Hey folks. I have successfully made muscle jerky thanks to this forum and NePas' recipe's. I have not ventured into GB jerky due to lack of equipment mainly. Well while going through the kitchen, I realized I have a grinder attachment with a sausage stuffer nozzle for my KitchenAid mixer stand. After I read NePas post on the new LEM collars I was wondering if I could somehow use this to make GB jerky? Since I already have it I figured it would be worth a try. Any one have some thoughts on this? Could I make rounded GB jerky and/or flatten it somehow?
Also wondering If I wanted to do jerky sticks in a casing what type of casing do I get? Collagen?
(http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab198/jf7fsu/stuffer.jpg)
There are many ways to make GB jerky. I have used a jelly roll pans to spread out the GB on and then cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Worked but it was a lot of work and wasn't that pretty. Taste wasn't affected by the ugliness. :D You can also spread the GM out on plastic wrap, cover with another layer of plastic wrap and then use a rolling pin to even out the thickness similar to using the jelly roll pans.
You can use the stuffer tube and get the round but the Kitchen Aid is a lot of work to get the meat out of the smaller tube. I have pushed 20 to 30 lbs of ground beef and pork sausage through mine before deciding the 1.5lb jerky canon was better even for sausage. Just received a verticle 5lb stuffer for xmas so that will now take over the sausage duty.
Another method I heard of on here is to mix it all up and pack it in to a cake pan, then freeze it and run it through a meat slicer to get nice sized slices and then smoke or dehydrate however you like. I think it was NePaS that mentioned this.
Thanks for the replies, I guess I should have been more specific. I realize it may not be the best tool for the job, but I was wondering what people thought and whether I could get the job done.
Also, I ususally cure my muscle meat overnight, do you do the same with the GB?
With the KitchenAid stuffer I only used it once, and my arms ached for days. The stuffing tube is so high up, it is difficult to hold my arms up for any length of time. I have seen Alton Brown place his KitchenAid in a double sink. That way the stuffer tube is at counter height and he extruded the sausage in the other side of the sink. I suppose you can use that technique to extruded the jerky onto trays. But it extruded at a very slow rate.
Thanks HS, I was thinking of doing some 17mm snack sticks to foray into GB jerky. Thats a great tip about putting in the sink. I have never used any jerky extruder so I am quite clueless.
Do I need to cure GB jerky mixture overnight as with muscle meat?
I don't make jerky that often. Someone who does will come along with a more definitive answer.
I do make sausage and sticks and if you mix the meat well you don't have to let is rest overnight. If you do let it rest overnight in the refrigerator, it may setup and become somewhat stiff; making it harder for the KitcheAid to extrude the meat mixture.
Use the kitchen aid to grind the meat, mix it by hand and use the cake pan method to get your strips. I used jerkey gun for years and was never very happy with the way the meat came out. Have been packing cake pans, freezing and then slicing the ground mixture the last few times and won't mess with ground jerky any other way any more. I also have tried using a meat grinder to stuff small (19-21 mm) casings and did not have good results, just way too much work. In my opinion, if your going to stuff sausage, get a sausage stuffer.
Just my two cents. Let us know what you do and how it turns out!
The KA is great for grinding but not a good stuffer. Been there done that.
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on January 04, 2010, 01:17:01 PM
The KA is great for grinding but not a good stuffer. Been there done that.
Amen!
:D :D :D
Quote from: Caribou on January 04, 2010, 01:21:30 PM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on January 04, 2010, 01:17:01 PM
The KA is great for grinding but not a good stuffer. Been there done that.
Amen!
:D :D :D
I bought the stuffer attachment for the KA before I heard about this.
Offers, Anyone ?
I'm happy with the grinder for what I need one for.
But when I stuffed 5 pounds of snack sticks with the KA stuffer attachment it took like geologic time.
That's when Nepas told me to get a stuffer and I obeyed :D
Carolyn
Quote from: FLBentRider on January 04, 2010, 02:05:26 PM
Quote from: Caribou on January 04, 2010, 01:21:30 PM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on January 04, 2010, 01:17:01 PM
The KA is great for grinding but not a good stuffer. Been there done that.
Amen!
:D :D :D
I bought the stuffer attachment for the KA before I heard about this.
Offers, Anyone ?
Good luck with that FL ;D
Deb (been there, done that)
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on January 04, 2010, 01:17:01 PM
The KA is great for grinding but not a good stuffer. Been there done that.
If you have a second person helping you it is not that bad. I cannot imagine a time when I wouldn't have a helper when I am stuffing sausage.
I don't own a KA, but this may help you folks that do. If there is a switch on the tool that lets it stay on all the time (like if you pull the plug, then plug it back in it will be on) there is a foot switch sold by LEM that can help. I always have to make sausage alone so what I do is plug my grinder/stuffer into one end of the switch and the other goes into the wall outlet, that way you can operate the grinder/stuffer with your foot and use your hands to control the stuffing.
The KitchenAid standmixer seems to have a safety devise. I store mine in the rear corner of my counter top. So I have to move it to the area I will be working. Often when I move the mixer I will accidentally hit switch and move it to one of the speed settings. If it is in the on position when you plug it in, it will not run. You have to move the switch to the off position, then select your speed.
I think if you could rig the foot pedal to supply some power at all times and not turn it completely off, then maybe the foot pedal could regulate the speed.
Now that's thinking with your thinking cap!