Flying Rancho Jerkey
 | Author:
Eileen Clarke - Rifles and Recipes
Author: Rifles and Recipes |
Flying Rancho Jerky
For 1 pound of any red meat, sliced;
Ah, so easy. Open a packet of ranch dressing mix, add two little spices and sprinkle it on the meat. This recipe is in the waterfowl section in my jerky cookbook, but I have also made venison (deer, elk etc) do the flying rancho jerky—with the same recipe--and it was delicious. FYI, my book "Stalking the Wild Jerky" has 103 jerky recipes for everything we hunt as well as every taste profile you can imagine. In fact, if you prefer your Ranch dressing without the Tex-Mex touch, check out the Ranch Jerky in the white meat section of my book. It’s also a winner and works with both wild turkey and pig meat. And it’s also very very easy.
Ingredients
1 pound venison, goose/duck meat, sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
1 packet Ranch dressing mix (1.12 ounces of dry seasoning)
¼ cup ground cumin
¼ cup chili powder
Preparation
1. No need to pat the sliced red meat dry with paper towels; the moisture on the surface will help spread the spices. Measure the spices into a small bowl--or a (clean) old spice bottle with a shaker top. Spread the meat out on a cutting board or dinner plate in a single layer, and sprinkle half the spice mix on top, then turn the meat slices and sprinkle the rest on the other side.
2. Press the dry rub into the meat, then stack the slices so the spices contact every surface, and drop the stack into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 24 to 72 hours.
Cooking
Preheat the oven to 160°F.* Arrange the meat strips on wire mesh grids over a foil-lined pan. Cook at 160°F for 3-4 hours, turn the oven off and let the jerky cool and air dry in the turned-off oven or on the counter, for 6-8 hours, then store in resealable plastic bags. You can store your jerky in the fridge for 2-3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
*My oven is 20 years old and can be adjusted down as low as 120F, but many newer ovens don’t even go down to 160F, the temperature recommended here. No reason not to make jerky, you just need to not cook it as long. It’s always good to check the oven with an oven thermometer and do a 1 or 2-piece test batch before climbing in with both feet.
"Stalking the Wild Jerky": More than 100 easy-to-follow recipes, is available from Eileen at https://www.riflesandrecipes.com/406-521-0273.
Eileen Clarke
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PhotoCredit: Eileen Clarke
Image 1 Caption: Rancho Flying Jerkey
