Spicy Lemon Venison Jerky Recipe

3 lb Venison sliced thinly
4 oz Liquid Smoke
1/4 C Water
1 tsp Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Lemon Pepper
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Preparing the jerky: Trim as much fat from the meat as possible. Freeze venison until firm but not hard; then cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a medium-size glass, stoneware, plastic or stainless steel bowl, combine all ingredients except venison and mix thoroughly. Add venison and mix until all surfaces are thoroughly coated. If needed, add a bit more water to ensure that all meat is coated. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 12-18 hours, stirring every few hours, recovering tightly after stirring.

Drying the jerky: Remove the venison from bowl, shaking off any excess liquid. Arrange meat strips close together, but not overlapping, on racks. Dehydrator or oven drying: Arrange trays according to manufacturer’s directions (if using a dehydrator) and dry at 150-degrees until a piece of jerky snaps, when bent (6-8 hours; let jerky cool for 5 minutes before testing). Let venison jerky cool completely on racks; remove from racks and store in an airtight, insect proof containers in a cool, dry place; or freeze or refrigerate however keep in mind that cold jerky will collect moisture from the air when taken out of cold storage. .

Storage time: Up to 3 weeks at room temperature; up to 4 months in refrigerator, up to 8 months in freezer.