Making Jerky (1900)
Choose a meat that has long grains in it. Use a bottom round, eye of round, flank steak, clod, boneless shoulder. Slice the meat into strips approximately 1/4 inch thick, and 1/2 inch wide. Cut with the grains and slice the pieces as long as possible. Rub dry curing salt on the meat and let it sit in a cool place over night. Don't freeze or let it get too warm.

Recipe for Curing Salt

6 ounces of Prague powder, or substitute salt petre

1 pound of salt

2 1/2 ounces sugar

mix seasoning throughly

If you like pepper on your jerky, add 1 ounce white pepper, or if you like hot add 1 ounce cayenne pepper.

After it has set overnight in a pan with the seasoning on it, spread the meat out on shallow pans so that no piece touches. Stretch them out as long as you can. Put them in an oven turned down to lowest heat, (about 150 degrees) Turn them occasionally. This slow oven will dry the meat while it cooks.

Indian Method

The strips of meat were put into boiling water for three minutes, then hung in the sun to dry.

If they wanted a smoky taste, a small wood fire was built and a canvas teepee put surrounding the meat, with an opening in the top for the smoke to arise. Selecting the woods for burning was a factor in the smoking flavor. It was smoked overnight.

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