Venison is lean meat from deer, available on the hunt or in stores/restaurants depending on regulations. Venison sticks are a popular snack made by mixing ground venison with a curing mixture, shaping it, and drying it with added flavors.
Venison is a term that refers to meat butchered from a deer. It may be available on the hunt, as well as commercially in grocery stores or restaurants; however, its exact availability will typically depend on the country’s or region’s deer population and meat sales and inspection regulations. Venison tends to be lean and can be used in a variety of culinary dishes, but due to its limited availability in some areas, it is often used in items that preserve the meat rather than serve it fresh. Venison sticks, a snack made from dehydrated venison shaped into thin pieces, are a common use for venison because they can be stored indefinitely. The product is often commercially available or can be made by hand at home.
The process of preparing venison sticks generally begins with mixing ground venison with a curing mixture. A cure mix can be made at home or bought ready-made and typically contains a mixture of salt, sugar and nitrate. These ingredients are mainly used to help prevent oxidation and the growth of bacteria in the meat during the drying process. It may take up to three days for the active ingredients in the curing mix to take effect, so the ground venison and the curing mix are often combined and refrigerated, then periodically re-mixed to evenly distribute the curing mix among the meat. deer, before preparing sticks.
Once the venison has been cured, it is then shaped into sticks. This is often done with the use of an attachment which can be used with a meat grinder to shape the meat into the preferred shape. There are also special devices made specifically for making jerky and other snack foods that can also work to squeeze the venison into a tightly packed stick shape. Hand shaping deer sticks can be difficult because the shapes aren’t even or tight enough, making it difficult for them to dry evenly. Once the meat is shaped into sticks, it is then dried in a low-temperature oven or commercial dehydrator for between four and eight hours or until the venison is completely dried.
Although venison sticks can be made with only venison and a cure blend, many recipes call for other ingredients to add more flavor. Common flavor variations include garlic, chili for spicy versions, or maple syrup for sweeter versions. These additionals are usually added into the venison at the same time as the seasoning blend so their flavors have time to infuse into the meat.
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