Jerky slicing machines/equipment, retained water,

[floridafox]

Hey everyone, I need to change my diet, so here I am trying my hand at delicious jerky!

I just made my first ever batch of jerky. I need help...I seemed to have burned some pieces and undercooked others.

Man, it is hard to make uniform slices of chicken and turkey. Is there a horizontal slicer that you can recommend so I can cut with the grain? Can I use the cabella pro slicer and keep the meats semi frozen?

Also, there's a lot of turkey and chicken that says with 1% retained water and some even say up to 10% retained water. Which is better for jerky- the 1%? It's more expensive! LOL~! Maybe 1% will give more jerky?

I am precooking the slices in my oven first to kill bacteria.

What temp should I set the dehydrator for? Is it better to cook low and slow for chicken and turkey or should I keep the dehydrator on full temp at 160 for how ever many hours it takes???

Also, I tried and tried to cut off all fat, but some cuts had internal striation or maybe a tendon. This was oily after drying? I guess I should store in the fridge/freezer? How long?

Thank yoU!!

 

[pops6927]

Changing your diet for health reasons?

 

[floridafox]

Yes! :) Long time coming too....

Would love any feedback!! Many thanks!! :D :D

 

[floridafox]

Hello out there? :)

 

[tamarockstar88]

Ive been freezing the meat partially before cutting it helps to firm it up so it isn't quite as wobbly. Also make sure you have a nice sharp knife. I use a thin boning knife and it works better opposed to a all purpose or chefs knife. Just give it a quick sharpening or honing before slicing makes a big difference. I've been looking into meat slicers and I've found the ones that would be good are in the $130 range. Make sure they don't have plastic gears they have a hard time with frozen meat or sometimes meat at all. I read a lot of reviews on Amazon trying to find out which ones do and don't work. Meat slicer would be an awesome investment for making jerky and for making your own sandwich meat. that's what I plan on doing in the near future. Deli meat is packed with sodium and preservatives, but its easy to make your own roasts, turkey and chicken in the smoker or oven, and they come out sooo good. Ive had similar problems with my jerky. I hang the meat on skewers and put it through the racks in the smoker (ive seen people use paper clips as well) i try to pair up the thickness of the meat so they finish the same time. I get some pieces that are done in 4 hours others take 6-7 to finish so you have to keep checking. I also find that when they hang more of the grease and fat drip off, laying them flat it tends to collect more even if you continually flip them, so hanging definitely makes a huge difference. For food safety use cure #1  I got mine on amazon haven't found it in stores. That should prevent you from having to pre-cook. I haven't done turkey or chicken yet but when I do beef I keep the temp at 150.

Hope the tips help!

 

[badbob]

I believe that Sausage Maker and Lem make a manual jerky slicer that cuts 1/4" slices.

 

[smokinhusker]

I've never made chicken or turkey jerky, but I have made many many pounds of elk, antelope, venison, duck and goose in the dehydrator and now on the MES. Like Tama says, a really good sharp boning knife and partially frozen meat works for me. I usually slice it 3/8" thick. I use the Hi Country Jerky Seasonings and always Cure #1. I thread my meat slices onto non stick skewers (got them at Wally World), hang S hooks on the rack of the smoker and put each end of the skewer through the hooks. Works great and I don't have to try and thread the pieces of meat down through the openings on the rack. When I did it on the dehydrator I was forever rotating racks and flipping meat - no need for that when it's hanging. I smoke low and slow and the average time is 7 hrs. Even though I use Cure #1, I still refrigerate or freeze. 

 

[tamarockstar88]

I'm doing research because I want to start selling my jerky and this is a helpful article I came across. The USDA suggests cooking to an internal temp of 160* or 165* for poultry before dehydrating to ensure that microorganisms are destroyed by wet heat. Everything else I've read hasn't suggested that, but for commercially selling I guess that's what the USDA wants for safety. It also said that a mixture of using cure#1 and pre-cooking destroyed the most bacteria. I would do more research on poultry jerky though, I've never personally made it myself.

Anyways, here's a  link to the page I found, had some good info.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/jerky_and_food_safety/index.asp

 

[s2k9k]

Tama, Bass Pro Shops sells Lem Cure (cure#1) if there is one close to you.

 

[tamarockstar88]

Most of the pro shops are a ways from where I am. probly 30 -45 mins not bad. I checked supermarkets and the local butcher shop but just ended up getting it on amazon. was about $10 for 4 oz worth which should make 100lbs of meat

 

[s2k9k]

Most of the pro shops are a ways from where I am. probly 30 -45 mins not bad. I checked supermarkets and the local butcher shop but just ended up getting it on amazon. was about $10 for 4 oz worth which should make 100lbs of meat

Well if you are ever just passing by Bass Pro you might want to stop, it's only $2.99/4oz