Thread: Jerky recipes

I use london Broil When I find it on sale,6lbs of meat will get you about 2.5 lbs of jerky.
I partially freeze the meat than slice it into about 5/16 in. strips.
I brine it for 12 hrs,rinse and dry well,than use a dry rub made from Black pepper,white pepper and paprica.
Cold smoke for several days (90-100 degs) with the hardwood (i use hickory)
The whole idea of using a smoker is the wood smoke and low heat turns some of the meat protien into nitrates which acts as a preservative.
Well smoked jerky can last for yrs in a sealed container

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Curious. Most seem to slice with the grain. Is this correct?

Slicing against the grain makes a tough piece of meat a little easier I've found. Flank steak in particular.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Slicing against the grain makes a tough piece of meat a little easier I've found. Flank steak in particular.

That is what I was thinking as well.

I slice against the grain,Flank is a great cut of meat but has become very expensive for jerky.
In My local, savemart has a sale once a month,buy one get one free,thats when I stock up on london broil,the thicker the better.
I make alot of Jerky for friends and Family.

Pixel made an important point. Freezing your meat partially helps a great deal when slicing thin strips! For the record, I prefer London broil and you can NOT make it salty enough for me! I grind sea salt into powder with a mortar and pestle and add it to the meat after the marinating.

If you'd like something not so salty try adding brown sugar to give it some balance.

We use flank steak/skirt steak. I have never tried a smoker. We have been using an Excalibur 2800 dehydrator for the past 8 years and love it. My version of jerky is just soaking the sliced meat for 48 hours in Lucky Star brand terriyaki sauce with a touch of dark brown sugar.

We also dehydrate strawberries, asian pears, tomatoes, mango, bananas. For dog snacks we slice yams.

Trim off all the fat unless the jerky is for cold weather hunting when you need the calories. Otherwise it's just greasy and chewy. I learned to marinade meat in Coca-Cola from a chef daughter. The sugar is not really all that good for us but the acids help begin tenderizing the meat. Freezing and cutting cross-grain are important to make it easier not hard to prepare. Black pepper, white pepper, red pepper, cumin (experiment), garlic, salt to taste. I've always use the oven on the lowest possible setting and an oven mitt in the door to let the moisture escape. Leave in overnight and breakfast is ready!

Getting ready to marinate some tomorrow. Any more suggestions?

When you find a method that works, stick with it awhile then you'll always have a plan that you know will succeed.

I have done some chicken in buttermilk (soak for 24 hrs in the fridge) and it was a fall apart goodness experience. I've heard beef will do well in the buttermilk too. The jerky might gain some tenderness if you want a less chewy version. I have not tried it myself though...

Resist temptation to keep checking the oven. The risk is that you will have one piece of jerky left when the allotted time has passed...