ground meat jerky, sticks, & questions on the art of jerky ;)

[emevol]

Hi everyone!I am looking to make mostly ground meat jerky and even some snack sticks for when I go away! (Especially after I saw some of the pics on this msg board....yum)...some questions from a newbie!

Do you absolutely have to cure or marinate ground beef before making it into jerky?
Do you vacuum seal your jerky and freeze it for months on end or what?

Is there anything more efficient than the jerky gun/jerky cannon for making ground-meat jerky in quantity? Seems kinda time consuming to use a gun that may/may not work...Has anyone tried that LEM jerky/snack tick maker or can you recommend something else?

I have heard some good stuff about the LEM dehyrdator and even Cabela's...anyone have a dehydrator they swear by?

Do most of you guys smoke your jerky for a few hours and then finish it in a dehydrator, or do you just smoke it for the entire cooking time?

And hey, may sound strange, but anyone here ever make ground jerky with meat and veggies......or meat and organs? Is this possible?

Thanks so much. No, seriously. :D

[FLBentRider]

W E L C O M E  to the Forum emevol!

Because Jerky is cooked (smoked and/or dried in conditions that can lead to the growth of the microbe that causes botulisum, it should be cured.

I make muscle meat jerky, I can't help you with the ground meat jerky cannon.

I keep my jerky in the refrigerator after I make it. It lasts for maybe a week or two before it disappears.

Sometimes I smoke it first, and then into the dehydrator, other times it goes into the dehydrator with no smoke.

[NePaSmoKer]

Hi emevol and welcome to the forum.

To answer some of your questions.

You really only need to cure if the temp your going to start with is 140* or below. Allot of forum members use Hi Mountain seasoning for their jerky. You can use HM for strip or GB jerky. As for vac sealing that's a good idea and then wrap that in foil for the freezer. But just for eating a zip lock baggy is cool.

If your going to make small batches of GB jerky a jerky shooter (cannon) like a caulking gun is good. The LEM shooter is good, lots of different kinds of shooters out there.

I have a Cabelas 80L dehydrator. I have had many and its the best I have used.

When i smoke jerky i only put 3 to 5 pucks of smoke to it then into the dehydrator to finish. If you do the jerky the entire time in the smoker just watch your temps. Have your vent full open and no water in the pan. If your jerky is bendable its just about done. If its dry and whiteish and snaps its over done.

I have an Amish friend who taught me to put finished jerky in a brown paper bag for a few hours before you zip lock baggy it.

Hope this helps some

nepas

[emevol]

Thanks for welcoming me, Nepa and FLBent!

I ordered some seasoning, but I may even try making my own. :) Gotta research some spice blends! I wanna make something kinda curry-cumin-like! Hahaa...spicy!!!!

Is the process of curing and marinating the same? If I intend on starting at 145, do I need to do either?

To prevent microbes, what are the bare minimum ingredients necessary?
I guess I also want making some simple jerky for a friend...but I think his diet maintains that he has to do without salt, sugar, soy sauce, etc. Suggestions?

And for smoking it, do you have to use the pucks? Can you use other typs of wood chips?

[josbocc]

emevol,

FLBent and NePas have you pointed in the right direction.  To answer some of your other questions..., I don't know of any type of jerky that doesn't use salt, or some type of derivative of it.  You might want to do some research to see if there is an alternative (at least one that gives you some flavor  8) ).

The jerky cannon is what I use.  I bought two extra barrels so that I'm not constantly reloading.  I also use the twin tip, shoots two strips at once.  LEM stole my idea of a cordless, battery operated jerky gun..., but at $500 you'd have to make a ton of jerky to justify the cost.  I'm thinking about purchasing a LEM grinder with the meat patty, snack stick, and jerky strip adapter, but again, a little more $$$ than I'm ready to spend right now.

LEM's dehydrator is OK.  I have the 10 tray stainless model, and it works well, but once the meat starts to dry, it's about as noisy as a busted chainsaw.  I had the Excalibur 9 tray, and really liked that.  I think I will eventually follow NePas' lead, and get a Cabelas model. 

If you like it spicy, try Hi-Mtn's Inferno Blend.  Don't let the name scare you, it's good and hot, but not offensive.  Mt favorite spice mix by far.

Last but not least, make sure you come back here often.  There's lots of great advice, no criticism, and never a stupid question.

Jeff

[NePaSmoKer]

That's right like josbocc said. There's lots of great advice, no criticism, and never a stupid question.

I been smoking and making jerky for 30 years and the Bradley has been the best smoker I have used. I also have a Traeger and when used together the combo cant be beat.

nepas

[FLBentRider]

I have the Cabelas 80L. So far I love it. I have 3 pineapples drying in there right now.

I use Hi Mountain seasonings, and now the sell the cure separately so you can be safe and roll your own flavors.

[josbocc]

FLBent,

roll your own flavors.

Do you still get the munchies when you do this with jerky?   8) 8) 8)

[FLBentRider]

FLBent,

roll your own flavors.

Do you still get the munchies when you do this with jerky?   8) 8) 8)

Yes, and sometimes I see snakes and belly dancers...

8) ;D ::)

[emevol]

When you say other shooters...I have to ask which ones. I could really only find the LEM automated patty and jerky maker. Where do you find these things. I wonder what the paper bag does...I will try it! How long do you think jerky can keep when vac sealed and stored in the freezer? Thanks everyone for dehydartor info....you guys rock!

So, has anyone here tried ground meat jerky with veggies? Ground meat jerky with organs? Or regular old beef/whatever meat jerky with no marinating/no curing?

I gotta ask, if you start the dehydrator at 145 or 150 (if using un-cured, simple, plain-old ground meat), can you then just increase the heat to 165 for the last 5 mins to make sure you kill all bacteria?

[josbocc]

emevol,

LEM makes the "Jerky Cannon" for $49.99.  You can find it at www.lemproducts.com, or you might also be able to find it at a local Cabelas, Gander Mt., or Bass Pro Shops.

Using veggies, or organ meat might be kinda touchy.  You'll be introducing elements that aren't exactly akin to traditional jerky.  Jerky is dried meat, plain and simple.  You will notice that the leaner your meat, the better your jerky.  Too much fat, and you'll have yourself a mess.  A guy around the corner from me actually started his kitchen on fire two years ago when he used 80% ground beef, and a bottom heated dehydrator.  The fat dripped down, and you can guess the rest.

I have kept jerky in the freezer for months (in a Zip-Lok bag), and had no issues.  Personally, I've never had any last long enough to really pose an issue  ;D. 

In regards to your last question..., I dry my jerky at about 155.  The cure is what allows it to be edible without going to 160, or higher.  I may be wrong, but if you push the temps too high, you are going to cook the meat instead of drying it. 

Experiment all you like.  We love to hear about successes, and even though we don't want to see failures, it helps the learning curve, particularly for those of us whose learning curve is somewhat flat.  The last bit of wisdom I'll impart is..., if you are going to experiment, do so in small batches.

Best of Luck,
Jeff

[NePaSmoKer]

Here is what your GB jerky should look like.



nepas

[emevol]

Jeff, thanks man, so helpful! I will try at 155 with some basic cure for myself. The LEM gun looks the best, but they all look kinda flimsy. I will definitely try it though!

Nepa, Did you do that with a jerky gun? Or an automated more professional tool? I have no idea what tools to look into. All I could find online was the LEM patty and jerky maker. Did you dry that at 155 or 165??? It looks wildly fantastic! I want!!!!! ;)

[NePaSmoKer]

Jeff, thanks man, so helpful! I will try at 155 with some basic cure for myself. The LEM gun looks the best, but they all look kinda flimsy. I will definitely try it though!

Nepa, Did you do that with a jerky gun? Or an automated more professional tool? I have no idea what tools to look into. All I could find online was the LEM patty and jerky maker. Did you dry that at 155 or 165??? It looks wildly fantastic! I want!!!!! ;)

Extruded the GB with my stuffer, Smoked for 1 hour then dehydrated it @155 for 4 hours. The GB was 80/20 so i had to paper bag it after to absorb any surface grease. I normally use 85/15 but the store didnt have any that day.

nepas

[Brisket Lover]

I use my nesco and the jerky gun that came with it and couldn't be happier.  Ground beef 92% lean is what I use.