Beef Jerky

[UncleJak]

Anyone ever make their own jerky? I have made several batches with out a dehydrator. I use my oven on the lowest setting and lay the meat on the racks. Also lay foil in the bottom to catch drippings unless you want an angry wife (I learned the hard way). I used to be a butcher, so i leaned that a bottom round makes pretty good jerky. I cut mine about 1/4 inch thick and marinade overnight in Allegro hot and spicy. I tried the regular Allegro, but it lacks a flavor that will last through the drying process. I set the oven on the lowest setting and after 1 1/2 hours I flipped the jerky. It usually takes about 5-6 hours to get it done. Sometimes I'd flip it again if it looked like it needed it.

I'd love to hear some other recipes, so please share!

[Garufa]

I have made some almost the exact same way you described.

Bought a dehydrator from WalMart several years ago and a beef jerky gun kit that works great. With the jerky gun you use ground beef (96%) lean, mix in the spice packet...then add a little more of this and that, squirt out the meat and dry. Tastes great.

[enfield]

I usually use London Broil when it's on sale for $2.50/lb or so. I marinate the sliced beef overnight in the following marinade and dry it in a dehydrator:

1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp Tabasco, 1-1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash, 1 tsp Liquid Smoke.

It makes very tasty jerky that was really popular when I sent it to Iraq a couple of times.

I buy soy sauce by the gallon at Gordon Food Service.

[Guest cajun600]

been looking for some good / easy recipes, thanks.

[Guest kcb37]

I have done stips years ago. But the past 10 years or so I have had a kit from walmart. Use ground beef and a dry mix. Mix it up, the gun is basically a calk gun. Put it in the dehydrator. Takes about 4 to 6 hours. Just like any beef jerky the leaner the better.

[seez52]

my father in law makes deer jerky that's pretty good. He charges deer hunters some meat in exchange for hunting rights.

[Mike.357]

love the stuff but can't eat it anymore. Gets all jammed up in the toofers.

Kippered beef is real good too and I can eat that. Kind of like pieces of pickled steak.

[Guest kcb37]

Mike you might see if you know someone with a jerky kit like mine. Using ground beef produces (atleast in my experiance) more of a tender or softer jerky. I wouldn't say chewy, but it's not like a strip of meat. It has been a lot time since I have had "real" homemade beef jerky but the store bought I have had that you bite and pull with your head and your hand then it breaks apart and your head hits whatever is behind it.

Guess I just like to be able to easily bite a piece off and chew it without getting a sore jaw.

[UncleJak]

When I prepared some of my bottom round for jerky, I tenderized it before I marinated it. It made it easier to bite and I believe it helped the marinade soak in.

[Timestepper]

I've made jerky using both oven and dehydrator, but I think my favorite way (just 'cause I'm weird like that) is to do it in a more "traditional" manner.

Recipes/marinades are many and varied, so I won't bother to go into that - use whatever is your favorite - I kinda' like just salting my meat lightly a few hours before hand and then using a variety of different woods (hickory, apple, cherry and/or mesquite) to provide the flavor. (Then again, as mentioned before, I like doing things things in a simple and more traditional manner.)

Simple version: Make a tripod from river cane, willow saplings or some other reasonably stout and lightweight green wood. Tie it together with cotton, jute, or other natural fiber cordage (I've even used muscadine vines). The dimensions depend entirely upon the size of the batch you're making. (BTW, This is a great and very simple project to do with kids - they'll remember it for a lifetime, plus you'll be teaching them a potentially very valuable skill.)

Using shorter pieces of the same material, secure the legs together on the outside of the tripod about 12 to 18 inches from the ground. Again using short pieces of the same material, lay a grid-work across the "braces" - with green cane you can actually weave the grid if you want more stability - keep the spaces between your "grid" at about 1 - 2 inches. This is your drying rack. Depending upon the size and height of your tripod, you can actually make a couple of drying racks about a foot apart if you'd like.

Next, dig a shallow (no more than 6 inches deep) hole under your tripod for your fire pit. Besides helping to prevent your fire from spreading, this will also decrease the amount of oxygen available thus increasing the amount of smoke.

Next step is to simply enclose the tripod by draping either a loose-weave canvas or burlap around the sides, leaving one side of the tripod open for access to the fire pit and drying rack(s). If your material is wet, so much the better.

Next step is pretty much a no brainer: Lay your pre-cut meat strips across the drying rack(s), leaving enough space between pieces for the smoke to flow around and saturate the meat, then get a "cool" (low-temperature) fire going in your fire pit. If your primary "smoking wood" is in the form of chips, soak it for thirty minutes before hand. Water works great, but for a nice change of flavor, consider soaking your chips in beer (I use Corona) or even a water/bourbon mix. If using larger chunks, keep a water bottle or canteen handy to occasionally dampen your fire.

Once your racks are loaded and fire going, simply close the flap on that side of the tripod and let the smoke do its thing. Depending upon the thickness of your strips and the temperature of the fire, your jerky will be ready in an hour or two.

Kinda' goes without saying that you should keep half an eye on your "jerky tent" just to make sure that it keeps producing smoke, doesn't get too hot (I've burned a couple of 'em down and lost all my meat). If you're in camp, this is a great time to get caught up on camp chores while staying close enough to keep things regulated.

Again, this is a great backyard and/or camping project to do with kids/grandkids - especially since they get to eat the finished product! (Plus, you can bet that they'll be bragging to all their friends about a really cool woodsman you are!)

Anyway, that's how I do it - Hope someone finds this helpful.

...TS...

[Will H]

Never tried making jerky. I think I will be using this thread very soon. I do have a couple of questions...

What kind of shelf life can you expect from ground beef jerky dried in a dehydrator?

Would this be extended by vacuum sealing it?

Does oven dried jerky have a longer life?

Does steak jerky have a longer life than ground beef jerky?

[Timestepper]

Never tried making jerky. I think I will be using this thread very soon. I do have a couple of questions...

What kind of shelf life can you expect from ground beef jerky dried in a dehydrator?

It varies from a few weeks to several months depending upon several factors, moisture and fat content and storage method being the main ones. (I mention fat content because while a little fat can be crucial to taste, fat also has a tendency to go rancid thereby reducing shelf life.)

Would this be extended by vacuum sealing it?

Yes. And extended further by keeping your vacuum sealed packages in the freezer.

Does oven dried jerky have a longer life?

Not necessarily. Again, it depends primarily upon moisture and fat content and method of storage.

Does steak jerky have a longer life than ground beef jerky?

Generally speaking, yes. But again, it goes to fat and moisture content. Using the leanest cuts of meat (whether beef, pork, venison, turkey, waterfowl, etc...) is usually to be preferred. Keep in mind that the leaner and drier your jerky is, the TOUGHER it will be, BUT the longer shelf life it will have.

If you want something to occasionally snack on, but aren't overly concerned about shelf life, then just reduce your drying time for a moister product. If on the other hand, you're thinking in terms of "survival rations" then by all means, remove as much moisture as possible by extending your drying time and cutting down on the sugars and/or spices in your marinade.

Note that drying time also applies to ground beef: The longer you let it dry, the more fat and moisture will be removed - if you start out with a very lean ground beef (10% fat or less) and occasionally use a paper towel or cheese cloth to "blot up" or absorb the fat/grease that forms on the strips, then you'll eventually wind up with a very lean (and tough or even crumbly) product.

Hope this helped!

...TS...

[Will H]

Yes it did. Thank you. Looks like I have some shopping to do after Christmas. lol

[Timestepper]

Yes it did. Thank you. Looks like I have some shopping to do after Christmas. lol

Saw your post in WD-40's thread about his daughter. You might try the method I mentioned earlier. Maybe make it a "daddy-daughter day" thing and learn together. Your most expensive outlay will be the meat (you can pick up a good canvas drop cloth for enclosing your smoker at Lowe's for just a few bucks). If you already have venison on hand, so much the better.

As for marinade, a very good and very simple one is just a mixture of brown sugar and soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. A little white wine adds great flavor while giving your sugar a medium to dissolve in, but you can also just use warm water.

Generally speaking, a couple handfuls of brown sugar to 2 or 3 tablespoons of Soy/Worcestershire sauce and enough water/wine to dissolve everything is plenty sufficient. Basically, you want just enough marinade to cover your meat. For a simple twist, toss in some Rosemary (either ground or whole leaf) and a little garlic. It's unbelievable how much flavor Rosemary will bring out in meat of almost any kind.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to help in whatever way I can.

...TS...

[Guest FNEG]

Cut meat as desired marinade 12 hours in allergo hot and spicy then dehydrated till done. And enjoy this is my favorite so far

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

[jimic]

jerky wont stay around long enough to go bad..........

[UncleJak]

I agree with the allegro hot spicy. It is my absolute favorite! I am currently working on a recipe for pemmican. It includes ground meat, nuts, and fruit. If I get it tasting right, I will share the recipe.

[Will H]

If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to help in whatever way I can.

...TS...

Thank you. I will certainly do so. Yeah, I think i will have the kiddo help.

[Timestepper]

I agree with the allegro hot spicy. It is my absolute favorite! I am currently working on a recipe for pemmican. It includes ground meat, nuts, and fruit. If I get it tasting right, I will share the recipe.

LOL After extensive experience in making pemmican, I can tell you that if you ever "get it tasting right" it won't be true pemmican anymore. Traditional pemmican is a great survival food and one can eventually get used to the taste, but it's intended purpose was/is to keep you alive, not satisfy your taste buds.

I make mine (or made, since I haven't made a batch in a while) with dried and pounded shredded venison (beef works too, but nutritionally speaking, buffalo is best), dried choke cherries, rosehips (for a super boost of vitamin C) and some fresh dandelion blooms chopped fine and scattered in. I use melted fat to tie the whole mess together and pack/pour it into muffin tins to cool then put it into baggies for storage.

Not much on using nuts simply because, for the most part, it wasn't something that the plains Indians used in any amount (and that's where I learned to make mine), but nuts of any kind generally have a high energy content and strike me as a good addition. (Still won't make it taste good, though. lol)

...TS...

[Guest FNEG]

I agree with the allegro hot spicy. It is my absolute favorite! I am currently working on a recipe for pemmican. It includes ground meat, nuts, and fruit. If I get it tasting right, I will share the recipe.

Lol I didn't realize You posted it in the opening post. Lol but that marinade is like crack I had to stop making 2 batches a week because I was eating it all in a day. 5 pounds is my normal batch.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

[Guest FNEG]

My other recipe is

1 bottle woreshere

1/2 bottle teriaky

1/2 bottle soy sause

1/2 bottle liquid smoke

Tea spoon of garlic powder

Marinade 12 hours

Teaspoon of pepper

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

[Guest FNEG]

The next batch of jerky.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

[Guest ochretoe]

Next time you get an overly dry batch of jerky put it in a food prosseser with apricots or dried cranberries and chop it all together. It is great. If you pack it in a tin and add suet it will be very close to traditional pemican. Freeze the tuns and it will last a long time. The suet ruins the tast but it is more traditional.