Lingonberry Elk Jerky

Earlier this year, we upgraded our food dehydrator, and I’ve had a BALL with designing homemade jerky recipes.

It started out basic - some beef roasts, a mushroom jerky... and then I bought a jerky gun (only like $25!), and all bets were off at that point.

Using ground meat was so much less work than trimming and cutting up whole pieces of muscle meat, and the resulting jerky was just more tender and easier to eat.

I’m a convert - ground meat jerkies FTW!!

Then - THEN!!! - I discovered Wild Fork, a company where I could buy all kinds of ground meats, cheap.

Note: No relationship to report, I’m just a fan. You know, for now - Wildfork! Call me! I looooooove you!

Anyway. Having access to everything - elk, bison, wild boar - has been a ton of fun when it comes to making homemade snack sticks.

I lived in Newfoundland for a few years - like 2 decades ago - and became a fast fan of game meats. While moose was my one true love when it came to wild game (unfortunately next to impossible to come by, in Ontario), elk and caribou were also fantastic.

I loved pairing the savory flavor of these meats, with wild berries. Blueberries were great, but partridgeberries - AKA Lingonberries - were my favourite.

So, now that I have access to elk meat via WildFork - and frozen partridgeberries via a local fish market - OBVIOUSLY I had to design a jerky around the combination.

I’m not sure if this was the best jerky recipe I’ve designed, but it’s definitely way up there!

If you’ve got access to the ingredients, don’t be intimidated - it’s actually super easy to make ground elk jerky - let me show you how!

Equipment

There are two specialized pieces of equipment that I use for making jerky, beyond basics like spoons, bowls, and measuring cups:

A Food Dehydrator

While you can apparently make chicken jerky in a regular home oven, I’m not a fan of running one for hours on end.

I’ve had food dehydrators before - the basic kinds with no time or temperature controls, - and I’d always been too nervous to try making jerky in them. I need more control over - and knowledge of - the drying process, when meat is concerned.

I’ve since upgraded to a Cosori 6 Tray Food Dehydrator, and LOVE it.

It was only like $200 Canadian, and it’s paid for itself MANY times over, between all the Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips and jerkies I’ve been making!

Think of it this way - The same size of jerky that I tend to make goes for about $4 in a gas station. I get about 10-15 strips out of a batch - let’s average that out to 12.

That’s $48 worth of jerky, for $8 or less. Make 5 batches, that’s your $200 in savings!

Anyway, we’re using a dehydrator a LOT more, now that we have a nice one. Having the control over the temperature really opens up the possibilities.

A Jerky Gun

Also known as a “jerky cannon”, this is basically a nice quality caulking gun (NOT an actual one - keep it food safe!) that you use to pipe out strips of jerky onto your parchment paper.

Mine is the XINQIAO Jerky Gun Food Grade Plastic Beef Jerky Gun Kit . Regular $35 (Canadian) on Amazon, but it had a coupon for something like 25% off, when I purchased it.

Worth every penny, even if I’d paid full price!

I’ve heard of people making jerky by spreading the mixture out, flattening it with a rolling pin, then cutting it with a pizza cutter, but to be honest, that sounds fussy.

The very first time I used my jerk gun, I was HOOKED. I had no idea that the jerky making process could be so quick and easy!

I’ve never been one for single-function, special equipment in the kitchen... but I LOVE it.

Ingredients

This recipe only uses a few ingredients as a base, but it’s also customizable - to a point.

Some ingredient notes for you:

Ground Elk Meat

Elk meat may seem like an exotic meat, but it’s the perfect choice for making jerky.

The fat content is SO low - lower than even chicken! - that it’s well suited for longer shelf life foods, like this jerky.

Fat tends to go rancid, which is why - regardless of the type of meat being used - you want to use the lowest fat meat you can get your hands on.

That said, it can be a bit difficult to find. If you don’t know a hunter, check out specialty butchers in your area - some sell game meat.

I’ve recently gotten into ordering from Wild Fork, which has the finest elk meat I’ve been able to get my hands on in almost 20 years.

Lingonberries

On the east coast of Canada, these tart little red berries are known as partridgeberries, and they go SO well with game meat.

I used to make a ridiculous moose stew with partridgeberry wine... oh, I miss it. SO good.

Anyway, you’re looking for actual berries, rather than preserves. You can use fresh or frozen berries (frozen is always easier to find), but you’ll want to measure frozen berries before thawing.

Not sure where to find them? In Canada, your best bet is in Newfoundland themed grocery and gift stores, or fish markets owned by displaced Newfies.

Outside of Canada, look to Scandinavian butchers and grocers.

Not having any luck? You can fake it!

Chop up some cranberries into smaller pieces (maybe quarter each). Measure ¼ cup of these chopped cranberries, and ¼ cup of blueberries. (Again, if using frozen, measure before thawing).

Once blitzed together, the combination tastes a LOT like partridgeberries.

Liquid Smoke

I was never a fan of the flavour of Liquid Smoke - or anything that used it for smoke flavour - but making jerky DEFINITELY changed my view of the stuff.

A little - I use Hickory Flavoured Liquid Smoke in this recipe - goes a long way to making any homemade jerky taste like jerky.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you’ll need Pure Maple Syrup and Sea Salt.

Beyond that, feel free to add a bit of other seasonings, if you like.

Personally, I love the super basic combo of elk and lingonberry - just by itself. That said, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Ground Black Pepper all go great with it - and I’ll add one or more of these, when I’m in the mood for it.

I just recommend going relatively light with any additions. Elk has a relatively mild taste, so it’s easy to overpower it.

If you’re not going to be able to taste the elk, you may as well save the money and buy extra lean ground beef, IMHO.

When using a speciality meat, I like to let the flavour of that meat shine!

Prague Powder

Prague Powder is one of a few different curing salts out on the market.

I use Prague Powder #1 Cure, same as I use for my Montreal Smoked Meat Recipe, Back Bacon Recipe, Homemade Corned Beef Recipe, and Peameal Bacon Recipe.

This is a bright pink curing salt that’s a mixture of salt and sodium nitrite. It’s commonly used in cured meats - like pepperoni or summer sausages - and is what gives the jerky its characteristic red colour.

Beyond aesthetics, it also contributes to giving dehydrated meat that iconic jerky flavor, AND helps ensure that your homemade meat snack will be good to eat for a long time. It prevents the growth of bacteria, during and after the drying process.

Using curing salt to hamper bacteria growth is not the only way to extend the shelf life - more on that in the recipe itself - but between the safety, the flavour, and the colour... I always use it when making jerky.

Just note two things:

1. Prague Powder is NOT the same thing as Himalayan pink salt!

2. Prague cure is only to be used in small amounts for curing meats, and should never be consumed as-is. The measurements are important - if you want a saltier jerky, add some regular salt, rather than increasing the curing salt.

How to Make Homemade Elk Jerky

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:

Cut 2 or 3 squares of parchment paper slightly smaller than your dehydrator racks, set aside.

Measure your lingonberries into a mini food processor, blitz until roughly pureed. Small pieces of berry are better than a smooth puree, but you don’t want it really chunky.

In a medium mixing bowl - using freshly washed or gloved hands - combine all ingredients well. REALLY well - it’s better to overhandle it, than to under-mix it.

Line your dehydrator racks with the cut parchment paper, then pipe your jerky strips out onto them, leaving some space in between each.

Return to the dehydrator and continue dehydrating at 165 F for another 2 - 3 hours.

It should feel dry to the touch and be able to bend to 90 degrees without breaking. (A bit of cracking or crackling is ok!)

Storage

Allow your ground elk jerky to cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before packaging.

Elk Jerky will keep at room temperature (in a cool dark place) for a week so, or a few weeks in the fridge.

If sealed into an airtight container WITHOUT OXYGEN, it should be good for a month or so in a cool dark place, a couple months in the fridge, and 6 months or so in the freezer.

Once you open your vacuum sealed bag of elk jerky, it should be eaten within a couple days - or a week, if put in the fridge after opening.

More Homemade Jerky Recipes

Are you someone who loves a tasty, unique, gourmet jerky? Here are some of my go-to recipes for homemade jerkies!

Basic Ground Beef Jerky
Blueberry Bison Jerky
Buffalo Wing Chicken Jerky
Chipotle Chicken Jerky
Ginger Beef Jerky
Ground Venison Jerky
Homemade Salmon Jerky
Honey Garlic Chicken Jerky
Jalapeno Chicken Jerky
Jerk Chicken Jerky
Mango Habanero Chicken Jerky
Maple Bacon Jerky
Mushroom Jerky, 2 Ways
Pumpkin Spice Chicken Jerky
Rosemary & Blueberry Beef Jerky
Shawarma Chicken Jerky
Spicy Garlic Chicken Jerky
Spicy Orange Chicken Jerky
Sriracha Chicken Jerky
Tofu Jerky, 2 Ways
Pepperoni Jerky