hi mtn jerky

[bob-bqn]

Willkat98 info about the jerky making kit can be found at the following links:

http://www.nesco.com/products/?categ...bcat=100&id=44
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...o+&btnG=Search

It's not a recipe but it was easy enough for my sons to make. I'm trying to get them interested in smoking & cooking. It's best to get the leanest ground beef for jerky.

 

[willkat98]

Thanks Bob.

Thats going on the Christmas list :)

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Hey Bob,
Thanks from me too. I just ordered a kit from Amazon. I'll let you know how the jerky turns out.

 

[bob-bqn]

More than welcome! :D My kids had fun making and eating it. I even got to taste some and it was pretty good.

 

[brandx]

Hello all, I'm brandy new to this forum but I do have some time logged in front of a smoker or two. On this thing about hi mountain jerky seasoning,, this is no doubt a great product but personally IMO the price is a little high for what it is. If anybody wants to make a great tasting whole muscle jerky all you have to do is head down to your friendly local supermarket and see if they carry McCormick brand spices and seasonings. What you want to pick up is a package or two of their meat marinade. Just use water in place of the oil in the directions and it makes one heck of a great tasting batch of jerky. And at about a dollar a pkg. its alot cheaper then hi mountain. You can even experiment and come up with your own secret marinade using the McCormick as a base. I've been using this marinade for well over 10 years now and nothing but great compliments. Even from people who were never really a fan of jerky. I've never tried it with grund meat type jerky but beinz I got the wife a jerky shooter for Christmas I'd imagine we'll be trying it pretty soon.
Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

 

[buzzard]

yea i have only tried whole muscle jerky in a dehydrator, i was afraid to try it in a smoker with all the horror stories i have heard about it. but if you all are saying 3 hours or so i think i will make some next time i make a brisket or pulled pork.

i usually dont open the lid durring my smoking but if im getting something out of it i may have to make and exception.



mmmmmmmmmmmm smoked jerky

 

[brandx]

Buzzard, use both. Hit the jerky with smoke for about an hour then finish it off in the dehydrator. That works out well for me. Before some people complained the smoke flavor was to strong.

 

[buzzard]

ok so i made some jerkey a few mondays back heres what i did and learned.

first off i used ALLEGRO MARINADE. i found it at sams club and i have never got such good raves on the flavor. im picky and like my own concoctions but this stuff is excellent, and will continue to use it. now i did mix in a little A1 and some garlic powder. its in a brown bottle (well clear but the stuff inside is brown) with a tan label and brown lettering. as im sure you know how sams works, i had to buy two 25.4oz bottles at one time, but both bottles were less then 8 bucks and contains the following:
soy sauce, water, lime juice, and some special herbs and spices, so simple yet so good.

i purchased a dehydrator with a fan built in so i would not have to rotate trays (60 bucks at walmart). you have to really watch this, as i learned, because you can dry out your jerkey very fast.

i tried some just on the dehydrator, smoked some for 1.5 hours or so then put in the dehydrator and just smoked the rest for 4 hours or so.

there was not a major difference in flavor between smoking it the full 4 hours or 1.5 then in the dehydrator. but some, who i guess arnt used to true smoked food, "claimed" they could taste the difference.

one major problem i had was cutting the meat to one thickness, so i have decided to purchase a meat cutter, so this will be a new adventure.

once i figure out a good thickness and get the timeing down i will have to let you all know my final receipe. if you all have a favorite thickness i would love to hear about it.

when i zero in on it all, i will be more then happy to send you all some vaccume sealed samples of what ive done.

all and all no one could keep thier hands off of it and that always makes me happy

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Buzzard,
Sounds like you're on a quest of the best jerky in town. I'll bet you succeed. Please keep us posted as to how it all turns out. I'm anxious to hear. And by the way, in the meantime, I have found a booklet from Amazon "Just Jerky The Complete Guide To Making It " by Mary Bell. I think it was about 10 to 12 bucks. Anyway, I heartily recommend it. It is packed full of scratch recipes for all kinds of jerky and addresses preparation via dehydrators, smoking, ovens and even microwaves. She also discusses using the jerky gun, cutting, muscle meat and ground meat. It's a great little book with lots of information.

 

[brandx]

Buzzard, sounds like a pretty sucessful endeavor. Last year I bought a cheap meat slicer from Harbor Freight. I think I paid something like 29 bucks for it. If it had a brand name it would probably be POS. But hey it works for me for its intended purpose. All I use it for is slicing meat into jerky strips. I slice mine at 1/4 inch "with the grain" not across it. I partially freeze the meat and that makes it alot easier to slice. Freeze it to the point where its just stiff enough to not bend when you hold the piece on the end sideways.

 

[scott in kc]

Please forgive the ignorance of a jerky novice, but do any of these jerky marinades use Morton's tenderquick or similar preservative to improve shelf life?

I've made a few attempts at jerky, and my best results have come from NOT drying (smoking) to the point of having something that will withstand unrefrigerated or extended storage. It would be nice to be able to make bigger batches when I have already trashed the kitchen.

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Scott,
The answer to your question, at least in Mary Bell's book is no. There is no tenderquick used. All recipes are from scratch ingredients. Good Luck!

 

[buzzard]

scott,

as long as you use a salt based marinade like soy sauce it will hold the shelf life as you need, that is if you can keep it that long.

an excellent product i have found for my marinade is "original allegro marinade" its ingredients include:

soy sauce, (water, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein, corn syrup, carmel coloring) water, lime juice herbs and spices.

now im not sure what herbs and spices they use but you can see them floating in the solution and its good and simple. i will add a little A1, garlic any thing that floats my boat at that moment.

i found this at Sams Club, im sure they have it else where but i have not looked for it directly.

anything with a salt base will extend the shelf life by a few good weeks. i also purchased a Food Saver vaccum sealer witch i strongly recomend. not that its worth the time to vaccum it since i usually have it all eaten within days anyway 8)

 

[norcalbob]

Old thread, but I was in Harbor Freight today and saw this slicer on sale for $19. For that money it was worth picking up and it's jerky time tomorrow :) If it craps out in a year, so be it. I do so little slicing.

 

[deejaydebi]

I was wondering - I to have a Popeil Dehydrator - two infact we're on a first name basis. Got mine for free to try out the spagetti machine before it came to market.

anyway ... I meant to ask:

I alway heard you had to use lean meat for jerky so when you say you've used ground meat in the jerky cannon, what kind of meat do you use and what holds it together?

 

[buzzard]

when i make jerkey with the jerkey cannon made out of ground meat, i get the leanest meat i can get my hands on. i think the manufacturer said not to get any less then 10%. i will normaly get 3% since it will not shrink up as much and if be so oily. i knoticed a difference in the oil "sweating" if you have too much fat you have to keep moping it up. either way though you can not go wrong.

 

[oldyaker]

Fella's, My Dad and I used to make alot of jerky in a dehydrater when he was still on the planet. I now have this new smoker and would like to make jerkey in it. Now, I do some wilderness canoeing with a bunch of old boys a couple times a year. I have brought the store bought jerkey along to ward off hunger during the day on the river. It lasts a week with no problem. Will the beef jerkey I make in my smoker(If done properly) be safe to eat up to a week with no refridgeration?
The dehydrator jerkey lasted ok but I really made it dry. I'm guessing I should not use use the water pan since I really want alot of moisture removed from the beef? I dunno? Any suggestions for making jerkey last for a week with no refridgeration?

 

[cajunsmoker]

I would think that if you get the leanest possible meat to start with and get it as dry as possible then seal in a foodsaver vacuum bag (or several to open as needed) then you should be alright.

Just an opinion though, since mine never lasts over 24 hours around my house :x :D

 

[mohntr]

I like using whole muscle as well. I have trouble telling when the ground jerky is done. It always ends up dry. How do you tell when the ground is done?

MoHntr

 

[buzzard]

i know this will not make since, but this is the way i do it. after 3 min i pull a piece and eat it, then every 3min after that till it is done. if you have any left after 4 hours your doing good

OK really now. i make both ground meat and whole muscle both of which i think takes about 4 hours or so, if you like it dryer then go 5-6 hours. i use a dehydrator because i suck at making it in the smoker. it cooks not dehydrates, one day i hope to get better with my wood burner smoker. i have thought about getting an electric just for jerky and smoking cheese, and one day i will. any way back on the main thought, after 4 hours or so it should be close, pull it let it cool and test it, eventually you will zero in on your timing. it should only take a couple of times to know what your timing is.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!