Smoked Venison Carne Asada Jerky

• 2-3 Pounds 1/8”-1/4” cut strips of Venison (we used Whitetail we harvested here)

MARINADE
• 2.5 Cups Teriyaki Sauce
• ½ Cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Cattleman’s Grill 8 Second Carne Asada Seasoning (this is PHENOMENAL for jerky)
• 1.5 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper (can omit for non-spice tolerant folks)
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Parsley

1. Mix all marinade ingredients listed above into a mixing bowl. 
2. Add strips of Venison to a large ziplock or similar bag and pour the marinade in and seal it well. 
3. Work it around with your fingers until you see all the liquid is around all the pieces of meat.  If some pieces stick together, that will be ok. 
4. Place meat into the marinade then into the fridge for 24-36 hours – turn bag over and re-work the pieces of meat at the halfway point of whichever set of hours you choose. 
5. Set your Yoder pellet smoker to 150ºF and prepare to cook on the top rack at the halfway point of the rack and moving toward the chimney side. 
6. Remove meat strips from marinade, place them individually on a towel lined cookie sheet or cutting board. Take more paper towels and pat each piece of meat to ensure the excess marinade is soaked into the paper towels. Place meat strips in a bowl or on a plate after the patting process is complete. 
7. Place each piece on the top grate of smoker about ¼” apart from each other (it may take a couple rounds to get 2-3 pounds done, depending on how you slice them and the size of your smoker). 
8. Here is my trick that is VITAL to the best jerky turn out: place a 2”-3” piece of smoke wood in the side of the lid between the lid and the smoker unit to VENT the smoker, for the entire length of cook, which is approx. 4-5 hours total.  This is the majic trick that allows the jerky to slow smoke/cook and infuse that smoky goodness, and not cook too quickly or burn.  I see a LOT of burnt jerky especially on the edges, and this is a reason why that happens – I learned this the hard way, many years ago! 
9. Bring the jerky to 150ºF internal temp using an instant read thermometer (Note: depending on the thickness of each piece, this will happen at different times of the process, as no two pieces of meat will be the same, so keep an eye on each piece every 20-30 mins, check them all, and pull any piece(s) off that hit 150ºF, when that happens, even if more remains unfinished), let it all rest in an open top bowl on the counter for a few hours, after it’s all done being smoked/cooked.  When you have done this many times, you will start to be able to know by look and feel when the pieces are done, just like anything else you smoke. 
10. Now enjoy some of the BEST jerky you will ever eat! The hint of Lime mixed with the spice and seasonings of the 8 Second Carne Asada Seasoning complements this Venison VERY well!  It’s a pleasure for the palate!  Place in sealed bags or containers in the fridge for up to a week or so, or vacuum seal and freeze (if it lasts that long, which never happens in the Fitz households)! 

Happy Cooking to All! -Your Friend, Guy