About the time he started making summer sausage, my Dad began making deer jerky. Muscle meat, cut with the grain, seasoned and dried in the oven on low with the door cracked. Standard jerky. We all loved it, but he thought it was too hard to chew. He used the phrase, "like chewing on a paint brush". I don't know if jerky blasters were around in the early 80's, but if they were, he didn't own one.
So...he ground up the meat, seasoned it, then stuffed it into sausage casings. He then cut "wafers" which he dried in the oven. It was lots easier to chew and tasted just the same. Success!
Fast forward to 2013. Thought I'd make some of his wafers. I didn't want to waste deer meat in case I botched it, so I bought 5 lbs of top round, cubed it and ground it coarse. I added:
12 oz Smoking Gun Jerky marinade
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cure #1 dissolved in 1/4 cup distilled water
Mixed everything well by hand and zip locked it for an overnight stay in the frig. The next day, I stuffed it into 3" casings.
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After about 3 hours in the freezer to firm up, I sliced the chubs into wafers and removed the casing.
(http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y510/Banset1/19c048ac-b9f6-464e-885c-73e2c4f64318_zpsca9e544b.jpg)
Then into the dehydrators. Took about 7 hours.
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The result, uniform, little jerky wafers.
(http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y510/Banset1/ee43ad30-c078-4f6c-abdb-a34d071feb93_zps935c9171.jpg)
Decided to vac seal some and hide it in the back of the freezer to make sure I had some for the upcoming turkey season.
(http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y510/Banset1/cec5352c-2778-48c7-9c8f-b7840e80495c_zps7e9960c1.jpg)
I never have to worry about jerky going bad, it doesn't last long enough! Thanks for looking!
Jerky Pucks, not to be confused with wood pucks or bubba pucks (aluminum). ;D
Love it.
Very cool!
That's a good idear there
FANTASTIC IDEA!!!!!
Consider this one stolen!!!!!! 8)
Nice job have to try it thanks :)
Guess there is more than a few ways to make jerky. Great idea!
I like it. Different :)
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Very nice and easy to take out on walks, hunting, fishing.
Now thats a slick idea!!
Kool idea! That's a must try for sure.
Brilliant!!
That is a great idea. Thanks for the post!
That makes a lot of sense - will have to give that a try some day just to compare it to the jerky gun.
Thanks!
Mark (in Ottawa)
Good idea, I will have to try.
Ragweed, I do the same. But instead of stuffing, I just roll a log of seasoned meat in aluminum foil, freeze till firm remove foil, slice, and dehydrate. Saves time by not having to use the stuffer.
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