Jerkey help

I want to make jerky just got my smoker. Any good recipes that don't call for a dehydrator. I like my jerky thin and chewy.

I know I misspelled jerky in the thread

I like to use a recipe I have been using for a while now and change it up a tad just about every time.
this is for about 7-8# of beef (I use bottom round myself and have the butcher at the store slice it for me)
2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cup soy
1/2 cup tender quick
1/4 cup of either red wine or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons Mrs Dash southwest Chipotle seasoning
1-2 Tablespoon (but no more) McCormick Mesquite seasoning
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon salt
Crushed red peppers to taste (I use 1-2 tablespoons myself)
Heat everything (except meat) in pot to about 170*F
remove from stove and let cool for 20-30 min then add 7-8 cubes of ice to get temp down to ambient
Add to meat and let sit over night covered in a fridge or up to 2 days
remove from fridge and put on smoker racks
and smoke as you see fit
This is my favorite Jerky bar none!

Cheers
Jay

Is there usually a time range?

If you let it sit too long in the fridge it can rot. I feel 2 days is a fair length of time to get it out of the fridge and on the smoke. Others may disagree. But I have to feel safe and up to 2 days I still feel very safe.

Enjoy.

I know I cant keep the stuff when I make it. Last time I made it I did 20# and it was gone in 2 evenings camping with friends and family. The overwhelming response was it was the very best jerky they had all tasted and if I wasn't in the brewing business I should package and sell this stuff.

If you like black pepper, cracked pepper on it as its headed in the smoker is a great addition to this recipe

Cheers
Jay

I dont do any marinades or seasoning before I smoke. I just slice it thin and smoke at 180 until it is done. Take it off and put it in a paper bag with your favorite seasoning. Sea salt and cracked black pepper it the favorite around my house.

Here's some good links to save.. Replace 'dehydrator' with 'smoker', if you can smoke that low. Just don't put any water in your pan and it will dehydrate it. If you can't get temps that low in your smoker, your results will come out varied. I've tried it many times, and IMHO it's better to do it in the oven if your smoker can't put out smoke at those temps.

http://polk.uwex.edu/files/2012/10/Making-safe-jerky-at-home.pdf

http://foodsafety.wisc.edu/assets/pdf_Files/Making_Safe Jerky_in_a Home_Dehydrator3.pdf

You'll notice the second link calls for cooking at 275 for 10 minutes after the drying or smoking. That's how I do it now. Since you hit it with 275, you don't have to worry about salt content before you smoke it. You can do it with any seasoning you want.

You'll also see they highlight the method mentioned above (although I didn't see him say steam), of pre heating before drying and what they think about it.

I do mine in my dehydrator. It works out well as I have a digital electric smoker that I can program to run a certain time. I set it to 160 for 4 1/2 hours and it is usually about perfect at that point.

I have a couple of recipes that I use frequently. I generally use venison for my jerky, and tend to make whole muscle jerky instead of restructured (ground) jerky. One thing to note if you are making ground jerky: Do NOT blend meats, it should be all beef, all venison (of the same variety) etc.


A meat slicer is invaluable for making whole muscle jerky. You don't need a high-end commercial grade slicer, a cheap slicer will work just fine. I used a sub $100 (I think it was $60) slicer for several years before I finally burned the gearbox out. Keep the meat semi-frozen to aid in cutting, especially if you are slicing it thin. Be aware that the final thickness will be a good deal thinner than what you start out with, probably about 1/2.


If you don't have a meat slicer, you can use a couple of skewers or similar items of uniform thickness to act as a guide for your knife. You set them on either side of the meat to be sliced and run the knife on top of them to get uniform slices of meat. Having uniform slices is extremely important when it comes to drying, otherwise you may have some pieces that get too dry and others that aren't try enough.






Teriyaki Jerky (A sticky-sweet jerky that is hard to put down)

5 Lbs lean meat
3 Tablespoons salt
1 Teaspoon curing salt
1 Tablespoon garlic granules
1 Tablespoon ginger
1 Tablespoon ground yellow mustard
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Cups corn syrup
1 1/2 Cups cold water.

Slice the meat into 1/4 to 3/8 inch slabs
Combine the ingredients in a non-metallic container (ziplock bags work well, I find it works best to mix all the non-meat ingredients first and then add the meat)
Refrigerate the mixture at least 8 hours to cure, mixing occasionally.
Spread the strips out on a drying rack, DO NOT RINSE THEM.
Dry at 150-170 degrees using a smoker, oven, or dehydrator for 5-24 hours, depending on the method used. Check occasionally for desired level of dryness.

The jerky is done when there is very little moisture left on the inside. The outside will be slightly sticky, but the strips should still be flexible enough to bend without snapping.


Standard Peppered Jerky



5 # lean meat
4 Tbsp salt
1 Tsp curing salt (Tender Quick, etc)
1 Tsp Liquid Smoke (I dry mine with my smoker, so I left this out)
1 Tsp white pepper
1 Tsp chili powder
1 Tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tsp coriander
2 Tsp garlic powder
5 cups cold water
Coarse-ground black pepper (to taste, add before drying)

Slice the meat into even slabs, 1/8 inch to 3/8 inch

Mix all of the ingredients in a large container (I use gallon size ziplock bags) with the exception of the meat and black pepper. Mix well and add the meat.
Refrigerate the mixture at least 8 hours, I typically go longer (24-48). Stir/mix/agitate occasionally.

Lay the strips out on drying racks. DO NOT RINSE!!

Sprinkle each piece generously with the black pepper.


Dry at 150-170 Degrees using an oven, smoker, or dehydrator. Check occasionally for dryness, until jerky reaches your desired level of dryness. It will take 4-24 hours, depending on the drying method used. Jerky should have no visible moistness on the outside, yet still be flexible enough not to snap when you bend it.

I used a Little Chief until it crapped out on me and haven't replaced it yet. As far as a recipe, what has been my favorite is to use Alton Brown's jerky recipe with the addition of 2/3 cup Wild Turkey 101 proof (probably any lower grade whiskey would work, just happened to get a bottle of WT and didn't know what to do with it because I don't consider it drinking grade and so I figured it would be good for jerky and it was).