When you’re prepping protein-packed snacks for the long haul out in the wilderness, you want to choose foods that will hold up through all types of terrain without dragging you down.
Jerky can be the perfect trailside companion since it’s lightweight and keeps for ages without refrigeration if made right.
But with so many animals to pick from for your jerky journey, how the heck do you decide?
Let me break it down for you with some friendly advice. When thinking meat, you want lean and tender.
Extra fatty stuff will go bad fast in 90-degree weather and leave your pack smelling funky!
So aim for cuts like beef top round, venison loins, or skinless chicken breast. They are nice and lean so they properly dry out.
You’ll also want your slice game on point. Uniform, thin strips mean everything dries at the same quick rate.
Pop those meat cuts in the freezer for 30 minutes before shaving them into strips with your trusty knife (no thicker than 1/4 inch, folks!).
This makes cutting thin, even pieces like a breeze.
Then trim off any extra chunks of fat and weird sinewy tissue so you just have pure, gorgeous meat ready for seasoning.
Finally, flavor choice is key too.
Mild turkeys and chickens let your spice blends or savory marinades shine bright. Fattier pork makes super tasty jerky but can spoil quicker on hot sweaty treks.
Whichever animal you pick, ensure that the baby fully dries into the perfect balance of shelf-stable yet quick to rehydrate with just trailside water soak!
There you have it friends – my top tips for picking prize meat cuts destined for the trail.
Now get goin’ on crafting awesome jerkies so you can keep crushing miles fueled by tasty, high-quality protein.
You got this! Let me know if any other backcountry food questions come up!