first try next weekend

[lozzfish]

Hi all,

next weekend I'll be trying my first ever batch of jerky. I made my smoker last weekend, pics to come.

I'm just playing with a recipe from a couple I like the sound of...any advice or suggestions would be great.

2.5lb of beef, I'm going to speak to my local butcher for his opinion of a good lean cut - any suggestions of (UK names) cuts would be great. I'm only doing a small batch as I don't want to waste money if it all turns out rubbish. I'm going to try small batches until, I get something I like.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup molasses
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp canning salt
1/2 tbsp chili flakes
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tsp powdered cayenne pepper
1 tbsp cure#1

Marinade for 24hrs. Smoked with hickory. Smoke on 160f/70c for 2-3 hours, no smoke on on 150f/65 for 4-5 hours.

I'm going to leave it in my smoker for the whole time, obviously I'll remove the smoke but keep the heat after 2-3 hours. I'm not taken it out and put it in the oven etc. Would this be ok?

I can't wait...hope next week goes quickly.

As I said, thoughts welcome.

Cheers

 

[chef jimmyj]

Too much Cure! 

  Where did you get a recipe that tells you to use 6 times too much? Use 1 level teaspoon for every 5 pounds meat. The rest sounds Great. UK or US, anything from the Round, back leg, is a good choice because it is the leanest meat on the beast...JJ

 

[lozzfish]

Oops...I meant 1/2 tsp. The recipes for the cure amount I read were for 5lb of meat (1tsp for 5lb of meat). I was planning on half the amount so meat so half all of the ingredients. I must have forgot to half the cure amount when I wrote it. Thanks for the help and advice.

Oh I meant to ask, is canning salt also called pickling salt?

Also just to confirm...I am right in including a cure. There seems to be lots of debate. I'm eating it within 1-2 days, it'll be in the fridge and I'm not selling it. But a lot of posts saying that it is ok to not use cure seem to be old, with newer posts saying It's a must.

Cheers

 

[chef jimmyj]

Canning and Pickling Salt is the same thing. The storage of Jerky in the refer helps maintain it's freshness especially as many folks like a jerky that is only semi-dried or Kippered Beef, which is still a bit moist and more tender chewy.  

The use of Cure in Jerky is a hotly debated topic. Jerky production using little more than Salt is Thousands of years old and the use of Sodium Nitrite cure is about 50 years old. http://www.ehow.com/about_6171966_history-sodium-nitrite.html

Many of us use Cure as extra protection, especially with Ground Meat Jerky. With sliced whole meat jerky the cure is not needed as long as the meat is heated to 160°F before or during the smoking/dehydrating process. Here is what the USDA has to say on the subject. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal...at-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index 

Bottom line, if Smoking the meat is the main means of dehydrating the beef, using Cure is a good idea because of the low Oxygen environment conducive to the most dangerous bacterial growing. But it is your choice because you will be smoking around 160°F for the beginning hours which will render the meat safe without cure...JJ

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello lozzfish.  Chef Jimmy is one of a several food safety gurus on SMF.  He is also a qualified instructor.  He has graciously agreed to join the U.K. Group to help us out on such issues.  Pops is another GREAT source of knowledge who is also a member.  I also believe Wade is well trained in food safety and we have several caterers in the Group.  There are others I haven't mentioned who are not members of our Group but they also know their stuff.  Pretty much if these guys give you food safety advice, take it to  the BANK, even if it sounds strange to you.  Forget the recipes you have read, they know their stuff.  They are also great folks who go out of their way to answer questions.  I have been doing this smoking thing a couple years and read enough on SMF and the net, I trust my family to them.  I can't give higher recommendation.  Keep Smokin!

Danny

 

[lozzfish]

Danny, thanks for that advice mate. It's great help and safe knowledge to know. I did thinks that about the recipes I read, they all have different opinions and ideas...who to follow??? You've just helped me out massively. Ill search in here for some recipes and tips from those mentioned, I'll alter my ingredients if needed.
Cheers