The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-20
PREPARING JERkED vENTsON.
me FINEST way ~ Prsservtns That De.
tlghtful Meat.


-Of all the hunters that 20 out after
deer nowadays,' said an old timer. I
don't believe one In q dozen knows wha>
jerked venison is: or il he does know
that he doesn't know how to 20 abou.
preparing that exceedingly toothsome
provision. Any one who has camped on
the deer trail and failed 20 include jerked
venison in his camp fare or didn't fetch
home with him liberal supply OF 1t has
missed one OF the most appetizing recol-
lections OF the woods. This 10 the way
10 90 about jerking your venison:
Cut the choicest Of the meat into strips
ten inches long and two inches square.
Sprinkle them quite literally with salt.
but not enough TO make them bitter.
Let the salt work on them for q couple
Of hours. While il is doing it you go
and put down two logs a foot or 90 in
diameter side by side and about the sams
distance apart. Between the logs make
a fire Of dry hemlock bark.
-Hemlock or q relative OF hemIock 10
always apt TO bs found in deer hunting
regions, and never 60 into camp without
taking pains TO gather up a lot OF hem
lock bark for use 1t 10 the best material
for the purpose because IL will make
a fire Of hot Goals without running IN
blaze or smoke. Birch bark would h.
ideal for the purpose. but il 10 all blaz.
with birch bark. Hickory wood coulir ..
he beat for jerking venison. but hickory
wood would smoke the meat. and jerked
venison isn't smoked venison. A. a good
many folks suppose it is. not by a long
shot.
Having got your bed OF hemiock
bark Goals in fine shape and having driven
al the inside edge Of the ends Of each log
a crofched stick long enough after i, 10
securely driven 10 have tho crotch per
haps foot above the logs and hav.
extended from crotch to crotch in thes.
sticks two poles that are thus suspended
above the fire. cue a. many half inch
hardwood sticks an you need. long enough
TO reach across from one pole TO another
and rest securely on them On these
sticks string your strips OF deer meat
by thrus'ing them through the meat
near one end OF the strips. the sticks being
sharpened nj one end TO facilitate that
operation.
This will leave the strips hanging
from their sticks much as the candle.
used tn hang from theirs in the old fash
Toned moulds. IL any hunter Of this gen
fions Of the days when we made our own
candles. Place the sticks with their
pendent meat over the Goals. Turn M.
concave sides OF lengths Of hemlock
bark over the top Of the sticks. This
will keep in the steam that will presently
begin 10 rise from the meat n the Goals
get their gradual hut effective work ~
on ". Keep the fire down there be-
tween the logs 40 IL won't make too rapid
heat for IL IL does tn. juice will ,.,l,,
out Of the meat and be lost. and t.
would d"tract from the excellence "
the finished product
IF d'rinG the process OF jerking your
veni-on the meat IL taken OF the coal,
before u IN done IL will be soft and fabby
IL u IN hard when taken OF il will b. over
done. In either case your jerked ven-
son might much better have remained
unjerked for h will be- a failure To
prevent either Of these catasirophe-
the meat should be- tested frequently
by pushing n sharp knife blade or other
convenient probe into and through IN"
strips. The moment II requires NOR"
than ordinary force TO p,Ish the probe
through. your vsnison IN thoroughly
and properly jerked. Then shove tho
Goals from under she strips and let thsm
cool with the dying embera-