Make it less of a pita by using cooling racks. I bought four of them for not much cash. Just slice and lay the jerky on the cooling racks then set the racks into the oven. You probably can't do as much at one time unless you devise some sort of spacer where the racks can be stacked. I have a dehydrator with four or five trays that I also use. The problem with that is the thing takes up a lot of storage space when not in use. It only gets used for a couple of days per year so I'm thinking the oven is the way to go.

I have used both a dehydrator and oven racks. I believe both turn out great, but the oven method is quicker. I picked up my dehydrator at Walmart for around $100. It has 4 racks and can do about 4lbs of fresh meat. If you go the dehydrator method I'd get the 6-8 tray one if you have the space.

personally I think you guys are missing out on the best jerky too be had by not useing a smoker. j.m.o.

I got a "Ronco" type dehydrator one year for Christmas. It works well. I only use ground meat and squirt it out in flat ribbons with a little caulk gun type thingy. It' fun and tasty.

Smoker for me too, put a little oak and hickory smoke to it and it's hard to beat!

I've done some ribeyes on the smoker, but never jerky, sounds good! Do you guys have recipes you like?

I usually keep it simple and just use salt and pepper and let the smoke do the flavoring, but I have used some of the packaged cure/seasoning mixes with good results. Run the smoker as low as you can go and still get smoke, preferrably between 150-200 degrees.

Top Rounds of venison cut 1/8-3/16" thin. Applewood. 12-hour brine of soy, ginger, Prague powder, honey, Worcestershire, black pepper, garlic salt. 1.5-2 hrs on the smoker per rack. Time consuming but worth it. We been using this recipe for years. Tried w/ Hickory but to me not as good as the apple wood.

Thanks guys, I'm going to give it a try . I even have applewood I've been hanging onto just for the smoker.

1/2 cup Morton tender quick to 2 cups water put in large Ziploc bag add sliced meat 1/4 to 3/8 thick brine in fridge overnight. remove meat & liquid from bag rinse & dry meat put back in bag add 1 cup brown sugar & 2-3 table spoons fresh ground black pepper mix thoroughly place meat on racks & smoke I prefer mesquite......I prefer curing salt because no refrigeration required afterwards for reasonable amounts of time

Started making jerky W/ a dehydrator, ended up W/ 4 dehydrators. Bought a electric smoker and never used dehydrators again.I.M.O nothing compares to making Jerky in a smoker.

smoker for me

What temperature do you set the electric smoker too and for how long?

Made some in the oven just last night. I have 3 stackable racks. High Mountain seasoning, marinated for 24 hours, put in oven for about 2 hours at 200degrees. I have used different smokers, but this is so simple I won't do it any other way now.

I will admit that the oven method works well, and most people own one so no need to buy a smoker or dehydrator. My problem is the process takes a while, with the oven door open, and it stinks up the whole house.

MP

I have not had much success with the oven. My wife would agree with Mark that it stinks up the whole house. I bought a reasonably priced dehydrator at Wally World and it does a real nice job. My wife makes me put it out in the garage though.

Smokers the best flavor.

Oh yeah, forgot about the brown sugar.

Your definition of stink and my certainly varies,lol. Now boiling Brussel sprouts, now that STINKS.

Sorry I butchered the recipe above. This is the go-to recipe we've always used. We prefer it w/ apple wood in the Brinkman smoker and my wife likes to add organic honey to this recipe as well. I had to order the Prague powder, but now we have a lifetime supply since the recipe needs very little. My kids take this jerky to school in their lunches and all their friends pester them for it. It's so good.

http://www.lets-make-sausage.com/deer-jerky.html

I use the oven with various jerky seasoning blends I get at Bass Pro.....EXCELLENT and easy !!!! I have 2 smokers but for jerky it's the oven for sure !!!!

Dehydrater waste of $$$.Smokr/Oven

Mine is a Presto. Got it at Walmart. It will dehydrate anything including fruit and vegetables. Jerky takes about 5 hours. It makes great jerky.

2 hours in the oven at 200 degrees. Can do 3 racks stacked on each other at a time. Much easier and faster than the smoker I used to use. Never used a dehydrator so can’t compare. I can’t image one being any faster or easier.

We still do it in the oven.

I used to hang it in the smoker the same way,Then I bought these racks. Never again will I waste my time hanging all those pieces. You could buy as many racks as you can stack in your oven. I usually have all three racks full. Just make sure to mist the racks with vegetable spray so it doesn’t stick.

Where do you get those racks?

American Harvester does a good job.

I got my racks several years back from Gander Mountain before they closed up. I've seen them at Cabelas, and locally we have a Waltons. I bet you could easily find them on line.

I have a great ground venison jerky recipe-you roll it out like a pizza crust then cook it in the oven and cut up with scissors-very good.

Be careful with a dehydrator since it never gets above 160 degrees to kill all the bacteria. That's the reason I never bought one and use the oven. I also use a jerky shooter which imho makes it much better and easier. You grind up the meat and then put it in the jerky gun and shoot it onto the racks. Makes it uniform so they all cook the same and makes it nice and tender too!

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