First go at Jerky

[S13tsilvia]

Decided i wanted to make jerky so ordered a dehydrator and then got a 1kg roast. cut it into strips (realised i cut them too thick but oh well)
Looked up a recipe online and did half a cup of soy, some black pepper, salt, garlic, onion, tabasco, whortstirshire and chillflakes and let it marinate overnight.
It needed 24hrs in the dehydrator and came out really good! nice and spicy but not overpowering.

looking forward to plenty more

 

[Wildabeest]

I’ve found that most recipes call for Worcestershire, but I don’t really like it. At least for game meat, which is the only thing I’ve ever made jerky with. I typically substitute that with honey. Not that they have anything in common, but it just tastes better to me. I usually go heavy on the pepper. Course ground, both in the marinade and then again before I string it up for the smoker (I smoke at 130 degrees vs dehydrate). YMMV.

 

[HyperWoof13]

I have been smoking my jerky the last few years, not sure I would ever go back, but I really enjoy the smoke flavor. Your's look great!

 

[BruinPoint]

I used to always wonder why people went all goo-goo for deer jerky. Then I stopped using soy sauce, tabasco, and Worcestershire. Now I get it...

No disrespect to anyone who prefers the former intended, just not my taste.

 

[Bambistew]

I made some using my salmon brine a few years ago, may do so again. I make a lot of biltong instead of regular jerkey. I do make some with the soy/worcestershire at times. Its easy to over do the flavor, and the WS can tenderize the meat and make it unpalatable. I got 30lbs of moose trim thawing right now, thinking summer sausage, brawts, and maybe some pepper sticks if I have any left. Making and stuffing 50lbs of sausage is a labor of love.

 

[Dave N]

Making and stuffing 50lbs of sausage is a labor of love.

I agree. It's a lot of labor but I love the results!

Still haven't tried the biltong. One day...

I usually make my jerky the easy way. Hi Mountain Cajun flavor with double the spice. I've always used the oven but may try the smoker next time.

 

[Mark1970]

I make jerky from domestic beef.
For some reason, I have not done very well when trying wild game.
I buy about 80lbs of raw top round/year and make jerky for Christmas gifts.
I use a dry seasoning and coat each side of each piece of meat in the seasoning.
I dehydrate using an electric dehydrator until its like shoe leather.
Then I re-hydrate by weighing the dehydrated meat and adding water to it in a sealed container for about a day to let water back into the meat.
It all comes out uniform and yummy and is fun to experiment with different seasonings.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

I learned that a deli slicer makes the whole process a lot easier with whole muscle style! I used to smoke it and now I dehydrate. One of my favorite things to do with game!

 

[Wildabeest]

I learned that a deli slicer makes the whole process a lot easier with whole muscle style!

I find that slicing it while still mostly frozen makes it way easier if you don’t have a deli slicer.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

I find that slicing it while still mostly frozen makes it way easier if you don’t have a deli slicer.

Absolutely, this is a crucial step with or without one!

 

[ShadowValley]

Give Hank Shaw's chipotle jerky recipe a try, super delicious!

 

[Nick87]

I agree. It's a lot of labor but I love the results!

Still haven't tried the biltong. One day...

I usually make my jerky the easy way. Hi Mountain Cajun flavor with double the spice. I've always used the oven but may try the smoker next time.

I haven't used cajun but I agree on adding more spice I usually go half again what they call for.

 

[cahunter805]

Another great tip I learned from a buddy of mine especially when using frozen meats. Cut up all your meat and then let it bleed out for 1-2 days in the refrigerator in a container. Pour out all the blood and then add your seasoning or marinade and let it sit 1-2 days also. It’s amazing how much more flavor the meat will soak up.

 

[Colorado hunter Tim]

Decided i wanted to make jerky so ordered a dehydrator and then got a 1kg roast. cut it into strips (realised i cut them too thick but oh well)
Looked up a recipe online and did half a cup of soy, some black pepper, salt, garlic, onion, tabasco, whortstirshire and chillflakes and let it marinate overnight.
It needed 24hrs in the dehydrator and came out really good! nice and spicy but not overpowering.

looking forward to plenty more

I just used this exact same recipe I believe. It was really good, but I usually try to add more spice to keep my kids from eating it all so fast. They will eat pounds of it in one sitting and then complain about how bad their stomachs hurt. I use deer mostly.

 

[jlcc381]

I'm a fan of the Cabela's jerky mixes. Cut the venison by hand, marinate 24 hours and dehydrate for 6-8 hours at 150 degrees. Time will depend on how done you want it.

 

[ShadowValley]

I'm a fan of the Cabela's jerky mixes. Cut the venison by hand, marinate 24 hours and dehydrate for 6-8 hours at 150 degrees. Time will depend on how done you want it.

Jerky should be taken to 160 F for food safety reasons.

 

[WestKyHunt]

I switched to using Dale's marinade for my jerky as my wife and I both like our jerky on the salty side.
Dehydrate it until it doesn't bend easy and stops smelling overwhelming like raw deer meat.
Vacuum seal it and it last longer than it stays around lol

 

[Nick87]

I switched to using Dale's marinade for my jerky as my wife and I both like our jerky on the salty side.
Dehydrate it until it doesn't bend easy and stops smelling overwhelming like raw deer meat.
Vacuum seal it and it last longer than it stays around lol

Like the Dales steak marinade?

 

[WestKyHunt]

Like the Dales steak marinade?

Yessir
24hr is how long I marinade for. + or - time depending on how much salt you like.

It's great for duck/goose jerky, especially divers

 

[Nick87]

Yessir
24hr is how long I marinade for. + or - time depending on how much salt you like.

It's great for duck/goose jerky, especially divers

Dont like it too salty but as I recall they have a low sodium version may have to give it a try.