Bummer day first Jerky and Beef sticks

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kmadson

Fire Starter
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Dec 3, 2007
55
10
Clarkston, WA
Well what a discourging day
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. I sure didn't have any luck with my jerky, wasn't to sweet but Holy Moly was it to salty. If my hair wasn't already straight it would have been when I took a bite of my jerky. And was to hot. I used the Hi Mountain cracked pepper and garlic seasoning but used the tenderquick for my cure. Added a little cayanne pepper,cracked pepper would have been enough heat, but not sure how to correct the salty problem. I smoked it for just under 2 hours as some was a little thicker than 1/4 inch. I'll get my own slicer next time. Smoke flavor was great .Cured it 24 hours as direction said but can you do it less and still be safe, or is there another way to do the curing part and eliminate more of the salt?

As for the snack sticks (beef) ground top round london broil with additional beef fat I guess it is called
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with the medium grinder plate used cracked pepper & Garlic seasoning in one 2lb.batch and pepperoni seasoning in another. Again cured in refrig. for 24 hours.Put it into casings with the Jerky blaster. Handy tool
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, though isn't there another way to end your sticks that is easier than tying each one. Seems you lose allot of casing doing that. Took about 3 hours to get these done or up to the 165* temp. Didn't care for the pepperoni seasoning but again cracked pepper & Garlic wouldn't have been to bad but still was a little to salty and dry not enough moisture.

Sorry for the book but I need help and all the input you guys and gals can give me as to how to correct my problems. Do I need to be using some pork and or pork fat to get better moisture and flavor? As always all your ideas etc will be most helpful. Thanks KM
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I have never used the Hi Mountain mix, I shorelunch mix.....I am not sure of the hi mountain mix but shorelunch comes with their own cure packet....I just use the cure that came with it.....I am thinking its the tenderquick that is making it salty........As for the sticks and tieing them, I just twist them and cut between the sticks on the twist......Works pretty good for me........Hope that helps........
 
km

i use hi mtn jerky season all the time it is great stuff is there a reason you decided to use tenderquick instead of the hi mtn maple cure that comes with the jerky seasoning i use the maple cure it works fine not to salty it is good stuff next time just follow the instructions in the box it should turn out fine

as for the snack stix if you are using the 22mm collegen casings i just stuff them full and hang them in the smoker on sticks when they are done smoking i cut them to the length i want if you do not hang them you can stuff them and cut them and lay them on the racks they will be fine

dont give up it will get better soon you will be making the best sausage and jerky around the first batch is a learning experence

good luck

huey
 
I just made some pepper sticks and used insta-cure #2, pink stuff. It came with my LEM seasoning. I wouldn't use tenderquick, just like you said, salty. You can soak after using tenderquick changing water every hour for a couple hours to eliminate some of the salty taste.

later

I am slow, forget anything I typed!!
 
Hi Kookie,the Hi Mountain had a cure packett also but thought I woul eliminate to salty and to sweet by using the tenderquick. I use the cure that came with the next time. I did twist some of the time on casing but thought if I didn't tie them when cooked it would come out from expanding. I layed them on the mesh racks in my vault smoker didn/t have any hanger to hang them by. That will be another purchase on my list. LOL LOL KM
 
Afternoon Huey, I use the Hi Mountain Collagen sausage casings 21mmx50'. I was afraid their cure would be to salty or sweet thats why I did the tenderquick. It sure is a learning process :o). Thanks for the imput KM
 
I think that the directions in the hi mtn season specifically say to follow the directions to a "t". I've used it for the last six years and have had great success. YOU JUST GOTTA BELIEVE!
Good luck and have fun. Try not to let yourself get discouraged. I made some really bad jerky before I finally started getting consistent results.
 
thanks meandmytwodogs, LOL LOL I think I need to change my name to meanmydogantwocats holy cow that's a mouth full. Now I'm not making fun of your handle so please for give my silliness,been a long day and have to get my spirits up some how. Yes I have a hard time when it comes to trust or believing is something but I'm working on it. I'll give it anothe try and use their cure. Thanks KM :o) :o) can no doubt tell by my spelling how long its been :o)
 
Hi Minichief I am boiling as I type and hopefully it will be ediable in a couple LOL don't think that will help the snack sticks. Where do you get your seasoning you use.KM
 
Trying to remember, think the recipe I have calls for some pork. I will have to see if I can find it. Been cleanin and reorganizin my office, so now I'm all oraganized and can't find a damn thing!

Morton's may be to salty for what you are doin, I use the prague powders personally. Always had good luck with them. Let me know if I can help you out some more, I'll see if I can find my recipes.
 
That would be great travcoman45,any and all recipes would be greatly appreciated. What is the prague powgers all about? I also read in somethings about powdermilk what does that do? Questions, Questions :o) Again Thanks KM :o)
 
Prague is a cure sold by sausage maker and others, there are several other names for it as well, which I can't think of right now, go figure. There is a Prague powder #1 and #2, the difference being weather the sausage will be cooked or not.

Powdered milk as I remember, helps the sausage hold moisture, soy protein can be used as well. There is also a fat replacer you can add to give it the same texture as with fat without the side effects of fat.

An excellent book on the subject is sold by sausage maker and online, it is called "Great Sausage making recipes and meat curing" by Rytek Kutas. They also have a web site: www.sausagemaker.com

Good info there to.

I will do some lookin for more info for you.
 
If you don't want to tie each stick, get yourself a set of hog ring pliers and some hog rings. You should be able to find them at a local upholstery supply shop. I did the last batch, ran long lenghts, twisting at each link, and then folded them up accordian style to keep them from untwisting. After about 13 pounds I got tired of that and started running long lengths and cut them afterwards. Thats how I'll do it from now on.
 
Yip I have it ordered it is on back order but shouldn't be long tell it's here. I'll go look at the web site. Thanks again. KM
 
km: here is a recipe I have for 10 pounds of Dried Beef Sticks.

2 tsp Insta Cure #1 (formerley Prague Powder #1)
4 Tbs Paprika
1/3 C ground Mustard
1 tsp ground Black Pepper
1 tsp ground White Pepper
1 tsp ground Celery
1 Tbs Mace
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
5 Tbs Salt
4 1/2 Tbs Powdered Dextrose
1 1/2 C Fermento

Use a fairly lean meat. Beef chuck is excellent. A ratio of 80% lean with 20% fat works well.
 
You really don't even need to cure the jerky as long as you keep it in the ice box after smoking, if it lasts that long. Just a marinade or simple seasoned week brine would be fine, and twist off some nice fresh black pepper on it before smoking. Unless your going out on the trail for a few weeks.
 
Follow the hi-mtn directions, you'll be happy with what you get. Thanks, Greg
 
Jerky - I suggest following the Hi-Mountain directions when using their ingredients first; if later you feel you want more garlic and/or pepper, then add a little to the next batch.

Sticks - As dodgeramsst2003 said, run the stuffing of the stick as long as you can; after the stick is smoked to internal temp; then cut to size. You will end up with some smaller "itty bitties", but they are for snacking on while packaging the rest for freezing !!!
 
Thanks to all I will follow instruction and try hi mountain again. and make long ones until I get something to hang things by. :o) Thanks again so much for all your input. I'm sure I will have more questions. I go in and look at things on the site but sometimes hearing from you all is more help and easier to understand. KM
 
Travcomans recipe from the Sausage Maker is the one I use and really like. I have not used Tenderquick, but from what I know about it, that is probably your problem. Not that it is a bad product at all, but I believe it uses more salt as a carrier for the cure, and thereby will cause a saltier flavor in you finished product. I think Richtee has had very good success and experience with it and might chime in here. Prague Powder #1, or InstaCure #1, or Witts #1, or pink curing salt is basically sodium chloride(about 94%) and sodium nitrate (6.25%) and as has been stated is for cooked suasages. Use at a rate of 1 oz per 25# of meat (for suasages, for brines the ratios differ). Prague powder #2, or Insta Cure #2, or cure #2 is similar except it has sodium nitrite in it, and is used for dry cured products. It breaks down over a long period of time and allows proper curing under the conditions dry curing calls for. Ryteks book (the bible) spells all this out very well in some of the early chapters. You will get alot of great info from it and refer back to it freq. like the rest of us. The first third to half of the book is informative, the rest of it is basically recipes, but usually the first part of those chapters are quite informative as well.
 
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