Jerky is hundreds of years old. From indigenous people to cowboys to soldiers to now, jerky has been beloved over the years. It’s a salty and hardy snack that lasts for quite some time. The best kind of jerky? Smoked venison jerky. It’s a little leaner, but just as tasty and David Bancroft knows just how to prep it.
When David Bancroft’s not steering the ship at his famed Acre and Bow & Arrow Barbecue restaurants, the Iron Chef Showdown winner loves enjoying backyard life with his wife, kids and dogs. But, the James Beard semifinalist always manages to find time for a date with largemouth bass or whitetail bucks (just a few of the many species he loves catching or harvesting). And, every deer season, Bancroft makes it a point to craft as many batches of smoked venison jerky as he can. Here’s his tried-and-true recipe!
Smoked Venison Jerky Tips and Tricks
- Refrigerating the meat helps you to better slice the meat, especially given that you have to cut against the grain.
- Using a drip pan in your smoker can help minimize the messes you have to clean afterwards.
- If you’re unsure if your smoked venison jerky has been smoking for long enough, you can determine based on the bend. It should bend, but should not snap cleanly through.
- It can be helpful to place a shallow pan of water in the back of your smoker in order to keep the jerky from becoming overly dry.
- The type of wood you use makes a difference! Be sure to consider what sorts of pellets or logs you’re using and how they may pair with or effect your seasonings.
Ingredients
2 lbs. 1/4 inch sliced venison
- JERKY CURE
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground red pepper
Directions
- Mix all the ingredients for the cure together.
- Place jerky cure and sliced venison in a covered bowl or Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight.
- Next day, remove racks from inside smoker. Then, remove venison from cure and organize them on the racks.
- Heat smoker to 130°F, and avoid temperatures higher than 150° throughout the drying process.
- Place smoker racks back inside the smoker and smoke on very low temperature for 4-6 hours, or until the dryness and texture meets your preference. (Bancroft notes that some vertical smokers may dry faster than offset smokers. And, as with most outdoorsman, your personal preference is always right!)
