1st Jerky with the LEM Jerky Cannon

johnh12 · Dec 25, 2016

I always did sliced marinated meat for my jerky in the past and the wife has a great secret recipe but it calls for something akin to a witches brew so I decided to try the easy way for the new toy.

I just bought the big LEM Jerky Cannon from Academy Sports and am going to try a batch of jerky using the Backwoods Original Jerky seasoning that came with the cannon.

I'm using 5# of 97% lean ground beef from Wally World and since I never was one to leave things alone I improvised a bit.

The package calls for 5 oz of water mixed with the seasoning and cure packet.

Since this is going directly in the dehydrator and not on the smoker I added an ounce of hickory flavored liquid smoke to 4 oz of water hoping to get a bit of smoke flavor out of it even if is the fake kind.

I also added a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to add some heat since I find most packaged mixes a bit on the mild side.

The directions didn't call for any dwell time but I put in a covered container in the fridge for a night.

I'll try to get it in the dehydrator tomorrow and hope for a decent jerky.

Wish me luck!

SmokinAl · Dec 26, 2016

Good luck!

Those jerky cannons are fun to use!

Al

johnh12 · Dec 26, 2016

Just loaded up the dehydrator.

5# of ground beef filled 5 trays.

I've got 4 trays left over so next time I'll mix up a bigger batch..., maybe another 3# or so.

4 Hours at 155* in the Excalibur and it'll be time to check the strips.

BTW: I can see a double nozzle and an extra tube for the cannon in my future. I figure one person can shoot and another can load

Too bad this cannon thing isn't pneumatic. I may look into modifying a commercial caulk gun.

crazymoon · Dec 26, 2016

JH12, show us some pics of the finished product sir !

johnh12 · Dec 27, 2016

It took about 6 hours until the wife said it was done. I thought it should have gone a bit more but it's not worth risking an "I told you so".

The texture was OK but seems a bit greasy to me and definitely not enough heat. In fact I thought it was a bit bland. The wife liked it so that part is a win for me.

I may try again with the same Backwoods packet but will at least double the pepper. One teaspoon of cayenne for 5# of meat just didn't do it for me.

Sorry about no pics. I never seem to remember to do that stuff.

dirtsailor2003 · Dec 28, 2016

JohnH12 said:
The texture was OK but seems a bit greasy

That can be an issue with ground jerky. unfortunately without adding a binder you have to use meat with more fat in it.

Longer drying times at lower temps can help alleviate this to an extent. Another option is to dry it to the point of cardboard. then the grease will mostly be gone or what's left is on the surface. and can be wiped off with paper towels.

meatsweats86 · Dec 28, 2016

I make ground beef jerky a lot using a jerky cannon and dehydrator. I use 90% or leaner beef. I've had great luck with the Nesco / Fleet Farm brand (Back Forty) jerky seasoning following their spice/ meat ratio. I sprinkle the meat with the seasoning and mix by hand. Sometimes I'll add liquid smoke, but I have added water.

I usually let it sit 24 hours and it binds very well. I have an older dehydrator with 10 racks on it and the temp only goes to 140*. and it usually takes 5-7 hours. After 4 hours I will dab the meat with paper towel to absorb any grease and usually flip sticks over.

I've got get compliments every time I make the ground jerky. The key to ground meat is letting it cure for 24 hrs. This makes the finished product slightly chewy and doesn't get crumbly. Completely different texture than slice jerky in my opinion.

I like the Nesco brand Cracked Pepper and Garlic, Sweet Hardwood and Hot n Spicy.

I like HOT and the Hot n Spicy is HOT, I usually mix 1 Hot n Spicy with 1 Sweet Hardwood and get awesome results!

tropics · Dec 28, 2016

They sell a small tube for the LEM that makes great snack sticks.

Richie

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/246567/slim-jims-second-time-new-recipe

johnh12 · Dec 29, 2016

It took about 6 hours until the wife said it was done. I thought it should have gone a bit more but it's not worth risking an "I told you so".

The texture was OK but seems a bit greasy to me and definitely not enough heat. In fact I thought it was a bit bland. The wife liked it so that part is a win for me.

I may try again with the same Backwoods packet but will at least double the pepper. One teaspoon of cayenne for 5# of meat just didn't do it for me.

Sorry about no pics. I never seem to remember to do that stuff.

tropics said:
They sell a small tube for the LEM that makes great snack sticks.

Richie

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/246567/slim-jims-second-time-new-recipe

Thanks to all.

The jerky cannon package came with a short round tube for snack sticks in addition to the flattened one for jerky strips.

I'll probably end up getting both the double nozzles after awhile.

I just ground up a 5# pork loin and followed the directions to add 5 oz of liquid. I guess I should have done that in smaller amounts because the snack stick mixed up a bit runny.

Unless someone has a better suggestion I plan to treat it like a meatloaf and mix in a package of Lipton onion soup mix to try to thicken it up some.

I may also have to add some fine ground bread crumbs if the soup mix doesn't do the trick.

BTW: I also added 2 full teaspoons of cayenne to this. I gotta get more bite or the family inhales this stuff. A good dose of heat usually slows 'em down some.

pa42phigh · Jan 3, 2017

I just made some of this to it was very bland smoked at 160 for 7 hrs in my mes 2 hrs of apple smoke

IMG_4100.JPG

pa42phigh
Jan 3, 2017

i was very happy with the jerky cannon

johnh12 · Jan 5, 2017

A friend recently gave me some venison sausage from a kill this year. He had it locally processed and made into breakfast sausage but I' want to turn it into jerky.

I'm looking for some dry spices to add to the ground sausage so I can turn it into the jerky. I'm not a big fan of all the unpronounceable stuff in the factory mixes.,

I'm thinking about adding course ground fresh pepper, garlic, onion, and of course cayenne. Maybe some chili powder too. I don't have any idea of recommended quantities for the spices so I'll wing it and hope for the best.

I'll also add the appropriate amount of cure #1 so I don't make anyone too sick.

The hardest part for me is recording the quantities for future reference. I have a bad habit of adding "a bit" here and there so my results are different each time.

One great tip I got from the folks at Sausage Maker was to fry a small sample to test for taste before loading the gun for the jerky. I'll give that a try this time so I don't spend all that time on something nobody will eat.

Stay tuned.

dirtsailor2003 · Jan 5, 2017

JohnH12 said:
A friend recently gave me some venison sausage from a kill this year. He had it locally processed and made into breakfast sausage but I' want to turn it into jerky.

I'm looking for some dry spices to add to the ground sausage so I can turn it into the jerky. I'm not a big fan of all the unpronounceable stuff in the factory mixes.,

I'm thinking about adding course ground fresh pepper, garlic, onion, and of course cayenne. Maybe some chili powder too. I don't have any idea of recommended quantities for the spices so I'll wing it and hope for the best.

I'll also add the appropriate amount of cure #1 so I don't make anyone too sick.

The hardest part for me is recording the quantities for future reference. I have a bad habit of adding "a bit" here and there so my results are different each time.

One great tip I got from the folks at Sausage Maker was to fry a small sample to test for taste before loading the gun for the jerky. I'll give that a try this time so I don't spend all that time on something nobody will eat.

Stay tuned.

First I'd find out what seasonings are already in their sausage and then pick other spices to compliment what's already there.

The fry test is the best way to sample seasoned food. Most here do that when making sausage, bacon, or formed jerky. Keep in mind that even the fry test isn't always fool proof. Smoking, or even just drying in a dehydrator can change the flavor profile. The flavor profile can either be subdued or enhanced.

The only way you'll be able to accurately duplicate it is to log exact measurements. I would suggest starting out each batch with 1 pound of meat and add your spices 1/4 teaspoon at a time. If you have a digital scale weigh out 1 teaspoon of each ingredient and log those weights down. Divide by four so you can weigh out 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Fry test. Add more seasonings as needed fry test again. Each time adjust your log to reflect the changes made. once you get it where you want then you have 1 pound recipe that can be easily multiplied for larger batches. If you weighed all your spices then its very simple to multiply for whole number or fractional amounts like 3.5, or 4.25 pounds of meat.

literoffarva · Jul 31, 2017

MeatSweats86 said:
I make ground beef jerky a lot using a jerky cannon and dehydrator. I use 90% or leaner beef. I've had great luck with the Nesco / Fleet Farm brand (Back Forty) jerky seasoning following their spice/ meat ratio. I sprinkle the meat with the seasoning and mix by hand. Sometimes I'll add liquid smoke, but I have added water.

Good morning guys!

This is my first post in this forum and will certainly not be my last.

I noticed you made a comment about the Nesco/Back Forty brand. I noticed that these packages are identical. Are they in fact the same product/flavor, just packaged under a different name? I am a huge fan of the Nesco Original recipe so i am curious to know that because the Nesco brand is no longer available to me locally. A response would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

meatsweats86 · Jul 31, 2017

LiterOfFarva said:
Good morning guys!

This is my first post in this forum and will certainly not be my last.

I noticed you made a comment about the Nesco/Back Forty brand. I noticed that these packages are identical. Are they in fact the same product/flavor, just packaged under a different name? I am a huge fan of the Nesco Original recipe so i am curious to know that because the Nesco brand is no longer available to me locally. A response would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

I would always buy the Nesco brand from Fleet Farm and now it's the Back Forty. Haven't noticed a difference in flavor between the 2. I'm pretty sure it's just a different name with the same recipe.

I like the cracked pepper/ garlic. For 3 lbs of ground meat I will mix one hot and spicy with 2 packs of sweet hardwood. Great flavor with a kiss of heat.

literoffarva · Jul 31, 2017

Thank you MeatSweats86! I just got an email response from Nesco too. They are in fact packaging the Back Forty. It is the exact same seasoning.

Here is the response that I got from them:

Yes, we are packaging our spices for Fleet Farm and Farm & Fleet stores under their brand name of Back Forty.

Other retailers will still have our spices under our name trade-names of Nesco/American Harvest or Open Country.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to email me or contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-288-4545 between 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central time, Monday - Friday.

Thank you for your inquiry.

The Metal Ware Corp
Nesco/American Harvest
Customer Service
www.nesco.com

1st Jerky with the LEM Jerky Cannon

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