Wish me luck boys and girls. I have never ventured off into jerky land before but thanks to my friend NePaS, today I begin the journey. I have 6 pounds of 85/15 ground chuck in the frig. I will mix in the cure/seasoning mix today and form the GB in an 8X8 pan and freeze. Tomorrow, slice thin and into the BDS.
I'm going to do two different batches. Hi-Mountain's hickory and HM cajun style. Will report the results. :P :o :P
KyNola
Good luck KY. Ihave my OBS stuffed with jerky that I marinaded last weekend and did'nt get time to smoke/dry.Here is the smoker out in the cold and rain under the awning/gazebo whatever you call these things. note the awning is full of water.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Picture051.jpg)
I got the racks loaded.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af233/quarlow/Picture049.jpg)
And now we wait.
Don't worry Larry your gonna knock it out of the park!!
The best of luck Ky.
HR
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on October 17, 2009, 08:50:56 AM
Don't worry Larry your gonna knock it out of the park!!
Like 10.5 said.
Thank you all for your encouragement. I asked Jan to come in to measure the dry mix and the water while I was going to mix it into the meat. Next thing I knew I was standing out of the way while Jan went to town doing it all. All I had to do was read the directions to her and she was off to the races. I am SO keeping this woman. :-*
Two 3 pound "cakes" of ground beef all cured and seasoned up and tucked away in the freezer. Tomorrow, out comes the slicer and jerky is on the way.
NePaS, thanks for your tutorial. It makes the process seem very simple. I'm one of those guys who just keeps saying "Man I hope I don't screw this up".
KyNola
Good luck Ky. I boneheaded my $20 worth of meat and it's trash. Check out "A bad start to the day" in general discussions.
Hey Ky, I knoe I have wished you the best of luck, but deep down inside I know that you would not need it. Not with Jan on your side. My friends raved about her rub last Thursday.
HR
Looking good KN Now you just need a cajun jerky recipe and you are set. Nice job.
Here is my favorite jerky recipe here (http://suburb.semo.net/jet1024/recipes/soy-jerky/soy-jerky.html).
John
Made 6.75 of that there recipe today, it's very good. Just took the last of it out of the OBS. Man I wished I would have installed my fan first, I hate rack rotations.
SIA
Ky, results should be in shortly ??? I have never done ground meat jerky butt should get after it someday. looking forward to the report out...
Ky
You will do great with the jerky.
nepas
Quote from: West Coast Kansan on October 17, 2009, 08:19:33 PM
Ky, results should be in shortly ??? I have never done ground meat jerky butt should get after it someday. looking forward to the report out...
If you need a jerky shooter give me a holler. I have an extra one you can have.
KyNola,
I have 11 lbs of meat getting happy right now as well. Doing the whole muscle. I seem to switch off between ground and whole. Just can't decide which is easier to do. :D
Speaking of Jerky, has anyone ever tried to copy a recipe for those Jim Beam flavored Jerkys. I really liked the cracked pepper one, but haven't been able to duplicate it. I did find a site that claims the ingredients are Beef, water brown sugar, salt, black pepper, hydrolyzed soy protein,spices, garlic powder, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Jim Beam Bourbon, sodium erthorbate, and sodium nitrite. It unfortunately doesn't give quantities and doesn't say what the "spices" are. You don't really taste the Jim Beam, but the jerky is really good - but kind of expensive. I was hoping to create my own recipe.
First setback of the maiden voyage. Took the meat out of the freezer after having been in for 18 hours. Not frozen through. >:(
Jan says the error was leaving it in the pans. Took them out of the pans and back into the freezer. Hoping to still get this project done today. GRR!
KyNola
Might not want it frozen completely through Kynola. Will your slicer be able to cut it?
Chris,
My slicer should be able to go through it with little effort. It is one of those 10 inch slicers from Weston that they had to take back from Cabela's due to a "time out" switch preventing it from running more than 20 minutes at a time. They replaced the switches and then sold them online. They were all brand new. I think mine was $80.00. At Cabela's they were retailing for something like $300.00 I think. Somebody posted the info on here and I think various members here pretty much bought them all. By the time I got to them the 12 inchers were already gone.
The meat cakes were soft enough that I was concerned that they might fall apart rather than slicing when going through the slicer. Gonna check them in a couple of hours and hopefully give it another go. More later.
Larry
Larry
In my early early days of making GB jerky (before GB shooters were avail) I made a board with 2 stripas of wood nailed on each side 12" apart. The strips were 1/4" thick. I placed the GB between the strips, covered with plastic wrap and rolled with a wooden rolling pin to flatten the GB between the 2 strips of wood. This gave me a sheet of 1/4" thick GB that i then cut into strips to put in the dehydrator. Your way of using your slicer to make into rounds will work too.
Shout at me if you need a hand.
nepas
NePaS,
Thanks buddy. Can't quite figure this out. Everything else in the freezer is frozen rock solid but for some reason the GB is taking a long time to freeze. Granted there is very little in the freezer and I have been told that a chest type freezer needs mass in it to work to its full potential. I'm blaming it on that. :)
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on October 18, 2009, 02:33:36 PM
NePaS,
Thanks buddy. Can't quite figure this out. Everything else in the freezer is frozen rock solid but for some reason the GB is taking a long time to freeze. Granted there is very little in the freezer and I have been told that a chest type freezer needs mass in it to work to its full potential. I'm blaming it on that. :)
KyNola
Your right. A full freezer works faster.
nepas
I know this won't help you now, but I used to put stacks of newspaper tied together and milk jugs full of water in the freezer when I had to much space. Since then I got a small upright and unplugged the old chest.
Jerky is in the smoker! Fighting a 48 degree ambient temp to maintain the 140-160 box temp. We'll get there.
That Weston slicer went through those blocks like a hot knife through butter.
KyNola
Glad to hear things are looking up for you Ky!
Thanks Hawkeye! Man I hate it when a smoking project gets derailed. It's coming back up to temp now. Will just take a little longer than I had planned for. Looks like I might not be at my best at work tomorrow from a little lack of sleep and an extra Coors Light to get me through the duration.
Today was not a total loss. I have found a website where you watch a lot of sports programming for free so I got to see the Saints beat the Giants today. :D
In the words of those crazy Saints fans "WHO DAT?!"
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on October 18, 2009, 06:16:11 PM
Will just take a little longer than I had planned for. Looks like I might not be at my best at work tomorrow from a little lack of sleep and an extra Coors Light to get me through the duration.
KyNola
Just Blame it on being a Monday. Happy to see things are back on track.
I always do CRG! ;)
How was the wedding and where are the pics of the father of the bride with the beautiful bride on his arm?
KyNola
I think that is next weekend Kynola
Quote from: Tenpoint5 on October 18, 2009, 06:52:43 PM
I think that is next weekend Kynola
Yep, 25th. Be glad when it's over. And I will post a few pics if there are any of me not bawling. lol
Oops, sorry CRG. Looking forward to the pics though.
KyNola
Do you have an eta on the Jerky?
That cold weather finally hit here. was nice today 73 but tonite they are saying mabe as low as 51
CRG,
It's 9:30 where I am. Hoping for 11:00-11:30. Will be rotating racks and bumping the heat per NePaS instructions in about 10 minutes. Holding at 145 currently. Will bump to 160.
If the birth of your first born is any more tedious than my first jerky I'm glad I only have dogs. :D
:Dy :Dola
Well I will say this. My daughter was our first and we were all into natural child birth. La Maze, lay mid-wife with Doctor in attendence, low lite candles, etc.
I birthed my daughter and it was something that still mellows me out today. I cryed worst than she did when I took her in my arms.
Sorry this is about making Jerky.
I'm gonna hang with you for a while and watch your progress.
Just bumped the heat and rotated the racks. I now totally understand Rick's urgency about rotating the racks. The back side of the racks are quite a bit further along than the front side. Learning curve for me but it's still fun. I'm thinking a PID is definitely in my future though.
Great story about your first born CRG. I know it must have been very special for you. Is that the one getting married?
KyNola
Yep, first and only girl. I did that one right, then 3 boys.
I haven't bought a pid either, might ask Santa for one. I've been a good boy this year, I think.
No wait, I might have to get it for myself.
CRG,
remember I said 11:00-11:30? You can forget that. It's 11:00 and it's not even close. This is going to take a while. :P
KyNola
You got enough coors to hang on?
Did you see that Remoulade Marinade post.
That stuff is killer. Just goot find the right thing for it.
The chuck roast with the Remoulade were great, but so was the one I did was a dry rub.
It is a keeper if you like cajun.
Coors is not a problem but getting up tomorrow may be.
I did see the Remoulade beef post. Man that looked great.
Finally got the heat up where it needs to be but if I open the door and rotate the racks it will be back to square one. Gonna take the chance and leave it as is. I would rather overcook a few pieces instead of missing several more hours of sleep.
KyNola
Yeah My little unscheduled power nap during the jerky fiasco told me it is time for a pid also.
Well I think I will wait on a pid till next year. It's takes me a while to learn something new at my age.
Kept calling my new G/F the name of my old G/f for three weeks.
KyNola, have you seen "HI Mountain" jerky cure and seasoning "Cajun Blend"
Half of this batch is exactly that!
KyNola
OK....Kewl (damn whiskey)
GEEZ, right there on the first page. sorry. now I know I want a True Taste test. gotta a Academy bag full of that.
About 3/4 of mine has finished. Just a little bit more. Should completely finished in about 45 minutes or less. I love dehydrators. 8)
Tell the mastermind of Jan's Rub that she's going to the deer camp.
They trapped 11 hogs and are butchered. they saved 6 butts for smokin.
2 are getting her award winning rub.
Thanks CRG. I'll tell her.
Giz, a Cabela 80L is beginning to look awfully good to me right about now. ;)
KyNola
It's done! Didn't have time for pics. It is 1:00AM and I have to get up in about 4 hours or so.
CRG,
The cajun blend has a nice "sneak up on you" sort of kick to it. When you first take a bite you really don't get it. Wait a second and then you go "oh, there it is!".
KyNola
Nite KN, I admire your stay with it.
KY you are absolutely correct about the rub.
Love your dedication.
HR
Ky
You stayed in there with it, I'm sure the jerky is great.
And yeah you would like the 80L, makes doing jerky go allot faster.
nepas
Thanks guys. Man it tastes a whole lot better 6 hours after coming out of the smoker. When it first came out I was concerned that maybe it wasn't as done as it should be as it still seemed a little limber to me but now that it has been out for a while it has firmed up nicely.
NePaS,
I committed a mortal sin in that I put it in the frig overnight. Any suggestions on storage?
KyNola
Good Job Kynola!! Feeling a little rough this morning? Or was it all worth it?
10.5,
All things considered I don't feel all that bad for 57 years old and running on about 4.5 hours sleep. It was definitely worth it. I learned a lot from the first experience and will draw from that in the future. Wish I had been able to get started earlier in the day but that's the way things go sometime. It definitely would have gone a lot quicker if I had not had an ambient temp of 48 that got down to 40 by the time I was done. Everytime I opened the door to rotate the racks the heat inside just plummeted.
Oh well, all's well that ends well and I've got a bunch of jerky to eat on now.
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on October 19, 2009, 05:03:57 AM
Thanks guys. Man it tastes a whole lot better 6 hours after coming out of the smoker. When it first came out I was concerned that maybe it wasn't as done as it should be as it still seemed a little limber to me but now that it has been out for a while it has firmed up nicely.
NePaS,
I committed a mortal sin in that I put it in the frig overnight. Any suggestions on storage?
KyNola
Larry
I store a few different ways.
1. Paper bag (But it can dry the jerky out allot)
2. Plastic or glass jar with holes in the lid
3. Same as #2 but leave it on the counter.
4. Vac bag place in fridge or freeze it.
5. Eat it all and make more :D
Glad it all came out great for you.
nepas
Good luck KyNola!
Once you get the hang of the jerky thang, you'll be doing 30 pounds a month like some of us!
Thanks NePaS. Seems like option #5 would be the best one! :D
FLBR, after fighting the temp swings last night I have started looking at dehydrators this morning. Can't justify the expense of the 180L. Got to convince mama that a dehydrator would be helpful to her too. ;)
KyNola
I used my house oven on convection to dry for while before I bought the 80L.
PS: If she likes candied pineapple, I have a recipe for that in the 80L...
Quote from: KyNola on October 19, 2009, 10:07:46 AM
Thanks NePaS. Seems like option #5 would be the best one! :D
FLBR, after fighting the temp swings last night I have started looking at dehydrators this morning. Can't justify the expense of the 180L. Got to convince mama that a dehydrator would be helpful to her too. ;)
KyNola
I have done option 5 many times :D
nepas
Way to go Ky good on ya.
Ky, even an inexpensive dehydrator will make great jerky. Maybe not as much nor as fast but still great. I have a cheap American Harvest that has turned out some killer jerky! But it only holds about 3 lbs of meat at a time. It all depends on how much you need to do.
Q and Hawkeye,
Thanks guys. Just looking for a way to improve things. Besides, I've wanted a dehydrator for some time. The jerky project could be just enough to push Jan over the edge! ;) :D
KyNola
Quote from: KyNola on October 19, 2009, 06:36:18 PM
Q and Hawkeye,
Thanks guys. Just looking for a way to improve things. Besides, I've wanted a dehydrator for some time. The jerky project could be just enough to push Jan over the edge! ;) :D
KyNola
Hopefully over the edge of allowing you to purchase a dehydrator. I used the cheap round one for many years until the Birthday present arrived. :D
Larry
You can blame it on me buddy :D
nepas
Quote from: KyNola on October 19, 2009, 06:36:18 PM
Besides, I've wanted a dehydrator for some time. The jerky project could be just enough to push Jan over the edge! ;) :D
KyNola
Don't worry Larry I'm in the same boat. Almost got Miss Vicky (Momma) thinking about letting me get one of them 80L's. Just not pushing the envelope real hard yet.
I have the Excalibur 9 rack and can get 10 lb in it with no prob.
I use it all the time to make jerky, some times start in the Bradley then finish in the dehydrator, most times start to finish in the dehydrator.