Homemade Hi Mountain Jerky, How To Make Beef Jerky at Home.
Growing up in Wyoming with a Dad and brothers that went hunting every autumn, one of my favorite memories was all the jerky we’d get every year. I love jerky! But the problem is that store purchased jerky is always so expensive and full of who knows what those ingredients are! I want a natural, healthy jerky that is made of natural ingredients, and more cost effective. So, why not make your own?
I talked to my brother and asked him how to make jerky. As his jerky is the best I’ve ever had I knew he would be the jerky king to talk to! He gave me his recipe (which I’ll be sharing in the coming weeks) but also told me if I wanted an easier seasoning mix with a great taste and cost efficient, I can also use Hi Mountain jerky seasonings. Seeing as he is the expert in the field of jerky making and has been making the best tasting jerky for over 20 years, I figure I should listen to him. So begins our journey to make homemade jerky! Let me show you how to make homemade jerky from an average roast and Hi Mountain jerky seasonings!
What is Hi Mountain Jerky?
Hi Mountain is a small company based in Riverton, Wyoming that specializes in hunting, and preserving the meat in all manner of ways. They produce
- knives
- cutting boards
- camp meals
- meat seasonings for breakfast sausages
- seasonings for summer sausages
- homemade jerky
- and much more.
Being in the heart of hunting territory, they really know their stuff. They also produce recipes and tips to help make you with all your meat creation needs.
Hi Mountain Jerky uses only the best ingredients to make the best products for you; gourmet seasonings with Western Flair! Hi Mountain Jerky is the nation’s leading manufacturer of make-it-yourself jerky kits. They only use only the finest ingredients to insure the best possible products.
Jerky has become the healthy, protein packed energy snack of choice. The best jerky is homemade because…
-it is a great tasting, satisfying snack,
-it is made with low fat cuts of meat,
-it is a nutrient dense, high-protein food,
-it stays fresh for a long time,
-it has superior flavor and texture!
The Hi Mountain Jerky seasoning packs come in a vast variety of flavors from the hot and spicy to the mild and kid friendly!
Plus each seasoning kit includes directions, the seasoning mix, the brine for making jerky, and a seasoning shaker to make the process easier.
And each kit includes enough ingredients to season up to 15 lbs of meat! Now that’s a lot of Jerky from one pack! And best of all each kit only costs $7.59! That’s a much better price than most jerky seasoning packages that only season 1-2 pounds of meat and cost $5-8 each!
How to make Hi Mountain Jerky from home using a beef roast.
In order to make easy jerky at home, you simply need a roast. Look for a lean cut roast, and really it doesn’t need to be the expensive ones! Then you bring it home and start slicing it up in slices for jerky. Now if you are lucky, some delis will slice your roast for you at no expense. We have one deli in a grocery store here that will do that. But they only do that on roasts you are buying that day. But most don’t have a deli to do that, so what can you do?
The easiest way I’ve found is using Hi Mountain’s Cutting board and Jerky knife. These are not your usual cutting board and knife! The board is pre-measured to ensure you have each slice of meat the perfect width. One side of the board is measured for 1/4″ and the other for 3/8″ meat slices.
All you do then is place the meat on the board. Lay your knife completely flat on the top of the cutting board and then cut straight through.
Now I’ve used sharp knives before, but honestly I have never had a knife go through meat so easily as this Jerky knife! I will never use another knife on meat again! It was amazingly easy, even with my carpal tunnel and literally in less than 3 minutes I had the entire roast sliced!
And each slice of jerky was perfectly cut and even in thickness! It was amazing how simple it was! In fact it took less time than the last time I waited at the Deli for them to slice up my roast. I love the jerky cutting board and knife!
Seasoning the Hi Mountain Jerky
Once you have the entire roast sliced, it is now time to season with the Hi Mountain jerky seasonings. You will want to follow the instructions in the seasoning kits very closely. When they say to measure a certain amount, you want to be very thorough on your measurements! Use a measuring spoon and a kitchen knife to level the measuring spoon. Weight your meat carefully, after it has been sliced, to ensure you are seasoning for the proper weight. Any “free handing” in the seasonings can cause your meat to be too potent, too salty or not enough.
Once you know the measurements you need, put each measurement of the seasoning and brine into the seasoning shaker that came in the kit. Make sure the mixture is well mixed. Then use it to sprinkle the seasoning mixture onto the meat slices.
You will sprinkle half the portioned mixture on all of the meat. Rub in slightly, and then turn all the meat over and evenly sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture onto the back side.
Once all the meat is seasoned you will put it into a non-metal bowl and shake around ensuring all the seasoning mixture is evenly distributed on all the meat. You will then place the meat in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 24 hours.
How to Dry Hi Mountain Jerky
Once your meat has seasoned for 24 hours you can now prepare it for drying. You can make your jerky in a smoker, a dehydrator or in the oven. Be sure to follow the directions closely in the Hi Mountain Jerky seasoning kits to ensure you prepare your oven or smoker correctly. And Yes, they have instructions included for using your regular kitchen oven for making jerky, so you don’t have to have a fancy machine to make it work! I told you Hi Mountain was amazing!
Thankfully I have a dehydrator, which I love and use quite often now that I have such an easy way to make jerky thanks to Hi Mountain! Simply arrange the meat on the jerky trays, stack the trays and then turn onto the jerky setting. I let my jerky cook for 3-4 hours and then check each hour after that. You don’t want to over dry your jerky., but each batch will be different as it depends on the thickness of the meat.
Once the jerky is dry, you will want to let it cool a little, but it can be enjoyed that very same day! Or if you want to preserve it longer it can be kept in the fridge or the freezer to last even longer! I made 4 batches of jerky last week, so a lot of our jerky went into the freezer, and we keep one bag in the fridge to snack on. And the best thing, even with it frozen, you don’t have to wait for it to thaw before you can eat it. We just take a piece out and it may be cold, but it is still edible right out of the freezer. Although it may be harder if you store your jerky in a deep freezer, instead of a regular freezer attached to a fridge.
The kids love the homemade jerky a lot more than the store bought jerky. And they always ask for jerky for a snack after school. I feel great about giving them a piece or two as I know it’s a lot better option than sugar filled snacks. Plus, it just tastes good!
Discover Hi Mountain Jerky for yourself and create your own homemade beef jerky.
So far we have tried the Hunter’s blend, the Original Flavor and the inferno jerky seasoning mixes. All of them are absolutely amazing! J. prefers the original blend as it’s “not as spicy” for him. T. loves the hunters blend and the Husband is in love with Inferno. I love all of them. Although I love the flavor of the inferno, it does give me quite a lot of heartburn because of the intense heat spices. So I can only handle one small nibble about once a week.
I’m quite excited to try out all the different flavors they offer, especially the teriyaki, sweet and spicy, and cracked pepper and garlic. there are a lot more, but those are first on my list of next flavors to try.
Do we love Hi Mountain jerky making accessories and seasoning kits? Absolutely! My brother was definitely right, Hi Mountain is the place to go for quality jerky seasonings and accessories!
Will we continue to use Hi Mountain Jerky seasonings? Definitely! They are easy to use, have amazing flavor and are very affordable!
You can purchase each jerky seasoning kit, the Jerky knife and jerky cutting board individually, or you can purchase the Jerky King Kit to get started which includes 2 full size seasoning mixes, the cutting board, knife and a drying tray. I will tell you the Jerky King Kit is a better value if you are looking to get all of them.
You can learn more about Hi Mountain Jerky, their products and get tips and recipes from their website.
Also be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for newest products, news, sales and more!
What Hi Mountain Jerky Seasoning flavor are you most excited to try?
Have you made Jerky before?
What do you love most about Homemade Jerky?
After our tutorial, are you ready to make your own Hi Mountain Jerky?
Win your own Hi Mountain Jerky King Set!
Would you like to win your own Hi Mountain Jerky King Set?
Simply enter via the rafflecopter form below!
Terms:
- One Winner will receive a complete Jerky King kit to get started with your own jerky making experience.
- Contest is open to the US and CANADA ONLY to ages 18+.
- Winners will be announced via the Rafflecopter form below once they have been selected, verified and accepted their prize.
- Winners will be notified via email. Winners will have 48 hrs to confirm and accept or another winner will be drawn.
- Giveaway closes at 11:59pm EST 3 October 2012
- Note: you must complete the FIRST entry on the form, as well as follow the sponsor in at least ONE method of your choice from the Rafflecopter form in order to win.
- All other entries on the form are optional, but will greatly increase your chances of winning the more entries you complete.
Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free to facilitate this review and tutorial in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.. All opinions are strictly my own and were not influenced.
WHOA! I had no idea that making jerky was so easy! It looks like yours turned out fantastic. I hope I win!!
Oh, my whole family loves deer season because we get to make deer jerky. I have never before seen a knife and block set like this. It’s always been painstaking for me to get thin, even meat strips for jerky….so much so that I bought a meat grinder and a gun to make ground jerky this year. Family’s not too happy about that, but this product may make me switch back. I love to try out new seasonings too…..can’t wait!!
My husband would love this!
I’d like to try the Sweet & Spicy blend – I like sweet and hubs likes spicy, so we’d both be happy!
Yum! I have been wanting to try homemade jerky and will have to check this out.
That must taste so amazing! My husband loves beef jerky, never thought to make my own?!
We love to make homemade beef jerky! It’s a staple at our house.
Seeing as my husband and son are obsessed with spicy the jalepeno seasoning would be their first choice!
My hubs would love this, too! I had never heard of Hi Mountain Jerky. I love that they have a kit with everything I would need!
I’d love to try several of the flavors! The Cajun and Mesquite Blends sound wonderful. We are trying to move towards making more things at home, and making jerky would fit that goal. I think it would be an easy food to take when we travel.
I have always wanted to learn how to make jerky.
I love jerky and have always wanted to try to make it. I never have though. I need to get one of these kits and give it a try!
Dawn
http://www.cheapisthenewclassy.com
I haven’t had jerky in years – looks yummy!
My husband would love this recipe!
WOW!!! I had no clue you could make beef jerky.. my hubby loves jerky! Thanks so much!
My husband grew up eating jerky, but I’d never had it until we got married. One summer vacation at his folks house, our daughter started teething and was so cranky, I grabbed a strip of jerky and gave it to her. She loved it and chewed on it for a long time before I took it away from her because it was getting too soggy.
We always try to buy my Grandpa food gifts because he doesn’t “need” anything and really enjoys trying new things. I think he’d love their Spicy Apple Maple sausage best!
That is a cool looking set. I had no clue it was that simple either. I haven’t had any in a really long time. I wonder if I would like it. It would be fun to try. Sure my husband would love it.
Oh yum yum yum! I would love to make this homemade mountain jerky for my dad! He will surely love this!
my son would love the jerky makers variety pack! and he needs his own dehydrator so he will quit taking MINE!
thank you
I’ve never made homemade jerky before, but I do own a food dehydrator! I’d love to try it sometime.
I would love to try the bourbon bbq blend! I think it would be great to make homemade jerky!
Making our own Jerky would save us a fortune! I get tired of paying 5.99-7.99 a bag for dried up Jerky! I would love the original jerky board and knife set along with all of the different flavors so my hubby could decide which one he likes best!
My favorite would be the Bourbon BBQ Blend. Thanks for the chance as I love jerky!
I just recently purchased a new dehydrator as we are trying to “get back to basics” and Jerky is on my list to make. Fruit is now done. 🙂 I think I would try the original first and then the Hickory. As hikers, this will be great to have it available at all times plus we know how and with what it’s made from! So excited to try this, and the board and knife is ingenious!
And I also learned the best way to actually cut the meat!
I think I’d for sure go with the sweet & spicy blend.
Although, I have to say, it’s kind of intimidating to see how good yours looks and then hope mine would be the same! I LOVE jerky, but I hate when it’s so hard! I think making it at home would help with that! 🙂
It definitely helps making it at home Ronni! You can keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t over dry. But even then…I did happen to forget about this batch and it went a little longer than I was planning, and yet…it still turned out FANTASTIC! 🙂 Oh, I’m craving a piece right now, but uhm..8am may be a little early to start the jerky snacking. lol.
This company got my interest RIGHT off when I spied their sausage making kits!!! SO many of us out here are married to “mighty once a year hunters”…we have to do SOMETHING with the (nasty to me by itself) deer meat!!! LOL Yes, I confess, I do not actually LIKE venison by itself.
I would LOVE to have their breakfast Spicy Apple Maple sausage kit after deer time. I do like the venison mixed with pork and seasoned right to make it taste good.
I think this would be a most fun project with my bigger grandkids! The men would adore it.
Jerky of all kinds is a well-loved snack of the kids which is a GOOD snack to offer, instead of junk food!
oooooo look at this, they have BOURBON blend seasoning mix! HOW much do you love the Bourbon chicken at some japanese places? I want to try this one!
my family makes jerky and ive always wanted to myself, i’m a huge fan of jerky! i hope i win so i can try it!
I LOVE jerky and the opportunity to make it from home!!
Oh! I would love to win this and try the mesquite mix! It would be the perfect gift for my dad… we were recently discussing how we would love to be able to make our own jerky because it is just SO expensive!
My cousin whom is serving our country in AFganistan has been wanting homemade deer jerky and I would love to win this with maybe one orginal jerky seasoning and one with Mandarin rub. Please let me win thanks for the chance.
Deer season is almost upon us and I’m ready to bag me one! Just gotta get my bow prepped and ready! Cannot wait!!! I have never made my own jerky, but am willing to try it out w/ a lil help 😉
Also, the Apple maple seasoning for the sausage sounds amazing!! Would definitely try that out for sure!
I would love to try the Inferno Jerky Seasoning I love the burn. I use to buy this jerky from a local farmers market the jerky was so hot it would make a grown man cry. I would give pieces to friends then watch them suffer while I LMAO.
My husband would love to try the pepper and garlic seasoning.
The inferno blend sounds yummy. I love jerky…….. but it’s so expensive, this would be a nice money saving way to have jerky anytime I want. Thanks so much for the oppurtunity.
I would like the cracked pepper and garlic
I like spicy and was happy when slim jims starting making a hot flavor. I would want to try the Jalapeño Jerky Seasoning.
I bet the cracked pepper and garlic is good! My husband and my 2 youngest boys love any kind of jerky!
I have never seen anything like this before. The set with the wonderful knife and the set sounds wonderful. Honestly, I have never thought about making our own jerky, but my dh loves it so much I just know our whole family would love homemade. I would like to try and sweet and spicy flavor too!
My Dad brothers and husband are all deer hunters and they have been wanting to make their own jerky this would be perfect because it is so easy and lets face it I will be the one to make it lol
Original Blend
I really do not know what my favorite seasoning would be, I’m a little picky, so without tasting them I wouldn’t be able to tell. I would love to give this to my father in law for Christmas, he goes hunting yearly, and this would be another way to show off his luck, and let everyone taste it.
I actually have never tried Jerky, therefore I would try the Bulk jerky original. Considering it would be my first time, the original would be fine.
I would probably choose sweet and spicy. I was really curious to see what exactly Hunters Blend tasted like. But I would probably still go with sweet and spicy.
I love jerky. I have a dehydrated, so I’m ready to go. I’d love the spice mixture.
mmm id like to try the hickory jerky seasoning. My wife and I have been wanting to make our own jerky for a while now it would be great to win this, but if i don’t now i know what online store to get good kits from 🙂
My boyfriend & I have been wanting to make jerky for a few years. It’s so good! Anyway, we typically season everything ourselves from scratch basically but the Inferno and Jalapeno blends sound good! We like spicy food 🙂
This will be perfect for the hunting season. Love the blends!!
I’ve been wanting to find a solution like this. I love how compact it is compared to others I’ve seen. My 6 yr old LOVES jerk!
ooo- love jerky, but the breakfast sausage (apple maple) kit sounds unbelieveable!
thanks for the giveaway 🙂
I had never head of this company before, but now I know what to get the guys I work with for Christmas!
This looks so awesome and yummy, hope I win 🙂
Hickory Jerky Season sounds great! I had no idea jerky was this easy to do.
I would love to try Mandarin Teriyaki Seasoning. I didn’t know you could make it home out of anything other than ground meats. That is the only way I have ever seen it made. They have so many good flavors to choose from it was hard to pick just one. I like that you can season so much meat for not a lot of money too.
My hubby loves jerky. We butcher our own deer so this would be a great help to us.
I would like to try the spicy apple maple sausage seasoning.
I really like jerky, but when I’ve tried to make it at home it was a mess! Thanks for highlighting a WYOMING company who looks like they’ve got the answer.
For those who do not know it, eating a diet consisting of jerky will help you lose a few pounds. Not only do you get to eat something you love, but you will be slimmer because of it.
My family loves jerky, we used to make it regularly but have gotten away from it. The post made me realize how long it had been since we had.
I’d like to experiment by mixing the Jalapeno together with the Mesquite seasoning for a hot smoky flavor to our deer jerky.
Oh my whole family deer hunts and loves hot food and the Jalapeño Jerky Kit would be a great way to preseve meat!
I love the sound of this Bulk Cracked Pepper & Garlic Jerky Seasoning
Anything Cracked pepper and garlic sounds delish!!
kevin.linkie@hotmail.com
Kind of funny, My husband actually bought a dehydrator for me last Christmas, and its still in the box. Venison is our meat of choice (mainly because it cheap) but we have wanted to try making jerky, just havent got around to it. We like hot seasonings mostly, but that sweet and spicy sounds pretty good too. Well fresh meat will be available soon, may have to try it.
We love spicy and my husband especially loves jalapenos so the Jalapeño Jerky Kit would be perfect for us!
the sweet and spicey blend sounds yummy to me,i cant believe how easy it is to make!!!
I think for our FIRST time trying your product, we would go with the Pepper and Garlic, then move on into not-so-tame territory from there. We have used a dehydrator im the past to make jerky, but we have never cpme across a kit like this before. I thimk it’s great that you have put everything in an all-inclusive kit, suitable for the novice or expert! I can tell you from experience, living in a sma agricultural town, it’s not always easy finding all the ingredients to make a good jerky.
I have tried the Original Blend before, and it has never let me down. But I think the Jalapeño Jerky Kit sounds fantastic!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Good Lord that looks good. What an Awesome post! I didn’t even know there was a kit to make your own Jerky. My husband will love this!
I would want to try the pepper blend, If I won this i would give it to my Father-in-law an avid hunter!
We would like the Cracked Pepper & Garlic Jerky Seasoning Mix, we are crazy Deer hunters and this would be a great item for us…
I really wanna try the cajun blend.
Being from Kentucky, I’d like to try the Boubon BBQ blend
I would like to try Sweet and Spicy. My mom used to make jerky all the time. It was really good. I would love to make some for her and surprise her.
this would be sooo much fun!!! I’m on a low Carb diet and I love beef jerkey. I’d love to try the hunters blend jerkey seasoning añd the creamy chipotle dip sounds super yummy!! I would LOVE to win this so I can have my friends try my homemade jerky and get them jealous. :0)
i have never really been into jerky but i have been looking for a snack around the house that isn;t junk food! i would love to try the sweet and spicey for the hubby and for myself i would love to try the pepperoni!
I have loved jerky since I was a child. I would love to try sweet and spicy.
Love jerky all kinds. Thanks for this giveaway can’t wait to make some jerky!
I’ve got jerky junkies living in this house. This would definitely be used and save me some cash. Thanks for the opportunity
Who knew making jerky would be so easy! I thought you had to have a smoker and the whole shabang!! Love this!! Thanks Amber!
I recently found a recipe for jerky on Pinterest…. Well lets just say the dog liked it! I however will try this! It sounds fantastic, I love that it is a kit, also see they have a sausage seasoning for poultry. The Alaskan Salmon Brine would be at the top of my “To Try ” list.
I didnt know you could make your own jerky from home or that there were so many different seasonings that are available. And the great thing is the kits are cheaper than i would have expected.
There are several of their spices I’d like to try:
Buckboard Bean, Mesquite Burger, and Sweet Honey Marinade. This company
seems to have a spice or seasoning for every taste!
Inferno Blend, my husband and I love anything spicy so the choice is obvious!
Great post! Thanks a lot for sharing.
This looks so delicious!