I've been lazy making my own jerky, but after turning a top round roast into jerky recently, I went thru it in record time. Beef was too expensive at the store, but whole pork loin was on sale. Time to make some pork jerky...or so I thought.
I cut the 8.54 lb boneless loin into 3/4" to 1" chops. Vac-sealed and froze some. Dry brined 8 for a few night's dinners, and used a semi-wet brine on the remainder (3.86 lbs) to make jerky using Yoshida sauce in my semi-wet cure/brine.
Cured for 3 days. Sliced into 1/2" strips. 195°F oven. When I checked them at 3 hours...OMG! The texture was tender inside and firm outside. The Yoshida sauce was a background flavor that worked perfectly with the cure. My wife doesn't eat ham (too salty) or jerky (too difficult to chew), but THIS she loved. Oops.
Here's my cure/brine.
Prague Powder #1: 1.2 grams per pound of meat.
Sodium Erythorbate: .3 grams per pound of meat.
Adolph's or McCormick Tenderizer: 4.4 grams per pound of meat.
Yoshida Sauce: 25 grams per pound of meat.
Water: 60 grams per pound of meat.
Mix all the above in a large measuring cup. Stir to dissolve (no need to warm or cook)
Place meat strips in a Ziplock bag. Place that in another Ziplock bag (insurance against leaks), then add the cure/brine.
Squeeze out the air fron both bags. Massage the meat to distribute the cure. Place the double bagged meat in a container and place in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. Massage and flip every 12 hours.
Smoke or cook as described above.
Allow to cool completely, then keep refrigerated.
Happy Ham-ish Jerky!
Ray
I cut the 8.54 lb boneless loin into 3/4" to 1" chops. Vac-sealed and froze some. Dry brined 8 for a few night's dinners, and used a semi-wet brine on the remainder (3.86 lbs) to make jerky using Yoshida sauce in my semi-wet cure/brine.
Cured for 3 days. Sliced into 1/2" strips. 195°F oven. When I checked them at 3 hours...OMG! The texture was tender inside and firm outside. The Yoshida sauce was a background flavor that worked perfectly with the cure. My wife doesn't eat ham (too salty) or jerky (too difficult to chew), but THIS she loved. Oops.
Here's my cure/brine.
Prague Powder #1: 1.2 grams per pound of meat.
Sodium Erythorbate: .3 grams per pound of meat.
Adolph's or McCormick Tenderizer: 4.4 grams per pound of meat.
Yoshida Sauce: 25 grams per pound of meat.
Water: 60 grams per pound of meat.
Mix all the above in a large measuring cup. Stir to dissolve (no need to warm or cook)
Place meat strips in a Ziplock bag. Place that in another Ziplock bag (insurance against leaks), then add the cure/brine.
Squeeze out the air fron both bags. Massage the meat to distribute the cure. Place the double bagged meat in a container and place in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. Massage and flip every 12 hours.
Smoke or cook as described above.
Allow to cool completely, then keep refrigerated.
Happy Ham-ish Jerky!
Ray