Help steer me in the right direction!

[chiroken]

Hello everyone, new here tonight, my DBS is hopefully to be used for the first time soon (finally out of the box at least). I've been cruising previous posts and have a few questions...

I want to make beef jerky (never have), any types of cuts that are best, or to stay away from? Do you cut up roasts or certain types of steaks?

Cures...any Canadian brothers out there to point me to which retailers carry them? I'm not in a huge city.

I haven't yet found a section where different jerky recipes are...is there such a section? (also looking for smoked salmon and candied salmon recipies)

How often to spin and rotate the shelves?

Temperature: start at 140^, increase 10^/hr but not over 180^ until bendy but not snappy. Seems to be accepted protocol.

Is there a most common 1 or 2 flavour bisquettes to use? I just bought a 60 variety pack.

I also bought the 2nd set of racks, can I also smoke salmon at the same time or is this breaking some cardinal rule (and perhaps offending you jerky folk!)?

Thanks in advance,

Ken

[RAF128]

Welcome.     Recipes can be found at http://www.susanminor.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?180-Our-Time-Tested-and-Proven-Recipes.   There's plenty of different ones.
There are plenty of thing you can put in the smoker at the same time but IMO jerky and salmon aren't one of them.   As far as meat for jerky any lean cut.   I make most of mine out of deer meat.   Have done some moose and elk.   You can also make jerky out of ground meat.    I have made jerky out of recipies but I found easier to buy a kit with all the spices in it and the instructions.    The one I use most is made by Hi Mountain.

[classicrockgriller]

chiroken, Welcome to the Forum!

[BigJohnT]

Ken,

Welcome to the forum.

My favorite cut of meat for jerky is eye of round. I trim all the fat split it into two pieces then par freeze it for a couple of hours then slice it up. If I'm not ready to make jerky I just vacuum seal it and toss into the freezer.

My favorite recipe is at my web site in the food section (JT's Place).

John

[KevinG]

Here's what I do with mine and it's great everytime!

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12124.0

[RossP]

Welcome Ken, what part of this great country are you
from? A good place to get your supplies in Canada from
is Stuffers ( http://www.stuffers.com/ ) a local company
here on the west coast in BC.

Ross

[chiroken]

Thanks for the replies, I've been sorting through the links looking at some recipes. Couldn't find any recipes at one link provided, just product for retail?

I'm on Vancouver Island, Comox Valley. Haven't heard of stuffers but will check them out.

[Quarlow]

Welcome chiroken. You have a few of us locals around here. I am in Surrey and RossP is from langley. There are a couple of guys on the island too. This is a recipe from one of the guys on here that looks pretty good. I haven't tried it yet but I will. If you try it let us know how it turns out.

Smokey Stick's BBQ Jerky Recipe

Ingredients:
•1 pound very Lean round or flank steak
•4 tablespoons Soy sauce
•4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
•1 tablespoon Ketchup
•1/4 teaspoon Pepper (more pepper for hotter jerky)
•1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
•1/4 teaspoon Onion salt
•1/2 teaspoon Salt

Directions:
Remove fat from meat and place [meat] in freezer. When semi-frozen,
it is easily cut into 3/8- or 1/4-inch strips (the thinner the slices,
the faster the drying). Note: meat cut with grain will be chewy,
against grain, tender.

Combine everything in large bowl. Marinate meat 1 hour with sauce in
refrigerator, then drain in colander. Place meat on cookie sheets to dry.

For fastest drying do not overlap meat and turn at least once during drying.
Dry in 145C-degree oven for 8 to 10 hours on cookie sheets. It is ready when
it bends like a green willow without breaking. Refrigerate for long-term
storage.

From the website "smokeysticks.com"

[Quarlow]

Oh yeah my go to cut is also "Eye of Round". I am actually doing about 10 lbs of deer and moose eye of round tomorrow.

[KevinG]

Oh yeah my go to cut is also "Eye of Round". I am actually doing about 10 lbs of deer and moose eye of round tomorrow.

You bragging or complaining.  ;D

[Quarlow]

Welcome chiroken. You have a few of us locals around here. I am in Surrey and RossP is from langley. There are a couple of guys on the island too. This is a recipe from one of the guys on here that looks pretty good. I haven't tried it yet but I will. If you try it let us know how it turns out.

Smokey Stick's BBQ Jerky Recipe

Ingredients:
•1 pound very Lean round or flank steak
•4 tablespoons Soy sauce
•4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
•1 tablespoon Ketchup
•1/4 teaspoon Pepper (more pepper for hotter jerky)
•1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
•1/4 teaspoon Onion salt
•1/2 teaspoon Salt

Directions:
Remove fat from meat and place [meat] in freezer. When semi-frozen,
it is easily cut into 3/8- or 1/4-inch strips (the thinner the slices,
the faster the drying). Note: meat cut with grain will be chewy,
against grain, tender.

Combine everything in large bowl. Marinate meat 1 hour with sauce in
refrigerator, then drain in colander.
Smoke as you would an meat.

It is ready when it bends like a green willow without breaking. Refrigerate for long-term
storage.

From the website "smokeysticks.com"

Ok I had only read the recipe on this so it is obviously meant for drying meat not smoking but just do as you would any smoked jerky and leave out the drying part. In fact I will edit here.

[chiroken]

About drying the meat pre-smoking.... I am sometimes seeing this step, sometimes not. After marinating the meat does it need to be laid out to just drip dry or does it need to be laid out (at room temp I assume) until the marinade has actually dried before it is added to the smoker? And can this be done by just laying the meat right onto the smoker trays and then just slipping the trays in once the smoker is pre-heated?

Hoping that next weekend is the 1st run...drooling already. Gotta track down local cure...

[chiroken]

You have a few of us locals around here. I am in Surrey and RossP is from langley. There are a couple of guys on the island too.

Any larger retail stores around here where I might find these products for purchase for my first time around? Stuffer's wouldn't get here in time for when I want to smoke. They do have some tasty looking marinades though ;) Canadian Tire, Walmart any store like this carry stuff?

Thanks

[Quarlow]

I just put 8 lbs in marinade. I did my own marinades so now I have (4) 2 lb bags of different flavours. I just looked in the fridge and pantry and started mixing. One has Worchestishire,soya sauce,BBQ sauce,brown sugar, kosher salt and garlic powder. Another one has BBQ sauce, brown sugar,soya sauce,lemon juice, kosher salt. Another has brown sugar, Teriyaki sauce lime juice,plum sauce, corn syrup. And the last one has Frank's chili lime sauce, HP saucegarlic powder, lime juice and sriachi hot sauce. I just taste it before I put it on the meat to see if I like it, if not I start adjusting.

[RossP]

OK Quarlow I am driving around Surrey on Saturday with the windows open
smelling for smoke., I will find you and have soem of that Jerky ;) Sounds
real good buddy.

Ross