I picked up ten pounds of lean top round recently. After chilling them well to near frozen, I sliced the lot into approximately 1/8-1/4" wide strips—depending on how distracted I was during the slicing.
I decided to make two flavors—a basic black pepper jerky (my son's favorite), and teriyaki.
Here are the recipes I followed. You can use regular soy sauce. We're a gluten-free household so the GF soy sauce ($$) is what I used.
Basic Black Pepper Jerky Marinade
for 5lbs meat
8 oz Gluten-free Soy Sauce
2 oz Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbl Fresh coarse-ground black pepper (Tellicherry preferred)
1 Tbl Garlic powder (or 3 fresh garlic cloves, finely chopped)
1 tsp Cayenne (optional)
1 tsp (level) Cure#1
1 tsp Liquid Smoke (I didn't use this as I plan on smoking the beef)
Teriyaki Jerky Marinade
for 5lbs meat
10 oz Gluten-free Soy sauce
4 oz Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbl chopped garlic
2 tsp fresh black pepper
8 oz Dark Brown sugar
2 tsp fresh chopped Ginger
3 finely-chopped Scallions (white & green parts)
2 tsp -1 Tbl Sesame oil (potent, so use to taste)
1 tsp (level) Cure#1
I mixed in the meat in two bowls with the ingredients, and bagged them in zip-loc freezer bags. Squeezed out the excess air and these will both reside in my fridge for the next two days. Then it's off to the smoker with them on Monday.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Smaller%20Stix%20Pix/jrky_prep_zps5baa5955.jpg)
After almost two days of marinade, time to hang the meats pieces for the smoker. Using the tried & true wooden toothpick method, I managed to get all 10 pound onto a single rack. This was my preference (vs multi-rack) in order to get a consistent temp for the duration.
Hanging for the first hour or so with no smoke @ 150°F to dry off the excess moisture before applying smoke.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Smaller%20Stix%20Pix/Jerky_hanging_sml_zps79ef25e4.jpg)
Using a maple/hickory blend of dust, I applied light smoke for the next 3-4 hours.
Here's a shot about 2 hours into the smoke application...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Smaller%20Stix%20Pix/jerky_2hrs_sml_zps1eb17a1b.jpg)
After nearly 5 hours @ 150°F I did a test-pull and the jerky looks & feels just about right...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Smaller%20Stix%20Pix/jerky_5hrs_sml_zpsf8fb197d.jpg)
Good color & texture. Tens pounds of beef yielded just a bit over 5 pounds of jerky. Here's samples side by side...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Smaller%20Stix%20Pix/Jerky_plate_sml_zps548e328c.jpg)
The teriyaki jerky has a touch of garlicky sweetness (almost a tang) & just the right amount of saltiness...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Smaller%20Stix%20Pix/Jerky_teriyaki_sml_zps1c8a94f2.jpg)
The black pepper jerky has a great 'basic' jerky flavor, with a bit of heat provided by the coarse-ground peppercorns...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Smaller%20Stix%20Pix/Jerky_BlkPepper_sml_zpsbe1d6e09.jpg)
Most importantly, all the boys seem to like both types, so I'm a happy jerky-maker! :)
Kevin
Pass the Black Pepper Jerky to me!
That is a thing of beauty.
Them boys are SPOILED eatin' your groceries.
Right there with you CRG - a hunk of that black pepper jerky would taste mighty good about 9:00 when I'm starting to get weak from lack of food! a.m. - p.m. - it don't matter - both count!
It is almost 9 and I could use some of that jerky!!! I will agree, black pepper for me.
What they said!
Looks good Kevin
Wow - that looks great! Making me think I should make a Costco run and try out your recipes.
Thanks for sharing! :D
Mark (in Ottawa)
Dumb question from me, but what is the Cure #1 you refer to in your recipe? Thanks!
Quote from: Hud1952 on April 07, 2013, 12:26:29 PM
Dumb question from me, but what is the Cure #1 you refer to in your recipe? Thanks!
Cure#1 mentioned is the 'pink salt' we know as
sodium nitrite. Available online from sausage supply shops (such as Butcher & Packer).
Essential for cold or hot smoking & curing meat products. Not to be confused with Cure#2.
More information to be found here:
http://www.wedlinydomowe.com/sausage-making/curing
http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/lit_rev/cure_smoke_cure.html
Always recommended to read up on curing, the use of different cures, the risks and benefits before using these products to ensure safe results.
Kevin
Great looking jerky Kevin. I think I will run to Costco and buy me some beef and try your recipes. What is your tried and true toothpick method?
Quote from: fuzzy1 on April 16, 2013, 09:14:04 AM
Great looking jerky Kevin. I think I will run to Costco and buy me some beef and try your recipes. What is your tried and true toothpick method?
The toothpick is when you put a toothpick through the meat and hang the meat through the rack. See pic above. You can get alot of meat on one rack this way. I used this method all the time when I made jerky in the home over. This doesn't work with bradley rack with the squares in it.
Quote from: anthony on April 16, 2013, 11:35:35 AM
Quote from: fuzzy1 on April 16, 2013, 09:14:04 AM
Great looking jerky Kevin. I think I will run to Costco and buy me some beef and try your recipes. What is your tried and true toothpick method?
The toothpick is when you put a toothpick through the meat and hang the meat through the rack. See pic above. You can get alot of meat on one rack this way. I used this method all the time when I made jerky in the home over. This doesn't work with bradley rack with the squares in it.
You can use paper clips bent to hand the meat using the bradley racks ;)
I was licking my phone Kevin when i saw the pics! Great job i love makeing jerky !!
Thanks for posting this Kevin, I'm going to slice up 5 pounds of eye of round this afternoon and use your Teriyaki marinade as the base for mine. I'm going to wait for the pepper until it's out of the marinade and on the racks I saw that in another post and tried it on my first batch and it seemed to work real good.
CURES - Cures are used in sausage products for color and flavor development as well as retarding the development of bacteria in
the low temperature environment of smoked meats.
Salt and sugar both cure meat by osmosis. In addition to drawing the water from the food, they dehydrate and kill the bacteria that make food spoil. In general, though, use of the word "cure" refers to processing the meat with either sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate.
The primary and most important reason to use cures is to prevent BOTULISM POISONING (Food poisoning). It is very important that any kind of meat or sausage that will be cooked and smoked at low temperature be cured. To trigger botulism poisoning, the requirements are quite simple - lack of oxygen, the presence of moisture, and temperatures in range of 40-140° F. When smoking meats, the heat and smoke eliminates the oxygen. The meats have moisture and are traditionally smoked and cooked in the low ranges of 90 to 185° F. As you can see, these are ideal conditions for food poisoning if you don't use cures. There are two types of commercially used cures.
Prague Powder #1
Also called Insta-Cure and Modern Cure. Cures are used to prevent meats from spoiling when being cooked or smoked at low temperatures (under 200 degrees F). This cure is 1 part sodium nitrite (6.25%) and 16 parts salt (93.75%) and are combined and crystallized to assure even distribution. As the meat temperate rises during processing, the sodium nitrite changes to nitric oxide and starts to 'gas out' at about 130 degrees F. After the smoking /cooking process is complete only about 10-20% of the original nitrite remains. As the product is stored and later reheated for consumption, the decline of nitrite continues. 4 ounces of Prague powder #1 is required to cure 100 lbs of meat. A more typical measurement for home use is 1 level tsp per 5 lbs of meat. Mix with cold water, then mix into meat like you would mix seasonings into meat.
Prague Powder #2
Used to dry-cure products. Prague powder #2 is a mixture of 1 part sodium nitrite, .64 parts sodium nitrate and 16 parts salt. (1 oz. of sodium nitrite with .64 oz. of sodium nitrate to each lb. of salt.)
It is primarily used in dry-curing Use with products that do not require cooking, smoking, or refrigeration. This cure, which is sodium nitrate, acts like a time release, slowly breaking down into sodium nitrite, then into nitric oxide. This allows you to dry cure products that take much longer to cure. A cure with sodium nitrite would dissipate too quickly.
Use 1 oz. of cure for 25 lbs. of meat or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5 lbs. of meat when mixing with meat.
When using a cure in a brine solution, follow a recipe.
Jerky gurus -
On my initial jerky try, I relied on this thread for basics - lightly freeze the meat before slicing, toothpick method, etc. I used AC Legg's cajun jerky seasoning. It was fantastic - I need to tinker with thickness of the meat a bit and smoke/dehydrator time (I bought a LEM dehydrator this spring and it's never left the box.
Legg's instructions/times are based on using a vacuum tumbler for a total of 25 minutes (!) before moving to dehydrator. I don't have a tumbler and noticed that Kevin left his meat in for 48 hours.
Does anyone have a recommendation on minimum/maximum times to leave in? Has anyone rinsed after removing from the marinade?
Thanks!
Great photos and instructions...I see a new project looming!
good looking jerky
Quote from: Redneckinthecity on October 25, 2014, 06:18:37 PM
Jerky gurus -
On my initial jerky try, I relied on this thread for basics - lightly freeze the meat before slicing, toothpick method, etc. I used AC Legg's cajun jerky seasoning. It was fantastic - I need to tinker with thickness of the meat a bit and smoke/dehydrator time (I bought a LEM dehydrator this spring and it's never left the box.
Legg's instructions/times are based on using a vacuum tumbler for a total of 25 minutes (!) before moving to dehydrator. I don't have a tumbler and noticed that Kevin left his meat in for 48 hours.
Does anyone have a recommendation on minimum/maximum times to leave in? Has anyone rinsed after removing from the marinade?
Thanks!
Don't think I would rinse after marinating. I almost always finish my jerky in my dehydrator after smoking for 2 to 2.5 hours. I lay my jerky on frogmats in the smoker then when I transfer it to the dehydrator I just slide the mats from the smoker racks to the dehydrator racks. Usually around 3-4 additional hours in the dehydrator after the smoker and it comes out perfect.
I'm definitly gonna have to try the black pepper jerky, and maybe a siracha jerky.
Kevin, I'm trying to find racks like yours for my BDS. Please tell me where you bought yours. Thanks
After a nearly 18 month layoff from all things meat-smoking and sausage-making related, its time to get back at it....
I decided to make another batch of this jerky using the same recipe I posted back in March of 2013.
10 pounds of beef round, thinly sliced and marinated in two separate batches: black pepper and teriyaki. After about 3 days, I puled the beef from the marinade, hung it on the racks and placed it into the smoker. 150°F heat (no smoke) for the first hour; then applied smoke with the A-maze-N tube using the 'pitmaster's blend.' After almost six hours, the jerky had the right 'feel' and so O pulled it from the smoker. I placed it all in the fridge to 'mellow' for a day or two before putting the two types of jerky in containers.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/1941%20Aristocrat/2%20JERKYS_smoker_zpsvlvgjzyk.jpg)
Ready for both eating and packing.... :) Plenty of 'heat' on the black pepper. The teriyaki was spicy and not overly sweet. BOTH were quite smokey-tasting! :)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/1941%20Aristocrat/2%20JERKYS_zpsumflt4dl.jpg)
Took a couple of containers to the office to share....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/1941%20Aristocrat/jerky_bucket_zpsn6wqeehr.jpg)
Kev, that's called "Black Gold"!
so, for the toothpicks or paperclips, do you stand there with the door open hanging slices one by one. What does that do for the pre-heat? Or do you have a something to hold the racks while you load out side the smoker?
Well Welcome to the Bradley Forum dasboat, take lots of pictures and post them so we can all drool over them :)