• Thaw ground venison if frozen.
• If adding a spice, use your hands to mix it into the meat.
• Take a golf ball-sized piece of meat and roll it in your hand to make a ball. Place the ball on a piece of parchment paper. Roll it back and forth to make a long skinny log. Repeat with the remaining meat.
• Alternative Rolling Styles: You can make your jerky sticks skinnier, longer or shorter. You can also press each log down until it is flat instead of rounded. Another alternative is to press the entire loaf of meat until flat or roll it out with a rolling pin. Place it all on the tray and using a knife score the meat into squares or your desired shapes. Once the meat is nearly done, you can snap each piece apart and finish the drying process.

Oven Method

• Preheat the oven to 170°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the meat logs about ½ to 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 4 to 5 hours until the center is done but before the meat becomes crispy and brittle. You want it to be a little bit flexible.

Dehydrator Method

• Preheat the dehydrator to 165°F.
• Place the meat logs about ½ to 1-inch apart on a dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate for 7 to 8 hours until the center is done but before the meat becomes crispy and brittle. You want it to be a little bit flexible.
• Remove the jerky from the oven or dehydrator and allow it to cool to room temperature.