This a great forum for us newbies!! I have used my new DBS 6 rack twice......pork ribs, turkey breast, beef roast and a whole chicken. Yea I know... that's a lot in two tries, but I have to fill those racks!!!
Everything turned out good. I think I succumbed to the rookie mistakes....too much smoke and little too long cooking. I will back off on those. Unfortunately it has been -7C% to -11 C% both times, so keeping the heat consistent was a problem, especially when it was windy.
I am under pressure now from the mother in-law. She wants some beef jerky to take on her annual "snowbird" trip to Florida this winter to share with her friends. Is there a standard process /recipe for making up a batch of beef jerky that will guarantee me a pleasant reunion with her next spring ????
Thanks
Steve
Nepas makes some killer jerky...I'm sure he'll be along shortly!
C
High Mountain makes some excellent spice blends that are darn near impossible to screw up. I perfer the "Original" blend but they have quite a variety to choose from.
You simply slice your raw meat in 1/4" slices, weigh the meat you have sliced, sprinkle both sides of your meat with the appropropriate amount of spice for the weight of your sliced meat, allow it to cure for 24 hours in a closed container in the fridge, smoke for 2 hours at 200-220 deg, ( 6 biscuits), ( I use oak), then either continue at that temperature until the jerky passes your feel right test. This will take another 4 to 6 hours. Or if you have a dehyrator, put it it there after the 2 hours of smoke.
High Mountain proves good directions so you should be ok.
Thats the way I do it and I am sticking to it.
Someone else will come along and give you are the help you want. You may even get some offers to taste test it for you
Nathan
Hi 6rack
what kind of jerky are you wanting to do?
I can give you some marinades that use ingredients you prob have in your kitchen.
You have a smoker, do you have a dehydrator also? I use 4 to 6 wood pucks only. The temp i start at is 155* After the wood has smoked off i bump the heat to 175/180* being careful not to snap out the jerky, you want it bendable. If you have a dehydrator put the jerky in it after the smoke is done. Remember to pre heat your smoker and dehydrator before you add the racks of jerky.
As far as cure goes i dont use it much. Cure is needed for temps of 140* and below or if your dehydrator dont have higher settings. Vent must be full open and no water in the pan.
Alot of forum members use High Mountain, I dont for various reasons. I'm sure you will get lots of tips from great forum members here.
enjoy
nepas
I use Hi Mountain, I appl a few pucks of smoke then into the convection oven to dry.
Here is a basic teriyaki jerky marinade.
1 cup teritaki sauce
1 teasp minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/8 to 1/4 t cure (opt)
1/2 t liquid smoke (opt)
1 lb meat strips
Mix all ingredients (except strips) together, let stand for 30 mins for mix to blend. Add strips to marinade refridge for 1 to 12 hrs in a plastic container. (if you have a Reveo it only takes 20 mins)
Remove from marinade, drain, place on racks and smoke or dehydrate until meat is bendable. This can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.
nepas
T= Tablespoon
t= teaspoon
Thank you everyone for your suggestons. I have a better idea of what to do. The best way to find out is go for it and see what happens.
Nepas;
I was going use a beef round roast..start off easy... all I have is the smoker,no dehydrator...
I will try your recipe and let you know what the outcome is.
I would like to use my own recipes as far as rubs/marinates....not into the store bought stuff...yet.
Thanks
Steve
No problem
nepas
Quote from: 6rack on December 10, 2008, 07:19:48 AM
The best way to find out is go for it and see what happens.
Steve
Steve you have it figured out, just dive right in. Besides Nepas does make some pretty good looking jerky. The saying I like to use is "Even our mistakes still taste good". Besides that. Who gets along with their MIL all the time anyhow? LOL
I'm very new to smoking, but I have say I've had very good luck with the Hi Mountain original jerky seasoning, too.
Made me look like a pro first time around! But I do want to branch out and try some of the recipes mentioned...got to take my training wheels off at some point!
Carolyn
Quote from: Caribou on December 11, 2008, 05:30:12 AM
I'm very new to smoking, but I have say I've had very good luck with the Hi Mountain original jerky seasoning, too.
Made me look like a pro first time around! But I do want to branch out and try some of the recipes mentioned...got to take my training wheels off at some point!
Carolyn
Take them wheels off and gun it ;D
nepas
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on December 09, 2008, 05:57:24 PM
Here is a basic teriyaki jerky marinade.
1 cup teritaki sauce
1 teasp minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/8 to 1/4 t cure (opt)
1/2 t liquid smoke (opt)
1 lb meat strips
Mix all ingredients (except strips) together, let stand for 30 mins for mix to blend. Add strips to marinade refridge for 1 to 12 hrs in a plastic container. (if you have a Reveo it only takes 20 mins)
Remove from marinade, drain, place on racks and smoke or dehydrate until meat is bendable. This can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.
nepas
T= Tablespoon
t= teaspoon
If you are using hamburger meat instead of the meat strips, how is the best way to roll it out and how thick? I saw a gizmo at Bass Pro that looked like a caulking gun that spread it out but before jumping for that I thought I'd ask the pros!
Quote from: AggieBQ72 on December 15, 2008, 05:11:19 PM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on December 09, 2008, 05:57:24 PM
Here is a basic teriyaki jerky marinade.
1 cup teritaki sauce
1 teasp minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1/8 to 1/4 t cure (opt)
1/2 t liquid smoke (opt)
1 lb meat strips
Mix all ingredients (except strips) together, let stand for 30 mins for mix to blend. Add strips to marinade refridge for 1 to 12 hrs in a plastic container. (if you have a Reveo it only takes 20 mins)
Remove from marinade, drain, place on racks and smoke or dehydrate until meat is bendable. This can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.
nepas
T= Tablespoon
t= teaspoon
If you are using hamburger meat instead of the meat strips, how is the best way to roll it out and how thick? I saw a gizmo at Bass Pro that looked like a caulking gun that spread it out but before jumping for that I thought I'd ask the pros!
Just cut the teriyaki to 1/2 to 3/4 cup for 5 lbs of gb. yes the gizmo you seen is for extruding gb for jerky.
nepas
Quote from: AggieBQ72 on December 15, 2008, 05:11:19 PM
I saw a gizmo at Bass Pro that looked like a caulking gun that spread it out but before jumping for that I thought I'd ask the pros!
No it wasn't me. I haven't been in a Bass Pro shop in years. Honest. ;D
I have a jerky shooter and it works well. I never had a problem with gnd meat jerky coming out.
I even use it to stuff ABT's as long as the filling is not too thick. If it is too thick I nuke it to loosen it up and it works great. You can get these almost any where.
BTW, I never seen Gizmo at BPS either. ;D
Bass Pro Shop?
Whats that :D
nepas
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on December 16, 2008, 07:18:46 AM
Bass Pro Shop?
Whats that :D
nepas
That is all we have in the South... Although now we have a Gander Mtn.
I would rather have a Cabelas.
Would parchment paper work in a pinch if I dont feel like waiting for jerky screens to show up? If not any other suggestions?
There are many ways to make jerky, but I settled in on what I believe to be one of the best ways. The meat I use makes it kind of expensive, but well worth it.
Use a good quality Choice Flank Steak (cut WITH the grain about 1/3 inch thick). You won't need jerky screens either.
Use whatever salty wet brine you want and brine it overnight. I always use soy sauce in my brine.
Follow a typical smoking recipe and take the jerky out of the smoker when the meat still gives a little when you poke it with your finger. Remember, it will firm up even more after it cools. I keep mine in the refrigerator.
I've been using flank steak for a while now. Funny thing... I was watching Alton Brown (Food TV guy). He was going over the different types of beef you could use to make jerky. He picked flank steak as the very best type of meat to use.
Try it. You won't be disappointed.
I went down the flank steak road. I bought a cryovac pack of them @ Sams. The quality was not what I expected. The meat was hard to work with compared to round. I buy round now, partially freeze and cut against the grain.
The flank was ok, but our family likes the round better. To each their own.
Quote from: FLBentRider on January 13, 2009, 04:56:41 PM
I went down the flank steak road. I bought a cryovac pack of them @ Sams. The quality was not what I expected. The meat was hard to work with compared to round. I buy round now, partially freeze and cut against the grain.
The flank was ok, but our family likes the round better. To each their own.
Interesting. Did you cut the flank with, or against the grain?
Some of both.
6rack,
You've got some great ideas from some of the best here. My personal opinion is..., if you want ease and simplicity, go with the Jerky Cannon, (That's the device that looks like a caulking gun) and use Hi-Mtn seasonings. It doesn't get much easier than that, and I've had great results. I have to admit that I love the "chewiness" of whole muscle meat that is thin sliced, marinated, then dried, but I've found that using ground meat and the "Cannon" is much less time-consuming, and still yields great results.
Hi-Mtn gives great instructions with their seasonings, and there is a multitude of flavors to choose from. My personal favorites are Hickory, and Inferno Blend. Give em a try if you get the chance.
Jeff
Can you grind up any kind of meat to use in the gun? Seems like it would be less time consuming that slicing but would it taste the same.
I'm wondering how brisket jerky would taste or would it by not much different after the seasoning?
Brisket Lover,
You can use any type of ground meat..., however, your final fat content is critical. I use 90% lean ground meat ONLY. If you use anything less than 90%, you run the risk of a huge mess, and if using a bottom heated device (like the Bradley), you can also run the risk of a grease fire.
Many of my friends use ground venison. I've tried it numerous times, but have found that it can be very easy to "overdry." When I do venison now, I use half venison and half 90% ground beef.
Hi-mtn spices actually make jerky spices for turkey, and some other wild game. My guess is that you can make your ground jerky out of just about anything, but your overall drying time, and particularly your fat content will be your biggest variables.
Good Luck,
Jeff
Thanks Jeff, I'll start off with 90% ground beef and go from there. Appreciate the tips.
Glad I could finally provide some assistance here. I'm usually the one asking for it. Not sure if you have a Sam's Club near you, but that's where I get my 90% from. Last case I bought was about $135 for 80 lbs. I have been going through about 5 - 6 cases per year.
Best of Luck, and let us know how it turns out.
Jeff
Do you freeze it then thaw it? Ill be close to a Sams next week so that is an idea.
Since the Hi-Mtn spice mix packs that I use are for 15 lbs. of meat, what I do is cut each 10 lb. tube of meat in half. I leave however much meat that I need for jerky out, and freeze the rest. I use a bit of plastic wrap over the end of the cut tube, and seal with a rubber band.
If you've got a chest freezer, leave the tubes whole. I've mixed meat, used my jerky shooter to fill my dehydrator, and then re-froze the leftover meat. One of my last endeavours was a mix of that leftover meat which included Inferno Blend, Mesquite, Hickory, and Mandarin Teriyaki. It made some awesome jerky. Once it's got the cure into it, refreezing doesn't become an issue.
Shootin' the ground meat works well for me.
Quote from: Doctor Woody on January 13, 2009, 01:20:03 PM
There are many ways to make jerky, but I settled in on what I believe to be one of the best ways. The meat I use makes it kind of expensive, but well worth it.
Use a good quality Choice Flank Steak (cut WITH the grain about 1/3 inch thick). You won't need jerky screens either.
Use whatever salty wet brine you want and brine it overnight. I always use soy sauce in my brine.
Follow a typical smoking recipe and take the jerky out of the smoker when the meat still gives a little when you poke it with your finger. Remember, it will firm up even more after it cools. I keep mine in the refrigerator.
I've been using flank steak for a while now. Funny thing... I was watching Alton Brown (Food TV guy). He was going over the different types of beef you could use to make jerky. He picked flank steak as the very best type of meat to use.
Try it. You won't be disappointed.
I gotta agree with FL here, For a true "tough" jerky I use flank steak and cut with the grain. The rest of my family likes the round better.
Once I sliced it a little thin, the fam called them "meat crackers"
So my I have a dehydrator now. I have some ground turkey and the nesco cure and spices that came with the dehydrator. I was thinking an hour of smoke then into the dehydrator. From what I read 160 or so is good for ground beef, but how about turkey?
Quote from: brisket_lover on February 10, 2009, 05:49:59 PM
So my I have a dehydrator now. I have some ground turkey and the nesco cure and spices that came with the dehydrator. I was thinking an hour of smoke then into the dehydrator. From what I read 160 or so is good for ground beef, but how about turkey?
Turkey will take the smoke faster than the beef. I did chicken jerky not long ago and 1 hour of smoke was plenty. You'll be fine.
After the smoke set your dehydrator to 150*, you can always bump it up, fowl dries quicker than beef because there is less fat. It will also be kinda brittle but not to worry ;D
nepas
thanks Nepas, can I use parchment paper since I dont have jerky screens?
Quote from: brisket_lover on February 10, 2009, 06:02:37 PM
thanks Nepas, can I use parchment paper since I dont have jerky screens?
you have a nesco?
are the racks with the little slats, parchment wont let the bottom get done, air needs to completly circulate around the meat.
nepas
Sorry I meant on the smoker.
Quote from: brisket_lover on February 10, 2009, 06:06:50 PM
Sorry I meant on the smoker.
Hmmmm i dont think i would use parchment because its turkey, you might be calling trouble. Do you have any sorts wired small cooling racks that might fit.
nepas
I'll look around and see what I can find. I was hoping it would work for ground meat.
I just downloaded the manual because the nesco didn't come with one and it says "When making jerky from pork, chicken or turkey, use precooked and processed meat." Now doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? How do you make jerky when it has already been cooked. Maybe I'll just use beef instead.
you'll prob be ok with GM using parchment.
nepas
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on February 10, 2009, 06:36:11 PM
you'll prob be ok with GM using parchment.
nepas
As in ground beef though not ground turkey, pork, chicken right?
Quote from: brisket_lover on February 10, 2009, 07:47:06 PM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on February 10, 2009, 06:36:11 PM
you'll prob be ok with GM using parchment.
nepas
As in ground beef though not ground turkey, pork, chicken right?
Correct.
With the beef you will be ok with the parchment, just check it every so often. Once the GM strips are getting firmer you can take the parchment out and the strips will set on the racks ok.
nepas
Thanks, that won't be hard, after an hour of smoke I will move it onto the Nesco. Going to pick up some lean gb today hopefully and make some on Friday.
Quote from: brisket_lover on February 11, 2009, 05:59:09 AM
Thanks, that won't be hard, after an hour of smoke I will move it onto the Nesco. Going to pick up some lean gb today hopefully and make some on Friday.
Great
Your on the right trail now. Take some pics if you can. I am going to do some venison jerky today.
nepas
So Ive got some ground beef going in the Nesco. Getting close to the 4 hour mark and it looks to be close to done. How do you know for sure when it is done? I know it will come with experience but seeing how this is my first time I wanted a little advice.
When I take it out of the Nesco should I layer it in paper towels and leave it out, put it in the fridge, or just pack it up in a bag and throw it in the cabinet?