At a glance
Trim a lean elk roast, slice it 1/4 inch thick and marinate it for 12 to 24 hours in soy, Worcestershire, brown sugar and pepper. Heat the strips to 160°F, then dry them at 145°F to 160°F for 3 to 5 hours more, until they bend and crack without snapping. Cool them completely and store them airtight.
Elk makes some of the best jerky there is. It is naturally very lean, with a clean, slightly sweet flavor that takes on a marinade beautifully, and it dries into tender, deeply flavored strips. If you have elk in the freezer, a batch of jerky is one of the best ways to use the round roasts.
Choosing and slicing the meat
Use lean, fine grained roasts from the hindquarter: top round, bottom round or sirloin tip. Trim off every bit of fat and silverskin, because fat goes rancid and shortens the life of jerky. Partly freezing the meat makes it much easier to slice evenly. Slicing with the grain gives a traditional chewy jerky, and slicing across it gives a more tender bite.
Food safety for jerky
The USDA recommends heating jerky meat to 160°F before or at the start of drying, because a dehydrator alone may not get hot enough to kill bacteria. Starting the strips in a smoker or oven at 170°F to 180°F does this. Then drop the heat to finish drying. The same method is in our guides to bacon jerky and pork jerky.
Recipe
Elk Jerky
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 5 hr
- Total
- 5 hr 30 min plus 12 to 24 hours marinating
- Makes
- About 1 lb (450 g) of jerky
- Heat the meat to 160°F (71°C)
- Dry at 145°F to 160°F (63°C to 71°C)
- About 4 to 6 hours
Ingredients
Elk
- 2 to 2 1/2 lb (0.9 to 1.1 kg) lean elk roast (top round, bottom round or sirloin tip)
Marinade
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp liquid smoke (only if using an oven or dehydrator)
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Zip top bag or container
- Smoker, oven or dehydrator
- Wire racks
- Thermometer
Method
- Trim every bit of fat and silverskin from the elk, because fat turns rancid in jerky.
- Freeze the meat for 1 to 2 hours until firm, then slice it 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Slice with the grain for chewy jerky or across it for more tender jerky.
- Whisk the marinade, add the strips and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- Drain the strips, pat them dry and lay them on racks without touching.
- Heat the strips to 160°F (71°C). The easiest way is to start in a smoker or oven at 170°F to 180°F (77°C to 82°C) for the first hour and check thicker pieces with a thermometer.
- Drop the temperature to 145°F to 160°F (63°C to 71°C) and continue drying for 3 to 5 hours, until the strips bend and crack without snapping.
- Cool completely, blot any oil, then store in airtight bags or jars in the fridge.
Notes
- Keep homemade elk jerky in an airtight container in the fridge and eat it within 1 to 2 weeks, or freeze it.
- In areas with chronic wasting disease, follow your state wildlife agency's advice on testing deer and elk before eating the meat.
How to tell elk jerky is done
Bend a cooled strip. It should crack along the bend but not snap in two, and there should be no moist spots inside. If it snaps cleanly, it is overdried and will be brittle. If it bends without cracking, give it more time.
Frequently asked questions
How long does elk jerky take?
About 4 to 6 hours in total, depending on thickness and how you dry it.
Can I make elk jerky from ground meat?
Yes, with a jerky gun. Ground meat jerky must also reach 160°F and should be eaten sooner.
How long does homemade elk jerky last?
Around 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge, or a few months in the freezer.
Sources: USDA: Jerky and food safety; Penn State Extension: drying jerky.