The Best Jerky you ever made!

TEXAS STYLE JERKY

Cut lean strips of venison, beef, chicken or turkey. The pieces should be no more than ¾ inch thick at the most but as large as you want them. Trim off all fat as it will turn rancid as the meat dries.Fill a large mixing bowl with water and stir in equal amounts of Brown Sugar and Salt until it starts to fall out, kind of like a glass of tea with to much sugar in it.Stir in 1 Teaspoon of Garlic powder,½ Teaspoon of Allspice ¼ Teaspoon of ground Cloves.Add meat and soak in the brine for 4-8 hours in a refrigerator.Remove meat from brine and rinse in cold water.Roll or shake on coarse ground black pepper to taste.Do not use table ground black pepper or it will have to strong a pepper taste. Remember course ground adds flavor fine ground adds heat.Arrange meat on a smoker and slow smoke with your favorite wood keeping the heat under 170 degrees until fully smoked. I smoke mine overnight. I use very dry or seasoned mesquite with no green left in the wood. If you do not have a smoker you can do this in your oven, just add liquid smoke to the original brine and dry on your ovens lowest setting or warm setting. Place a wood spoon in the oven door so moisture can escape and dry meat to the texture and hardness desired. You can then place jerky in a bowl in the refrigerator for up to a week to finish dehydrating. It never lasts that long at my place. Place any extra in a bag in the freezer and take out about 2 hours before you intend to eat it.