# A Few Pounds Of Ground Elk Jerky - YUMMO!  w/QView



## bluto (Apr 1, 2013)

The last batch of ground elk jerky I made was such a huge pita that I have not wanted to take it on again, that stuff is a mess rolling out with a rolling pin, cutting with a wet knife, etc....  This time however, a friend recently gave me a like new Cabela's Jerky Pistol, wow, what a difference it made.  I was feeling adventurous and pulled 6 lbs out of the freezer, got it all mixed up with Hi-Mountain Original seasoning & 2 extra teaspoons of garlic salt,  Threw it on with Mesquite at 180F for just over 2 hours.  Came out very tasty, the garlic salt made a great addition to the flavor profile, and cutting with scissors after the fact makes it so much easier.













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__ bluto
__ Apr 1, 2013






Money shot:













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__ bluto
__ Apr 1, 2013


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## sound1 (Apr 1, 2013)

Looks great. I can't seem to get drawn for the elk hunt and the G&F Dept. doesn't like the excuse "But they were eating my wife's flowers"


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## so ms smoker (Apr 1, 2013)

Jerky looks awesome! Of course elk is good any way.

  Mike


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## forluvofsmoke (Apr 1, 2013)

Man, I like elk better than beef and I haven't had any for almost 14 years...(envy)...just hasn't been in the cards for me. Jerky Pistols/Guns are a great addition to your arsenal if you like jerky...opens a whole new horizon for you, and much faster and easier than the previous method you described. I never tried ground meat jerky 'til I got one several years ago...wife, kids (and all their friends) like my GB jerky...a lot! LOL!!!

Have you ever dried your cured jerky slow at around 120* for smoke, then 150-160* for drying, bumping temps up gradually over an hour or so? Gets the same texture all the way through the cross-section. I zoomed in your last pics and noticed it may be a bit more moisture inside, but pics can sometimes be deceiving. Anyway, the slower, lower temp start on drying keeps the surface porous longer for a more complete drying by allowing the interior moisture to evaporate earlier...dries from the inside out, so to speak. Also, water in your pan until about half-dried speeds it up by also keeping the surface porous (opposite of what you would think), then remove the water from the pan after 90-120 minutes (depending on thickness of pieces) to complete the drying.

Hey, if you're into snack sticks, try the tubes (should be with the kit you have, if it's complete)...we love uncased sticks as well...they do take a bit longer sometimes to dry, but it's worth it.

Good looking jerky, brother...love that beautiful mahogany color!

Eric


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## bluto (Apr 2, 2013)

forluvofsmoke said:


> Man, I like elk better than beef and I haven't had any for almost 14 years...(envy)...just hasn't been in the cards for me. Jerky Pistols/Guns are a great addition to your arsenal if you like jerky...opens a whole new horizon for you, and much faster and easier than the previous method you described. I never tried ground meat jerky 'til I got one several years ago...wife, kids (and all their friends) like my GB jerky...a lot! LOL!!!
> 
> Have you ever dried your cured jerky slow at around 120* for smoke, then 150-160* for drying, bumping temps up gradually over an hour or so? Gets the same texture all the way through the cross-section. I zoomed in your last pics and noticed it may be a bit more moisture inside, but pics can sometimes be deceiving. Anyway, the slower, lower temp start on drying keeps the surface porous longer for a more complete drying by allowing the interior moisture to evaporate earlier...dries from the inside out, so to speak. Also, water in your pan until about half-dried speeds it up by also keeping the surface porous (opposite of what you would think), then remove the water from the pan after 90-120 minutes (depending on thickness of pieces) to complete the drying.
> 
> ...



Hey Eric, thanks, I haven't tried that yet, but I will.  We actually like just a touch of moisture in our jerky.  We keep it in the fridge and just grab them on the go as we need.  I do enjoy making jerky, and will definitely be trying more and more different types of methods and flavors.
Thx!


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## forluvofsmoke (Apr 2, 2013)

Bluto said:


> Hey Eric, thanks, I haven't tried that yet, but I will. We actually like just a touch of moisture in our jerky. We keep it in the fridge and just grab them on the go as we need. I do enjoy making jerky, and will definitely be trying more and more different types of methods and flavors.
> Thx!


You're most welcome...figured you may want to look into it, as a dryer jerky can be stored at room temps for along time if not in a really humid environment, and that also makes for a great carry item for outdoors any time of the year.

If you're thinking about cured whole muscle jerky sometime in the future, and a drier overall texture, here's one of my more well-documented batches (although I didn't know about changing the drying chamber humidity back then), with links to a recipe  which is well-liked here by a few members who've tried it (that I know of) (uses Morton's Tender Quick [TQ as we call it] cure)...about 50% dried weight-loss with is round, so it's nearly perfect for storage @ room-temp, with a very intensified flavor of the meat.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/99298/pepper-steak-jerky-from-bottom-round-in-sv24-q-view

A little sneak preview...3/8" thick slices were used for this batch, so they held up to hanging in the smoker very nicely..bonus is that the thick slices allow you to fit more in the smoker per batch...drying time of course was pretty long for this, but worth it, IMHO:














There are lots of ways to make jerky a bit differently than the next guy does, so finding what you like best, or just trying something new, can give you a lot of insight as well as some great snacking while you try new recipes and methods. Just be sure to follow the basic guidelines for food safety and jerky making...must be cooked if uncured, or dried per proven methods...if cured though, guidelines are far less restrictive and time/temps for drying are not so critical.

Enjoy your jerky!

Eric

EDIT: almost forgot, as this was a long time ago...this is a very different model of jerky gun than you have, but you may find some useful tips about shooting jerky strips, loading with ground meat, etc, here:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/81528/sighted-in-my-jerky-gun-today


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 2, 2013)

Bluto said:


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That's some fantastic looking jerky! Hope I draw a tag this year!


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## bluto (Apr 2, 2013)

forluvofsmoke said:


> You're most welcome...figured you may want to look into it, as a dryer jerky can be stored at room temps for along time if not in a really humid environment, and that also makes for a great carry item for outdoors any time of the year.
> 
> If you're thinking about cured whole muscle jerky sometime in the future, and a drier overall texture, here's one of my more well-documented batches (although I didn't know about changing the drying chamber humidity back then), with links to a recipe  which is well-liked here by a few members who've tried it (that I know of) (uses Morton's Tender Quick [TQ as we call it] cure)...about 50% dried weight-loss with is round, so it's nearly perfect for storage @ room-temp, with a very intensified flavor of the meat.
> 
> ...



Thanks Eric, that jerky looks great!  I mainly make whole muscle jerky using bottom round, but since I got this gun, I will likely make more snack sticks, etc...  As long as the kids will eat it, I'll keep making it.  :-)

Here is a one of my whole muscle peices:












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__ bluto
__ Nov 21, 2012







I will definitely keep trying different methods, to date I have only done dry marinades, but will be venturing into wet with different cures and seasonings that I have brewing in my head.

Thx again, Robert


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## humdinger (Apr 3, 2013)

Nice job Bluto. I've done whole muscle but this makes me want to try ground meat. Thanks!


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## sound1 (Apr 3, 2013)

Just checked....no draw for me this year, upside, a friend got drawn for the trophy hunt near my house. I might get some meat this year yet


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## bluto (Apr 3, 2013)

Humdinger said:


> Nice job Bluto. I've done whole muscle but this makes me want to try ground meat. Thanks!



Thx Humdinger!  And do it!  Do yourself a favor though and pick up a jerky gun/cannon, etc..., it makes it SO much easier, and well worth the investment.  My hand has been killing me since extruding 6 lbs through my little jerky pistol, I may just have to get one of those cordless battery powered ones.  :biggrin:



Sound1 said:


> Just checked....no draw for me this year, upside, a friend got drawn for the trophy hunt near my house. I might get some meat this year yet



There ya go, best of luck to him!


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## bluto (Apr 3, 2013)

And made the banner, thank you!  I am honored!


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## humdinger (Apr 3, 2013)

Bluto said:


> Thx Humdinger! And do it! Do yourself a favor though and pick up a jerky gun/cannon, etc..., it makes it SO much easier, and well worth the investment. My hand has been killing me since extruding 6 lbs through my little jerky pistol, I may just have to get one of those cordless battery powered ones.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Will do. I don't have a meat gun currently, but since I have so much meat smoking stuff laying around the garage, I'll just run out and buy one and when my wife sees it she'll think I've had it for a long time! That's only if it's not too expensive. Sometimes if I spend too much money her instincts will "sense a disturbance in the force" and then I'm busted!


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## bluto (Apr 3, 2013)

Humdinger said:


> Will do. I don't have a meat gun currently, but since I have so much meat smoking stuff laying around the garage, I'll just run out and buy one and when my wife sees it she'll think I've had it for a long time! That's only if it's not too expensive. Sometimes if I spend too much money her instincts will "sense a disturbance in the force" and then I'm busted! :th_violent5:



LOL!  I am all to familiar.  Thumbs Up


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## driedstick (Apr 4, 2013)

That looks great. good job.


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## thoseguys26 (Apr 8, 2013)

I might explore ground jerky again because of this post. I've always hated the jerky guns because they seem to always break. Years ago I used the tubes from my jerky gun and modified them into a caulking gun fixture and it worked soo much better.


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## jarhead (Apr 9, 2013)

Bluto said:


> Thx Humdinger! And do it! Do yourself a favor though and pick up a jerky gun/cannon, etc..., it makes it SO much easier, and well worth the investment. *My hand has been killing me since extruding 6 lbs through my little jerky pistol, I may just have to get one of those cordless battery powered ones. *
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Do yourself and your hand a favor and get a Dakota Jerky Adapter.

I can do 8# without a reload through my NT horizontal stuffer.

I can't find any pics, but I sure love mine.

I got revenge on my oldest son and gave him my Jerky Cannon...


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## bluto (Apr 9, 2013)

Jarhead said:


> Do yourself and your hand a favor and get a Dakota Jerky Adapter.
> I can do 8# without a reload through my NT horizontal stuffer.
> I can't find any pics, but I sure love mine.
> I got revenge on my oldest son and gave him my Jerky Cannon...:ROTF



Ok, Gunny, that is just cool.  Does it work well?  I'm actaully kinda shopping for a meat grinder, so I may have to look into this thing.


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