Pork Jerky Recipe

Winter is jerky making season, and if you love this pork jerky recipe for it’s satisfying flavor, and that you only need six ingredients – including the pork. 

Jerky isn’t just for hunters, although I’ll be honest, old fashioned deer jerky is where I started out, as I’m sure many of us did! 

Deer jerky marinade also works well for beef, which you can easily buy, and there are no end of jerky variations you can make with many different kinds of meat. 

Why pork jerky? 

It’s always nice to have some variety. plus, so often pork is much cheaper than beef, and easier to come by than deer. 

And for those who raise their own meat, you probably have found yourself having an abundance of one kind of protein at one time. 

While I grew up consuming mostly wild game (thus, the familiarity with venison jerky), my husband and I have been raising pastured hogs ever since we’ve been married, so these days, we’re just as familiar with pork. And usually? Well, when we have pork, we often don’t have beef, and vice versa. We typically process one animal at a time. And yes, ideally they overlap, but in real life, that doesn’t always happen. 

You can make jerky with pork? 

I too made the erroneous assumption that jerky was only safe when made from beef, bison, deer, goat, etc. for a long time. 

But it turns out, other meats make great jerky too! And yes, it’s safe.

Pork needs to reach a temperature of 145º to be safe, which means that the typical dehydrator actually goes above and beyond with a max temperature of 160º, and using the oven is obviously even hotter so pork and bacon jerky are perfectly safe. 

How do you store pork jerky? 

Essentially, like any other jerky. 

The pork jerky recipe marinades your pork in a salty brine, which helps discourage bacteria from growing, and that’s on top fo the fact that it’s bone dry when it’s finished. Those two things combined are what make jerky a safe way to preserve meat. 

So, store it in an air tight container. I like to use vacuum bags for longer storage, or zip loc bags for shorter term. 

What does this jerky taste like? 

The ingredients in our marinade make the jerky taste slightly sweet, and salty with savory teriyaki flavors. I love the subtle flavor of onion, and maple that come through. 

The cut of pork you use will have a big impact on the texture and tenderness of your final product. 

I like to use loin, which has a fine grain, and is fairly tender. Using a tender cut makes your final jerky easier to chew and impacts how well your pork absorbs the flavors of your marinade. 

Tips and tricks

As with any other jerky, there are a few tips that will help perfect your pork jerky: 

• Trim off all the fat, fascia, and other non-meat tissue you can. Those are the kinds of things that get stuck in your teeth and ruin the mouth feel. You’ll notice in the ingredient photo below that there is a line of white fascia that wraps around the loin. You should be able to insert the tip of your knife under it, and pull it right off without wasting any meat.
• You can use the oven. I mentioned making jerky in the oven above, but it bears repeating. You do not have to have a dehydrator. Follow the instructions in how to make jerky in the oven. Typically, that will involved laying your marinated pork strips on cooling grids and/or cookie sheets, and propping your oven door open.
• Cut across the grain. Cutting with the grain mean you will need to chew through more muscle fiber. So be sure to cut across the grain, giving you more tender jerky. In a loin, that means you’ll be cutting it across the short side. 

Pork Jerky Recipe

Gather your ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 lbs pork loin
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (agave or brown sugar also work)

Trim any fat, fascia, or other tissue from loin, and slice into 3/16-1/4 inch slices across the grain, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, and add sliced pork, mixing until everything is fully combined. You pork slices might not be fully submerged in marinade, but everything should be coated very well. 

Cover bowl with plastic wrap (or a lid if it has one), and refrigerate overnight, or for several hours. 

When meat is done marinating, remove from refrigerator, and arrange slices on dehydrator trays, or if using the oven method, cookie cooling grids (like this one) over cookie sheets (to catch drips).

Place trays in dehydrator, and turn onto highest setting (155-165º), or if using the oven, turn oven to 200º, and prop door open slightly to allow airflow and temperature regulation. 

Let dry for 4-6 hours, until meat is completely dry through, but still somewhat pliable. 

Remove from dehydrator, and let cool

Store pork jerky in airtight containers or bags out of direct sunlight. 

Storage tips: 

• Use mason jars. In this case, there’s no need to let your jerky cool. Simply pack into dray, sterilized jars, and store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
• Use vacuum sealed bags. These are great for traveling. I have an Anova vacuum sealer, and I love it. For this, vacuum seal and then store as you would any other dried food – in a cool, dry, dark area.
• Zip loc bags. The seal on these isn’t as dependable as a mason jar or vacuum seal bag, but they’re great for shorter term storage. Again, store as you would any other dried food. 

 

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