Jerky

[Chesterbelloc]

Can you use any cut of meat to make jerky?

If you want the most jerky for your money, and also the highest-quality do as follows.

Caveat. Obtain a semi-flexible 6" boning knife and build a razor edge... around like 17-degrees.

1. Order a case of beef pectoral. (anywhere from 40 to 80-lbs)
2. De-nude each pectoral of extraneous material, sinew and fat. There really isn't much fat except for one small-streak.
3. Put all of the trimmings into a steel-bowl and cover the meat-bits with plastic-wrap, pressing the wrap against the meat itself.
4. Slice the de-nuded pectoral, in 3/8" to 1/4" thick strips on the bias lengthwise. Keep your edge 90-degrees to the grain of the meat.
5. Marinate the strips for 24-hours in stainless-bowl with plastic pressed firmly up against it. If you have a way to vaccuum pack them that is even better.
6. Take some caul-fat/kidney-fat and rub it on the racks you put in your smoker.
7. Lay the 8" to 12" long strips of marinated 1" to 1.5" wide, 3/8" to 1/4" thick meat on your smoker-racks.
8. Smoke away.

If you want different flavours of jerky simply use a base cure for jerky and sprinkle seasonings onto the marinated meat while it is on the racks, before you start the smoking/cooking process.



RE: Steeling... steeling is done after you cut. If you keep a good edge there are few things that will ruin it except maybe metal on metal or perhaps teeth when cutting the face off of a beef. Nothing beats a good stoning and stropping of a stamped-steel knife. If you are an experienced with a knife then you should be able to work for like 6 to 8-hours with one stoning, stopping to take a couple of strokes across a good steel. There is a difference between butcher steels and cookie-steels.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Get the biggest boneless pork loin you can....cut into strips to the style you like... marinate in mojo for 24 hours(very important) and season with black pepper and Badia brand complete seasoning(also important for the exact flavor). Absolutely delicious, one of a kind pork jerky I came up with.

 

[no_borders]

I was always told you cut with grain for jerky, helps make it tougher. You would want to cut steak against the grain so it's more tender.

I just got a smoker, can't wait to get it going!

 

[StMarcos]

I like to use curing salts on my jerky (london broil) as I dry it at as low a temp as possible (110-120F). Takes about 36 hours at this temp in my oven. Yes my oven goes this low - tricky to get the knob set just right though. I use and absolute s ton of ginger and garlic, plus tamari and a wee bit of wooster.

 

[dataz722]

I like to use curing salts on my jerky (london broil) as I dry it at as low a temp as possible (110-120F). Takes about 36 hours at this temp in my oven. Yes my oven goes this low - tricky to get the knob set just right though. I use and absolute s ton of ginger and garlic, plus tamari and a wee bit of wooster.

I use curing salts in mine too because I do it at ~90 degrees. It does take close to 2 days but I feel it turns out much better like this. The cooler the better, that is just the lowest my dehydrator will go.

 

[Randar]

I was always told you cut with grain for jerky, helps make it tougher. You would want to cut steak against the grain so it's more tender.

Depends on how dry you are going to dry it. I still like to be able to bite through it without having to tussle with it. I lightly freeze the meat and then I slice at a diagonal, about 45 degrees off from the grain. Works well with bison or beef, IME.

And I don't like adding EXTRA known carcinogens to my food, so I skip the nitrates and nitrites and go 14-16 hours at 145. Store in a zip-lock in the fridge or vacuum sealed in the freezer and it would last a long time like this without having to add the nitrates/nitrites.

 

[dienst]

I used to make jerky using the London broil cut. It is lean and rectangular and cheap. Now I use venison, any cut will do. Slices don't have to be uniform but you do have to sort the pieces as they dry and throw them into a plastic bag to equalize. I think my son and nephew went through a 6 lb roast last weekend made with jalapeno seasoning from Bass Pro Shop.

 

[bobbrews]

I like Venison Loin myself. It's lean and not as gamey as you would think in flavorfully spiced jerky form.

Slice thin and dredge in a thick, smooth marinade of a blend of Mortons Tenderquik Curing Salt, Chipotle in Adobo, plus a plethora of spices and condiments to suit your personal tastes (some ideas include onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, allspice, ground cayenne, black pepper, worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, honey, etc).

In the restaurant, I set the marinated vension strips on a wire rack and placed above a hot oven for 6 hours. The hot air "cooked" the thin strips of meat enough to be called jerky without being super brittle/dry. At the end of the night, when it was finished, the jerky from a 3 lb. loin was gone in 30 minutes between the six of us.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Im telling you guys......grab a pork loin, marinate the strips over night in mojo, then season with complete seasoning and black pepper. Its like no other jerky youve ever had before. My friends love the stuff so much I give it out as Xmas presents.

For beef jerky, I make a quick homemade spicy teriyaki marinade. Easy and delicious every time. As for how I cut the strips, I cut them so the grain runs horizontally across the width of the piece. That way you can just bite it and tear it off easily. Like the flat long jerky sticks they sell at corner stores.

 

[Whut]

Sliced up 4lbs. of beef eye round this evening to dry tomorrow with the slicer Mrs. Whut got me for Christmas.