Oven-Dried Venison Jerky

Oven-Dried Venison Jerky

2 pounds fresh venison

Liquid smoke

Salt Mixture:

2 to 3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon alpine touch
fresh coarsely ground pepper

Jerky can be made from scraps of meat left after butchering -
use the pieces you would originally grind up for hamburger. Any
tough cuts also make good jerky - just partially freeze the meat
and then slice it into thin strips or chunks across the grain.
Put salt mixture on one side of meat, brush other side with very
little liquid smoke. Stack the meat in layers in a flat pan, a
salty side against a smoky side. Place another pan on top and
weight it down to press out meat juice. Let stand overnight.
The next day drain off juice. Grind fresh pepper over meat.
Place on oven rack at 250°, making sure you line the bottom of
the oven with foil to catch all the drips. Leave meat for about
5 hours or until dry. It may be dried up to 8 hours but it
becomes drier and more brittle. Store in closed containers. Keep
in a cool place.