Balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard make a tangy marinade that lets lean elk remain the main flavor. Nicole Smith Gardening demonstrates the combination with elk backstrap, using a short recipe adapted from her dehydrator booklet. BULK keeps the measured marinade and adds a clear heating checkpoint before drying.

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Video by Nicole Smith Gardening · Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Starting batch: 2 lb raw trimmed elk; finished yield varies.

• 2 lb lean elk backstrap, trimmed
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp salt

Equipment: sharp knife, cutting board, kitchen scale, covered food-safe container, oven, oven-safe racks, thin-tip food thermometer, clean tongs, and an adjustable-temperature dehydrator.

Allergens: Dijon mustard contains mustard. Balsamic vinegar may contain sulfites; check labels.

How to make this jerky

Step 1: Trim and firm the beef

Start with cold, lean elk. Trim away exterior fat and silver skin, then briefly firm the roast in the freezer if it is difficult to slice. Keep raw elk refrigerated at 40°F or below while preparing the other ingredients.

Step 2: Cut even strips

Using a clean sharp knife or a slicer according to its instructions, cut across the grain into even strips about 1/8 inch thick. Keep the thickness consistent and return the sliced elk to the refrigerator while mixing the marinade.

Step 3: Make the marinade

Whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic and salt until the mustard disperses. Stir again immediately before adding the elk because the oil can separate while the bowl sits.

Step 4: Coat and refrigerate

Turn the elk strips through the marinade until both sides of every piece are coated. Cover in a food-safe container and refrigerate overnight at 40°F or below, turning occasionally. Separate any slices stuck together so the coating reaches every surface.

Step 5: Heat to 160°F, then dry

Before drying, place the strips and marinade in a saucepan, adding enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and check with a thin-tip thermometer that the thickest strips reach 160°F internally. Work in batches if necessary. Drain with clean utensils and discard the used liquid. Arrange heated strips in a single layer on clean dehydrator racks, leaving air spaces between them. Dry at 145–155°F and check periodically. The dryer air temperature does not verify the temperature inside the meat.

Step 6: Check, cool and refrigerate

Cool a test strip before bending it. Look for a dry center and small cracks rather than a soft, wet middle; return moist pieces to the dryer. Cool the entire batch completely on clean racks before packing. Refrigerate finished jerky and freeze extra portions. A texture test does not establish a safe room-temperature shelf life.

Why this flavor works

Balsamic vinegar brings both acidity and a little sweetness. Dijon adds sharpness without a long spice list, while olive oil helps distribute the coating. The simple mix tastes different from a soy-based sweet jerky marinade.

Serving and storage

Serve a small refrigerated portion with a simple lunch or fresh fruit, keeping the remainder chilled.

Keep the finished jerky refrigerated. Pack only fully cooled strips, keep hands and containers clean, and freeze portions you will not eat promptly. Moisture, thickness, and handling affect keeping quality; this home method does not establish commercial shelf stability.

A ready-to-eat option between batches

For a convenient jerky snack when you are not making a batch, explore BULK Texas Style Original Beef Jerky. Its seasoning and production process differ from this homemade adaptation.

Browse every published BULK jerky recipe.

Sources and further reading

• Elk Backstrap Jerky / Balsamic Vinegar-Dijon Mustard Recipe and a Red Wine Beef Roast Jerky Recipe — Nicole Smith Gardening
• USDA: how to make meat or poultry jerky at home
• National Center for Home Food Preservation: jerky

Original BULK adaptation based on the credited source recipe and video. Source footage and creator credit belong to Nicole Smith Gardening. Photographs are timestamped source-video stills. Use the full written method for details.

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