Additional flavor, interest and character may be given to your jerky by the use of marinades. These are
flavored liquid concoctions in which the meat is soaked before drying. A wide range of flavors may be
conjured up, limited only by the imagination and good taste. Some ingredients in marinades, such as
salt and sodium nitrate, 'cure' the meat and help to preserve it, as with hams. Other ingredients, such
as vinegar and soy sauce, will tenderize the meat.

Use glass or ceramic containers when working with marinades, as many will react with metal. Blend
the ingredients in a bowl. Allow roughly 1/2 cup of marinade for each pound of meat. Dip each piece of
meat into marinade, coating well. Place in shallow glass dish. Pour remaining marinade over top, cover
and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. When the meat is ready, remove it from the marinade and pat dry with
paper towels. Proceed with drying as normal, but be aware that marinated meat will drip more when drying.

The Jerky Marinate

3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp liquid smoke
1/2 oz bottled garlic juice Or liquid from two garlic cloves
1 level tsp salt
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 lbs. lean meat
Course ground black pepper
Louisiana hot sauce (optional)

After eliminating as much exterior fat as possible, cut a beef eye-of-round into long strips approximately
1/3 to 1/2 inch square (slice with the grain of the meat). (Deer, moose, elk, and caribou are also fine, but
use lean cuts and slice with the grain.) Mix all marinate ingredients, except the pepper. 

Use the following formula for the hot sauce:

• 1 shake - Very mild
• 2 shakes - Mild
• 4 shakes - Hot

Place marinate and meat in a Ziploc bag. Squeeze out the air and seal. Place in a bowl/pan in the
refrigerator for 2 - 24 hours (longer gives a deeper flavor).

Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil and place wire cake racks in it. Spray the racks with a
non-stick cooking spray such as Pam. Lay the marinated meat strips across the racks and sprinkle
liberally with very coarse-ground black pepper. Place in an electric stove oven for about 7-8 hours on
the very lowest warm setting  Additionally, the oven door should be cracked open an inch or so to allow
the moisture to escape (a metal kitchen spoon does fine). Over drying will make the jerky dry and
brittle, so be careful.

The beef in this recipe can also be dried nicely in a dehydrator.

This jerky needs refrigeration as it contains no cure.

Tips:

• Before slicing, put the meat in the freezer until just firm (2 hr.); it will slice much more
  easily and uniformly.
• You can slice the strips of meat thin and wide, like bacon, if you like. However, don't make
  them too thin or they will be crisp.
• An electric food slicer save time and gives a uniform thickness to the meat. Be sure to
  set it at about 1/4"
• Make a small batch the first time and see whether your taste will want more/less garlic,
  salt, brown sugar, etc. The `heaviness' of the Worcestershire sauce can be diluted with
  water, if need be.
• Store in a zip-lock bag for freshness.
• Be sure to WATCH THE GRAIN of the meat when slicing : Across the grain for tender
  and with the grain for tough and chewy.

General Marinade

Here's a recipe for jerky that works well on just about any kind of meat.

• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp hickory salt
• 1 bottle soy sauce
• Enough water to cover whole mess

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Grandma LaMure's Spice 'N' Slice Jerky Seasoning Now you can make great tasting jerky right at home. Seasoning can be mixed with beef, pork, poultry or game meat.

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