How to Make Elk Jerky

If you’re a hunter, you will love this easy elk jerky recipe, that can be made with ground elk, or cuts.

I have to say, I’ve become quite a jerky aficionado over the years. It started when I was a teenager and every winter, my dad would hunt deer, as well as take unwanted deer from trophy hunters on the large hunting leases that surrounded us.

Back then, we used to cut whatever scraps of meat we were allowed to, marinate them, and hang them on the oven racks of our wood cookstove to dry overnight (with the oven door open to keep it from getting too hot).

My brothers used to marinate their jerky in straight hot sauce, which I thought was the worst thing ever, but hey, to each their own.

I like to change things up and use keep it interesting, and try making jerky with as many different types of meat as I can get my hands on.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in an area where elk roam, but I did find some ground elk to experiment with recently.

If given the choice, I will usually use a roast of some sort, cut agains the grain, and marinated to make homemade jerky. I like the texture, and the old-style feel. But I have to admit that using ground elk is fast and easy.

I’ve written before about how to make jerky with ground meat if you don’t have a jerky gun, but I think I’ve perfected the technique since then, so I’ll go over it.

Equipment needed to make elk jerky

Truthfully, you don’t need any equipment. Is it nice? Sure. But needed in the truest sense? No.

You can read here about how to make jerky in the oven, if you don’t already have a dehydrator, or plan to get one. The essential thing to know is that you want to keep the temperature around 165º. Some ovens will have a setting that low, but for those that don’t, the work around is to prop the door open.

If you want to get a dehydrator, there are a lot of available options, but I have experience with only two of them. My mother-in-law has an Excalibur dehydrator that I love, love, love. Its design allows you to dehydrate a lot of food at one time. I especially like it for things like jerky made with ground meat, where you can make long strips, and fruit leather, because, again, you can make long, straight strips.

The dehydrator that I have and use most often, is a Nesco, which you have probably seen before. It is a lot more cost effective, and works very well. It has dried a lot of food for us over the years, and is still going strong, so I can’t complain.

The other piece of equipment you might consider is the jerky gun. I have honestly never used one, and I really don’t plan to. Some people love them, some people feel they’re more work than they’re worth. For me, When I use ground meat, I roll it out between sheets of parchment paper, then score it with my pizza cutter, and dry it. Problem solved without an Amazon order.

Ingredients for making Elk Jerky

This recipe for elk jerky is a classic salty, tangy, and smoky. You can adjust the spice level to your own comfort by increasing or decreasing the hot sauce used.

• 1 lb elk, ground or 1/4 inch thick strips, cut against the grain
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon non-iodized salt
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (can also use olive oil, but I like the toasted flavor of the sesame)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon tabasco sauce

You will notice that many of these ingredients contain salt, and that there is also salt added. This is because salt is a a preservative that will help keep your jerky safe from any bad bacteria, so do be sure to add it.

Additions or substitutions for this jerky recipe

There are a lot of ways you can go with jerky flavoring. In this one, we’re choosing liquid smoke, primarily.

You can also add crushed garlic, garlic powder onion powder, herbs, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, or use teriyaki sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce.

Do remember also, that if you have a different flavor in mind for your elk jerky, any jerky recipe using red meat will also work for elk. So while you might want to skip a chicken or pork jerky recipe, a sweet and spicy deer jerky recipe will work just fine, as will our famous deer jerky marinade. This applies to beef jerky recipes as well – they’re interchangeable.

How to make elk jerky

If using an elk roast,

1. Cut the roast against the grain to a uniform thickness between 3/8 and 1/4 inch thick, removing any sinew or gristle as needed.
2. Combine all other ingredients, then add the sliced elk meat in a medium bowl, and stir to coat all of it.
3. Tightly cover with a lid, or saran wrap, and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, stirring, to make sure the pieces on top get re-submerged now and then.
4. After the marinating time, remove elk from refrigerator and drain, and arrange on dehydrator trays.
5. Dehydrate at 165º for 8 hours or overnight until completely dried through.

If using ground elk,

1. Combine all ingredients stirring together well.
   
   
2. Cut two pieces of parchment or freezer paper about 1 1/2 feet square.
3. Form ground elk into a large ball, and place in center of a piece of parchment paper.
   
   
4. Top with second piece, and gently roll to an even thickness of 3/8-1/4 inch.
   
   
5. Remove top pieces of parchment, and use a knife or pizza cutter to score elk into 3/4-1 inch wide strips.
   
   
6. Cut parchment paper into appropriate widths and lengths to fit your dehydrator trays, and transfer the jerky on its parchment paper onto the trays.
   
   
7. Dry at 165º for several hours, to overnight. I do feel the ground meat jerky dries faster than the cutlets, but the exact time will vary depending on your dehydrator air flow, moisture content of the jerky, etc. The main thing is to make sure it’s completely dry before storing.

How to store homemade jerky

Once you’re sure your jerky is completely dry, it’s pretty well preserved.

Transfer the jerky to a sterile, airtight container, seal tightly, and store out of direct light.

It is best to seal oxygen out of the jerky for longer term storage, so a mason jar with an oxygen absorber, or a vacuum sealed back is a good choice. I also use regular ziplock baggies for shorter-term storage.

If you’re unsure about how to store it safely for longer time frames, keep in mind that freezing it is also a good option.

Other jerky recipes for you

• Teriyaki Venison Jerky Recipe
• Old Fashioned Jerky Recipe
• Bacon Jerky
• Alligator Jerky
• Salmon Jerky Recipe

 

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