# First timer...very confused



## debbie1105 (Jun 1, 2012)

I'm a first time jerky maker hoping to make some awesome jerky this weekend.  I bought about 4.5 lbs. EOR and have all the ingredients for a marinade as well as TQ.  My equipment is a MES 30 analog.

I've been reading these forums all afternoon and am more confused than ever.  So...from what I understand 1/4" is a reasonable thickness and EOR is an acceptable choice of beef.  Correct so far?

Marinade...I've found some recipes I think sound good and thought I'd vary my own with one (or more) of those as a starting point.  It will be soy based and might also contain some worcestershire sauce.  

One of the things I'm most confused about is cure.  I bought Morton's TQ.  Do I need to just add that to the marinade or replace some (or all) of the salt in my recipe with it.  How much do I need?  

How long do I need to marinade my beef?  I've read anything from 2 hours to several days.  

Then...as for smoking.   I'm planning to lay it out on the racks (as opposed to hanging it).  Do I lay it directly on the racks?  Should they be oiled or anything?  150' seems to be considered safe and effective.  For 6 hours?    And it looks like I only want to introduce smoke for the first couple hours.  Am I on track?

As you can see I'm pretty much in the dark here.  Anyone who could comment and let me know whether I'm heading for trouble or for decent jerky would be much appreciated.

Deb


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## ats32 (Jun 1, 2012)

1/4" is fine, I prefer a little thinner.

I don't even add salt to my marinade for a cure as mine is soy based and that's enough salt for me.

I like to marinade at least 12 hours.

I would spray the racks with cooking spray, is there a reason you aren't hanging the meat? You could get more meat in the smoker that way.  6 hours should be a about right but try a piece at 4 hours and see how it tastes.

You sound on track and don't be nervous, jerky is so easy you'll be amazed.

My marinade consists of; soy sauce, black pepper, red pepper flakes, siracha, garlic powder, and onion powder.


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## s2k9k (Jun 1, 2012)

I've only smoked jerky a couple of times so I don't want to throw too much advice but 1/4" is good and you could go just a little thinner. I've never used TQ, I use cure#1, but I do know TQ has a lot of salt in it. When I made mine I tried to keep as much sodium out as I could because I know it's not good for me. If you are using a lot of Soy, it is very high in sodium along with the TQ it sounds like you shouldn't need any added salt, but that's my opinion, I like salt but am trying to stay away from it. I marinated for about 24 hours the first time then went up to about 36 and got more flavor the 2nd time. A little oil on the racks wouldn't hurt so it doesn't stick. I start off at about 120* for a couple of hours then slowly bump it up but don't go over 160*. You want to dry it, not cook it. It is done when it's done. I look for a translucent color and it should crack with the grain but not crack only bend against the grain.

I probably read 100 threads on here about it before I made it the first time and everything I did and just said (except for my opinion of it maybe being too salty) came from what I have read on here and it came out really good. Make a marinade you think you will like and don't over-complicate it. You can tweak your recipe the next time to suit your taste.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jun 1, 2012)

debbie1105 said:


> I'm a first time jerky maker hoping to make some awesome jerky this weekend.  I bought about 4.5 lbs. EOR and have all the ingredients for a marinade as well as TQ.  My equipment is a MES 30 analog.
> 
> Eye of Round is a nice cut for Jerky.
> 
> ...


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## ac45acp (Jun 3, 2012)

i used 4 cups soy, 2 c worcestershire, 2 c molasses, 1 c frank's red hot sauce. marinate overnight or longer. about 120 degrees for about 12 hours. my opinion, 1/4inch is a little thick but i was using a meat slicer. if you partially freeze the meat it is easier to slice thin. i also used commercial dehydrators to dry but i was making a lot of jerky to sell. i really don't care for jerky myself. the best i ever had was at a friends fishing camp in mexico. they jerked a burro peppered the meat and hung it over a rusty old barb wire fence to dry


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## davidhef88 (Jun 3, 2012)

Welcome neighbor. As you see all you have to do is ask. This place  is great. :welcome1:


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## debbie1105 (Jun 3, 2012)

To start with, thank you ALL for your responses and help.   This is such a friendly and helpful place.  I''m excited to share my journey with all of you more experienced folks. 

Anyway...here's a little info on what I did for my first jerky...

Used my 30+ year old Oster slicer (plastic) to slice my semi-frozen EOR into 1/8" (or so) slices.  Some ended up being with the grain and others against the grain. Some were long and slender and some were more squarish and chunky...just a product of the inexact science of the antique (not to mention cheap) slicer I was using.  Ended up with 3 lbs. sliced and trimmed beef.  Then tossed the slices with 3 Tbsp. TQ.  








Then I mixed the following into the meat:

1 tsp. Accent

1/2 Tbsp Ancho chili pepper

1 Tbsp OP

1 Tbsp GP

1/2 Tbsp GBP

1 cup water

Put it in a zipper bag and into the refrigerator

Squished the meat around every few hours and kept it in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.  Then used skewers & toothpicks to hang on smoker rack.  Put it into smoker with hickory & cherry at about 120' (after getting the chips smoking at 300').







Raised the temp every hour and finished at 150' for the last 2 hours.  Removed pieces as they were done.  Total time a bit over 6 hours.  Next time I'll use all toothpicks to make removing finished pieces easier.







Very tasty.  I like the spice.  I'm not sure it's 100% as dried as it should be but it was storming here during all but the first hour or so. A bit difficult to dry something out when all it does is rain.

All in all a successful first attempt.  Thank you all for your help.


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## s2k9k (Jun 3, 2012)

That's some good looking jerky!!!


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## BGKYSmoker (Jun 3, 2012)

debbie1105 said:


> I'm a first time jerky maker hoping to make some awesome jerky this weekend.  I bought about 4.5 lbs. EOR and have all the ingredients for a marinade as well as TQ.  My equipment is a MES 30 analog.
> 
> I've been reading these forums all afternoon and am more confused than ever.  So...from what I understand 1/4" is a reasonable thickness and EOR is an acceptable choice of beef.  Correct so far?
> 
> ...


MTQ has salt in it, you will need to adjust any other salt in the recipe. IMHO its way easier to just buy cure #1 AKA Pink salt, insta cure, prague powder.

MTQ is added at 7.5 tsp per every 5 lbs of meat compaired to 1 level tasp of cure 1 per every 5 lbs.

Marinade time is your call and can be done like you stated. The meat will only take so much marinade unless you have a vacuum system to open the meat fibers up.

Your time and procedure is on track.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jun 3, 2012)

Holy SMOKERS!!! You jumped right on that jerky smoke!

So, you went pretty simple and got good results...cured jerky meat is not really fussy at all. I've done some spiced-up versions, and some simpler recipes, all being good, but it's really a personal preference as to what flavor enhancements you want to add or omit. Some of the best smoked jerky I've had was just seasoned with cracked black pepper, and cured with TQ.

Glad you got your first squeeze off and out of the barrel cleanly...pulling the trigger the first time always seems to make some folks skittish, but getting a few pointers can take the edge off.

If you think it needs a bit more drying, you can pop it into the oven, then turn on warm (170* for most ovens) for about 10-15 minutes on a cookie sheet, then just turn off the oven and let it cool down slow...give it an hour or so, then lay back out in open air covered with a clean towel...should do the trick.

Looks good!

Eric


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## so ms smoker (Jun 3, 2012)

Sounds like it came out good! Did you like the taste? That is what matters.

Mike


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## debbie1105 (Jun 4, 2012)

Actually I think it came out great.  It's already half gone :-/


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## bigtrain74 (Jun 4, 2012)

Nice work on those! Keep up the good work!


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## smokinhusker (Jun 4, 2012)

Nice job! You had some good advice and it looks fantastic. It's not nearly as hard as it turns out to be, it's just a matter of getting over that initial apprehension, at least that's what it was for me!

One thing I would ask about is your smoker temps. - does the actual cabinet temperature equal the set display temperature? I have an MES 40 and at lower temps I'm only off about 2-5*. 

I tried the toothpicks and bamboo skewers and even after soaking them in water and even tried oiling them, my jerky still stuck to them-I invested in non stick skewers and stainless steel s hooks. Here's a link to some pics, including one of how I hang the jerky using this method http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/117191/sweet-and-spicy-elk-jerky-in-the-mes.

Other than the first 1.5-2hrs when I'm drying it, I add smoke the remainder of the time, usually a mix of mesquite, cherry and oak or hickory, cherry and oak. Mine usually takes approximately 10-12 hrs depending on how thick the meat is, but usually I slice it 3/8" thick. You can tell when it's done when you bend it and see white fibers at the bend. I let it cool for about an hour, then drop all into a resealable plastic bag, with one corner open so the moisture can redistribute among the jerky and leave that out overnight. After that I vacuum seal it and into the fridge and freezer. 

Jerky is one of the first things I mastered because I had many pounds of goose and duck breasts to practice on (and teenage boys will eat nearly anything!). Since then I have done 4 mule deer, an antelope, some elk, beef, more goose and duck (I end up with about 100 + lbs per year).

Here's some elk jerky I made for the grand kids: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/118853/elk-jerky-for-easter-lol

Keep at it and keep lots of notes...they always help.


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## debbie1105 (Jun 4, 2012)

I have an analog MES 30 so it's pretty hard to set the temp but I have found that the cabinet temp measured with a Maverick 732 is far different than what the thermometer on the unit indicates.  

I introduced my smoke at the start thinking it would get into the meat better when the meat was fresh.  Once my initial chips burned out I didn't add more.  I used cherry & hickory.  It's actually got a nice but far from overpowering smoke flavor.  

Do you buy the kits online?  I don't get into 'outdoor stores' very often so I haven't even seen kits.  Do you find them economical?  It seems they'd be pretty pricey compared to a couple Tbsp of spices I already have in my pantry.  I do have to look into getting some Insta cure #1 though I guess.  I couldn't find that in a local store either so ended up with the TQ.  

I also made 30+ pounds of various sausage this weekend (6 varieties).  Some more successful than others but all tasty.  They're all fresh sausage though.  I'm working up my nerve to try smoking/curing/drying some other types of sausage.  But I won't tackle that much in a weekend again -- at least not with my current setup.  My back is a goner.


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## smokinhusker (Jun 4, 2012)

Gotcha on the smoker temps. I have a sporting goods store that carries the kits I use (Hi Country) and the big blue W box store carries them during hunting season. Never really priced them for cost, but my boyfriend likes them so that's what I use and they are pretty convenient as far as measuring. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  Cure #1 is included in them as well, but I have extra on hand. 

What kind of sausage did you make and did you do bulk and links? Did you take any pics? If so by all means share them. We love q-view here!

I have a blast making the snack sticks and summer sausage, and just did my first fresh brats and smoked and cured kielbasa...both turned out quite well and I'll be making them again. Making cured (Cure #1) and smoked sausage is as easy as jerky, NEPAS (Rick) and several others make the cured and dryed sausage using Cure #1 and a drying/fermenting chamber but I'm not that brave or experienced!


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## debbie1105 (Jun 4, 2012)

I'd be interested in your brat recipe.  Mine are good but don't really taste much like brats, IMO.  

I posted my weekend experience in the Sausage forum.


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## smokininpa (Jun 4, 2012)

Best price I have found is at MySpiceSage.com
Prague Powder Number 1 same thing as Cure 1
Weight 4 oz. Resealable Bag 4 oz.  $4.50 Cures 100lbs.
Free shipping but they do have a $3 fee for orders under $10 which is not a problem because they have so many other things to pick from.
Oh by the way that is some good lookin jerky!
Mike


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## smokinhusker (Jun 4, 2012)

This is the recipe I used: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/100076/shooterricks-attitude-brats-recipe-and-pics-on-the-grill

I will definitely make these again, but cut back on the coriander for my taste. It had mellowed after being in the freezer for a while, but still too much for me.

Boyfriend really liked them and he doesn't like brats too awfully much!


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## s2k9k (Jun 4, 2012)

Bass Pro Shops has Lem Cure which is just cure#1 for $2.99/4oz but I'm sure their shipping is more, I just pick it up locally.


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## smokeamotive (Jun 4, 2012)

Wow! Jumped in head first. Jerky and sausage in one weekend and a beginner.....Well done!  And 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






  to SMF!!!

I too use a KA for my grinding needs but have a Cabelas 11 lb stuffer for packing them up. No wonder you back is toast. Stuffing 30 lbs with a KA 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. I'd bet that you'll be lookin for a stuffer in the near future, cause lets face it....you've just opened the Pandoras box and theres no closing it now. Welcome to your new addiction.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	






SmokinHusker said:


> This is the recipe I used: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/100076/shooterricks-attitude-brats-recipe-and-pics-on-the-grill
> 
> I will definitely make these again, but cut back on the coriander for my taste. It had mellowed after being in the freezer for a while, but still too much for me.
> 
> Boyfriend really liked them and he doesn't like brats too awfully much!


X2 on this recipe. This is the one I use and everyone loves them.


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