food Preservation suggests; it slices cleaner.
- Set the slicer to about ⅛ to ¼ inch. NCHFP advises no thicker than ¼ inch.
- Slice with the grain for chewy jerky, across it for tender jerky.
- Keep the slices cold while you work.
Heat it to 160°F
USDA advises heating meat to 160°F (poultry to 165°F) as part of making jerky, because a dehydrator alone may not get it hot enough fast enough.
Then dry it
The Dehydrator Report covers the rest: how to make jerky in a dehydrator and the best dehydrators for jerky.
Slicers
See the best meat slicers for jerky.
