Beef Jerky

[medicjim]

How do you intend to make it, smoker, dehydrator or in the oven?

this first batch will be in the oven, I am in the northeast and it's still a bit cold to tend a smoker for hours... I'm getting older

 

[muzzleloader]

I would suggest finding a country butcher who processes deer. Good chance they sell jerky through out the year.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

I've canned some 45 pounds of jerky since the first of the year... love making it.

Apparently (@Sparky) I get it too hot on occasion.

But love making it! Following this thread for the recipies!

Cheers,

Sirhr

PS. Right now have 10 lbs of Pork Tenderloin Polynesian teriyaki and red sauce curing... I'll finish this weekend. THE GOOD STUFF!!!

 

[Not a Sniper]

My Recipe for basic "hot/spicy" jerky:

4-5lbs "choice" lean, flank steak (or any cut of meat you have handy). (Cut with the grain-length wise, generally, about 1/8-1/4")
4 TBS onion powder
1 TBS blk pepper
1 (Heaping - kitchen TBS spoon) TBS of minced garlic
1 cup Worstechire sauce
1 cup Soy sauce
4 TBS hot sauce (I use Franks-but whatever floats your boat)
1 TBS red pepper flake
3 TBS liquid smoke
3 TBS cumin (I love this shit-adjust if you don't)
~3 TBS brown sugar (I use dark and don't measure-just pinch clumps in)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp (whatever flavor you like-I use ghost curry powder, but that is a custom blend from a spice house)... use 1 tsp whatever makes you happy.


I throw all the above seasoning in a 1 gal, heavy storage bag, which I sit, upright, in a platsic container (like Glad or whatever) in case of leaks. I shake or stir that stuff to make sure dry stuff is incorporated.

I slice the steak thin as mentioned, and throw them into marinade for 12-24 hrs or so, in fridge. Rotating bag to make sure all the meat gets flavorized. If I can do 24hrs, I flip bag over bags so everything gets
marinade and seasoning-like at least once every 12 hrs or so.

To cook:

Using oven, set at lowest heat (150 degrees or whatever) and prop oven door open with a wooden spoon for air circulation. Cooking time is 6-8 hrs or so-depends on how "chewy" or "dry" you like it.
Taste around 6 hrs. Decide from there. If everything cut evenly-it'll be pretty consistent. I now have a dehydrator (commercial, with 10 racks) I set on lowest for meat and check for chew/dryness from there.

Anyhoo-After marinading for 12-24, I usually pull meat onto a plate and dry the meat off with paper towels. For oven,
I use baking sheets with cookie racks in them.

After drying meat, I place meat strips along racks, until they are full-I do not worry about space between strips.

When rack are full-I grind, fresh, black pepper on all the strips. As much as you like.

I put them in oven and let them go 6 hrs or so, sample, and pull them when they are not leather, and not too chewy. The more they dehydrate-the longer they will keep. Jerky will generally keep weeks easily.
Weeks likely-but who doesn't pig out before then?! LOL.

After they are out of oven-you can give them a quick pat with paper towels to remove any moisture and fat (moisture is the killer of jerky-mold or bacteria need moisture to grow, and all that salt pisses them off too).

I store in same 1 gal storage bags with a couple paper towels to grab any fat/moisture they may shed. Let them cool before bagging-steam is moisture.

GOOD EATS!

Side note: You can flavor these however you like. This is my "base" recipe. if I want hot-I jack up the cayenne, red flake, and ghost seasoning. Get crazy. I am a fan of cumin. If smokey isn't your thing,
cut that back and maybe liquid smoke also. Sweeter? More brown sugar or even honey-whatever floats your boat. May take a batch or two, but you will find what works for you.

Add stuff or subtract for your tastes-cannot go wrong! It is always about "what you like." There is no wrong answer here IMO.

Hope you enjoy this!

 

[TexPatriot]

I make venison or beef jerky on my WSM smoker.

Mixed with pinto beans and a mug of JB and Coke and you could win a revolution on that diet.

 

[tymurrey]

The local butcher shops always have good jerky but I prefer to make my own venison jerky. We don’t buy much for beef and usually shoot plenty of deer. I also make some ground jerky from pheasant and waterfowl. For the ground stuff I like the hi mountain stuff for ease of use and good flavor. For the whole meat jerky I’ve been using the smoking gun jerky marinade. Good flavor and easy, couple hours on the smoker and then in the dehydrator. I will have to try a couple of the recipes posted here this year though.

 

[Dot3]

Thank you all for taking the time to create a QUALITY jerky post!

I have a pork loin and a eye round roast in the fridge, will be attempting home made jerky this week. I also plan to try the Ponzu sauce mentioned here. I have been a member of this forum since right after 9/11 and I'm thrilled find that we still have a number of posters that live in a world like the one I grew up with... My AO, not so much.

Take it out the fridge and put it in the freezer for a couple three hours before you start. Slicing it is way easier if it’s all but frozen. Just thawed enough that a knife will go through it. Sharp filet knife and get to work!

 

[Farmerhunter]

I usually make my own but for store bought stuff Badlands jerky is pretty good. You can buy it from Scheels. It’s a North Dakota company.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Making up some jerky this weekend. This is not for long-term storage, as it is pork tenderloin. But it makes great jerky because it's very lean. And cheap right now. But I don't trust long-term storage of pork.

Teriyaki sauce
Ah-So-Sauce
And a Spicy High Mountain Seasoning flavor along with the cure.

Sliced a full 1/4" thick. Then marinaded for a full week, turning occasionally, adding teriyaki if it gets a bit dry. Not a few hours like the recipe says. A full week!

Then cooked in oven to kill pathogens. 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Then into the dehydrator for 8 - 10 hours until it rips apart, but does not break. But also does not simply bend.

This is going to be a wicked good sweet hot. Not too spicy. Not too sweet. But, again, I won't can it as I don't trust pork and 'sweet' sauce for long terms.

But it's got a great Polynesian thing going on. And the pork tenderloin is super cheap right now.

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[RUTGERS95]

I pretty much gave up on commercial jerky but will grab a bag of Old Trapper if the mood strikes.

Started making my own about 20 years ago. For beef I prefer the cut called ”eye of round”. The large grain structure and low fat content works for me.

If you want to try something different, try making it out of pork loin. Same cut of meat that pork chops would come from. I prefer it to venison or beef jerky. The relative mild flavor of the pork takes to the jerky seasoning really well.

Comes out of the dehydrator almost translucent.....

you're doing this in an oven?

 

[hangunnr]

No sir, I use a dehydrator.

155 degrees for about 5.5 hours.

 

[RUTGERS95]

No sir, I use a dehydrator.

155 degrees for about 5.5 hours.

I'd like to make some but don't have a dehydrator

 

[hangunnr]

I use this 5 tray from Lem products but there are a myriad of them out there to choose from.

LEM dehydrator

If and when this one dies I’ll replace it with one of their 10 tray models.

 

[RUTGERS95]

I use this 5 tray from Lem products but there are a myriad of them out there to choose from.

LEM dehydrator

If and when this one dies I’ll replace it with one of their 10 tray models.

thanks!