Author Topic: Homemade Jerky  (Read 12245 times)

Offline ActiveTrapChecker

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Homemade Jerky
« on: Oct 18, 2016, 08:23 AM »
Trying to enhance my dehydrator skills. To my daughter's delight I have fruit down. Now it's time to figure out jerky. My standard steak marinade was too overwhelming last year.

Does anyone have venison and beef jerky recipes they'd be willing to share? Need to get ready for what they say will be a lengthy ice fishing season.

Thanks!

Offline iowapackfan

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #1 on: Oct 18, 2016, 10:39 AM »
You might try High Mountain jerky seasonings. They have a large variety of flavors and very simple and easy to use. You can find them at your local wal-mart or most grocery stores. I have been using it for years and makes very tasty jerky especially if you experiment and mix different flavors together. You can also order on their website. ;D ;D ;D
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Offline ActiveTrapChecker

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #2 on: Oct 18, 2016, 10:42 AM »
Thanks PackFan, I appreciate the information!

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #3 on: Oct 18, 2016, 11:21 AM »
Start with 5lbs. of meat (should fit a 4 tray dehydrator fairly well)
Look on line lots of recipes ..mix and match which flavors you like but base it on 5 lbs of meat

I like   Sriracha sauce as one of my heat sources...along with fresh ground pepper and crushed red pepper ...pressed garlic over powdered garlic...brown sugar for my sweetness ..not a fan of honey or molasses as it get too sticky for my liking...add  1/3 cup each ...soy sauce , woshtershire sauce and red wine vinegar for your wet.. don't forget liquid smoke  ... a good dedicated coffee grinder for your spices is great for getting everything (spices) blended and ground nicely ...onion powder...ginger powder or fresh ginger has found its way into my recipes also . Morton tender quick and/or Kosher or Sea salt ...NO TABLE SALT

You could also try a good BBQ rub as your base and make a marinade to your liking

Cut your jerky as uniform as you can to get equal drying times per tray ...mark your trays and rotate every two hours

I would start with  regular beef ...roast etc ...fine tune your recipe then try it on venison .
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Offline TeamTwoSticks

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #4 on: Oct 18, 2016, 11:34 AM »
I just started last year. High mountain is great. My family use to live in Idaho and my dad grew up eating King B jerky. We now live in Michigan and could not get King B anywhere near here. Last year I surprised him with some venison jerky using the pepper recipe and he loved it. It taste a lot like the King B flavor he misses. I can't make it right now, my wife is pregnant and doesn't do well with different smells. So I will have to stock up and wait until after the baby is born to start making more jerky.

I also bought the High mountain jerky cutting board. It makes it really simple to slice up uniformed pieces. I suggest getting that as well.

Offline missoulafish

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #5 on: Oct 18, 2016, 12:07 PM »
i always start with Original Hi-Country seasoning ( easily found on line). After that its a potpourri of ingredients. I add a lot of extra spices, especially red pepper and whole mustard seeds. I usually throw in some honey or some reduced papaya juice. Then some extra ketchup, soy and teriyaki.
Another suggestion is to get a jerky shooter. All the pieces are the same size and get done drying at the same time. And its way easier to get more into a dehydrator with uniform sized pieces.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #6 on: Oct 18, 2016, 12:26 PM »
 Venison should be frozen at lest 30 days prior to making jerky ...to kill parasites. . Also it make it easier to cut if partially frozen/thawed .
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Offline Deal Ninja

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #7 on: Oct 18, 2016, 12:37 PM »
I'll add another vote for Hi-Mountain, especially if you're a novice at charcuterie & curing, which it sounds like.  Just remember that jerky made with any recipe or "cure" lacking sodium nitrite will not be shelf stable and should be refrigerated and treated like any other perishable.  I've mixed and made my own cures for jerky and sausages for years, so I buy my supplies and ingredients, spices, binder, casings, Cure#1, Cure#2, etc. in bulk from Butcher-Packer in Michigan.  Great prices and service.

If you purchase the Hi-Mountain kit(s), just follow the instructions for either ground or whole meat and you'll be just fine.  Try to start small with a pound or two of meat.  Don't attempt to double the spices & cure for three pounds of meat to make six pounds for example.  The quantities of spice and cure(pink salt in this case) required for additional pounds of meat are not linear and you would end up with a very, very salty product.     
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Online DR.SPECKLER

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #8 on: Oct 18, 2016, 12:53 PM »
 I agree hi mountain does make good jerky,hard to screw up and all the flavors are pretty good.i would recommend if you  are just starting out with jerky making.

Offline Zachery80

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #9 on: Oct 18, 2016, 12:53 PM »
A C Leggs Old Plantation Seasonings
I got 5 assorted bags of this wonderful stuff for Christmas last year.  The package was from amazon and each bag can season 25 lbs of meat. The cure was also included in the package.  This stuff has been good to me and I would recommend it.     

Offline prospector

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #10 on: Oct 18, 2016, 02:31 PM »
 About 10 years ago, I used to make quite a bit of jerky. Back then, Walmart used to carry Nesco brand jerky cure. It was the bomb. I used it on deer meat and it tasted great. Not sure if they still carry it anymore though . I will do some checking. I agree that high mountain is pretty good as well.  Thanks for posting this thread. I have been thinking about getting back into doing some jerky for icefishing season this year. Now I am going to proceed and geterdun.

Offline Deal Ninja

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #11 on: Oct 18, 2016, 04:47 PM »
Prospector, you're in Wyoming and not using Hi-Mountain?  A company in your home state???  For shame.  ;D  I have some sample packs of the Nesco jerky seasoning that came with a jerky gun a few years back.  You want 'em?  They might be a little beyond the "good by" date.  Send me a pm with your addy and I'll send 'em out.  Mark
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Offline prospector

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #12 on: Oct 18, 2016, 05:04 PM »
 Nothing wrong with Hi country. Just really liked the taste of the Nesco better. Also, it was easier to make because there was no call for it to marinate overnight.  I am sure that Hi country probably has a longer shelf life, but I eat the jerky so fast that it doesn't matter anyway.  ;D   I sure appreciate the offer on that seasoning deal ninja! I will PM you my info.

Offline ActiveTrapChecker

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #13 on: Oct 19, 2016, 07:25 AM »
Venison should be frozen at lest 30 days prior to making jerky ...to kill parasites. . Also it make it easier to cut if partially frozen/thawed .

Thanks Diehard. Is this something that should be done for venison all together or just for jerky?

Offline ActiveTrapChecker

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #14 on: Oct 19, 2016, 07:29 AM »
Thanks everyone for the abundance of information. I am looking forward to getting after it!

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #15 on: Oct 19, 2016, 07:57 AM »
Thanks Diehard. Is this something that should be done for venison all together or just for jerky?

I would say a good general rule ...but jerky ...ground...sausage... have low heat cooking methods so that can be a breading ground in particular for some nastys ...properly cooked venison is a flash in the pan for most thin cuts/ground so that it may not kill bacteria/parasites...so freezing is a must ...most folks do their deer seasons first harvest as jerky/sausage/ground so it gets its 30 plus days in freezer before ice season or late/rifle season 

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/venison-jerky-recipes/

I find commercial jerky mixes too salty ...but home made ones must be stored in refrigerator and eaten fairly quickly...which isn't a problem with jerky ...store in Tupperware with a paper towel to draw out any extra moisture even more .
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Offline Eyes R Bitin

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #16 on: Oct 19, 2016, 01:35 PM »
I've used this recipe for 30 years and no one has ever complained.  Well, once I guess, but he never got any more after that.  Simple.

Jerky Recipe

1 ½ sup Soy Sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Ginger
¼ to ½ tsp tobacco sauce (more if you like it HOT)
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp liquid garlic
Slice meat with the grain to you desired thickness, about 3 to 4 lbs.  Soak slices in mixture 4 to 6 hours (I think overnight gets it a bit too salty).  Heat/dry in oven at 150 or in dehydrator.

YUMMY!

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #17 on: Oct 19, 2016, 01:51 PM »
I've used this recipe for 30 years and no one has ever complained.  Well, once I guess, but he never got any more after that.  Simple.

Jerky Recipe

1 ½ sup Soy Sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Ginger
¼ to ½ tsp tobacco sauce (more if you like it HOT)
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp liquid garlic
Slice meat with the grain to you desired thickness, about 3 to 4 lbs.  Soak slices in mixture 4 to 6 hours (I think overnight gets it a bit too salty).  Heat/dry in oven at 150 or in dehydrator.

YUMMY!

May Be it was that tobacco sauce . ;D

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Offline ActiveTrapChecker

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #18 on: Oct 20, 2016, 08:03 AM »
What's your preferred cut of beef? Does anyone use a jerky gun? What's your favorite "round" cut to use - Top, bottom or eye?

Offline missoulafish

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #19 on: Oct 20, 2016, 12:17 PM »
Jerky gun is easiest to use. Uniform peices thay all get done the same time and fit well on square trays.

Offline iowapackfan

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #20 on: Oct 20, 2016, 12:25 PM »
What's your preferred cut of beef? Does anyone use a jerky gun? What's your favorite "round" cut to use - Top, bottom or eye?
I generally use thin cut bottom round sliced into approx. 4-6 in. strips. I also make turkey jerky  using boned out turkey tenderloins sliced into strips. Turkey also doesn't require as much drying time in the dehydrator as beef or venison cuts. ;D ;D ;D
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Offline Eyes R Bitin

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #21 on: Oct 20, 2016, 04:07 PM »
May Be it was that tobacco sauce . ;D

What??  You don't care for tobacco juice? 

Hardest thing about using tobacco juice is measuring it.  You know, once you start to pour from a spittoon it is hard to stop the flow. 

Offline Osage

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #22 on: Oct 20, 2016, 09:45 PM »
I mixed up 7 lbs of venison today,using high mountain mix.Ive always used my own mix,but I thought I would give high mountain a whirl.i am also going to cure mine in the smoker instead of a dehydrator,I will use sassafras wood to smoke with.
,.

Offline iowapackfan

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #23 on: Oct 21, 2016, 06:02 AM »
I mixed up 7 lbs of venison today,using high mountain mix.Ive always used my own mix,but I thought I would give high mountain a whirl.i am also going to cure mine in the smoker instead of a dehydrator,I will use sassafras wood to smoke with.
,.
that sounds absolutely yummy! ;D ;D ;D
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Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #24 on: Oct 21, 2016, 08:41 AM »
Osage that does sound yummy for sure ...are you doing a ground mix or sliced ...how difficult is the smoking process as far as timing and temperature control ...I have smoked many things with great success... and did try jerky once but temperature and time is tough to master ..little to brittle .
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Offline ActiveTrapChecker

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #25 on: Oct 21, 2016, 09:27 AM »
The more I read, the more i link the idea of using ground venison and beef in a jerky gun. Seems like the Nesco gun (i am an amateur don't forget) works very well but tends to wear down easily. Any gun users on IS have a recommended jerky gun?

Offline Osage

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #27 on: Oct 21, 2016, 05:45 PM »
Osage that does sound yummy for sure ...are you doing a ground mix or sliced ...how difficult is the smoking process as far as timing and temperature control ...I have smoked many things with great success... and did try jerky once but temperature and time is tough to master ..little to brittle .
    Hi hardwater,I do the sliced jerky,I have tried ground meat,but I tend to like doing things the hard way.As far as temp control,one does need to be watchful,once I get the temp controlled ( adjusting the vent ) I can get by checking every half hour.I move the meat around a good bit,just to keep everything right.
   The biggest thing is knowing when to pull the meat.Warm meat will fool ya,you will think it's not finished,and end up over doing it.I pull some thinner pieces frequently,gives them a few min to cool,once cool,I flex them,in my opinion,it's the best way to check for proper doneness.Another thing I do is only put a couple 1x2x10" pieces of wet sassafras in the firebox,this seems to give the jerky enough smoke for our taste.

Offline iowapackfan

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #28 on: Oct 22, 2016, 06:31 AM »
anyone out there ever try making goose jerky? Fellow co-worker years ago liked to hunt geese but didn't care to eat them so he would always bring me the breasts and I would slice them up  and add the High Mountain jerky mix and it was fantastic jerky.
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Offline missoulafish

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Re: Homemade Jerky
« Reply #29 on: Oct 22, 2016, 07:13 AM »
Goose jerky is great! Since we are on the subject of different kinds of meat... Albacore jerky is amazing!!!

 



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