Any jerky recipes?

Ellensburg

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Every time I go to a sportsman show and try their jerky it is amazing. I have made jerky and it is good but not like that stuff. I use a dehydrator and i know they must use something else. What makes their jerky so good is the texture. I saw on tv that using heat isnt really good for making jerky. I dont necassarily need a recipe for flavoring but do you guys have any methods for getting that moist but chewy jerky that costs $8 for 3 little strips?
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-29-05 AT 12:54PM (MST)[p]
Try this method to dry it with your recipe, and you should get the texture you are talking about. The sugar(honey) and the salt(soy sauce) you must use. The meat is cured and does not need to be cooked, thus the texture without drying. You just have to take it off the fan, or dehydrater before it gets too dry. Like I said it is sorta cooked after it comes out of the brine because it is cured.

Beef Jerky Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Urban Preservation II: The Jerky

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Expert
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 12 hours
Yield: 10 to 12 ounces

1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords


Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.

Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.
 
Here's another.

1. cut venison into strips about 1/2" thick and as long as possible.
2. make a Brine solution

For the Brine:
GLASS or PLASTIC ( not metal) Bowl with enough water to cover all the meat
add Salt ( start with about 6 tablespoons)
add brown sugar ( a little more than the salt)
Black Pepper to taste ( alot )
a splash or two of soy sauce or worchester sauce.

Taste it. ( a daunting task)
adjust salt/ sugar ratio. Shouldn't be SUPER salty.

3) Add meat and soak for 6 -12 hours
4) drain and lay strips onto paper towels and let dry for about 30 minutes. Pat off any extra moisture.
5) Cool smoke with Hickory chips for about 5-6 hours.
6) I use a little electric hot plate with a metal pie pan and put chips directly in the pan. I put this under my smoker and check it a few times during the process. The temperature can affect how fast it smokes. It can be warm, but not too hot or it will dry out too fast. You can also smoke it for three or four hours and then finish it in the oven. Lowest temp with the door open. Lots of chances for taste tests.
It sure works.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-29-05 AT 04:45PM (MST)[p]I use the same recipe as super71 except without the honey, which i will try next time. everybody loves it when i make it.
I use a food dehydrator
 
I used the honey and it adds that little something in the background flavor you can't quite figure out. Also it is important for the curing process, so you don't have to use heat.
 
Any good methods for cleaning the dehidrator trays. When I attempt to make jerkey they are a bugger to clean. The cleaning issue is what stears me away from making jerkey.
 
I also use a variation on this one by outtabreath, but sometimes I use Yashidas Sauce. Marinade overnight, drip dry, then into the smokeyjoe for about six hours... MMMM good.


Stop Global Whining
 
heartshot - try the dishwasher or your wife. That will save you the trouble. Actually, the dishwasher works great.
 
Kikoman sesame teriyaki sauce in a bottle works well for a marinade that is sweet and the texture helps to keep in the moisture.

The marinade is only half of the problem with getting the right texture. You have to be on top of things when the meet is done, get it off the dehydrator. Also it is very important to rotate the trays every hour and all cuts should be the same thickness. If you cut your meat too thin, the dehaydrator is less forgiving if you are not there at the right time to remove the meat. As for cleaning, my wife got tired of that pretty quick, so the best preparation for having an easier time cleaning the trays is to spray them with garlic Pam before putting the meat on the trays.
 
LAST EDITED ON Nov-30-05 AT 02:40PM (MST)[p] I do my own processing and have a grinder. I take all the meat off the ribs,foreleg, and any other that wont make a roast size or looks tough and grind thru a 1/8 plate.
I buy my seasoning from alliedkenco.com in premixed packs for given quantity of meat or you could use your own recipe. Mix with ground meat, make in meatloaf size and put in freezer to firm up enough to slice with meat slicer.
Then you can use oven, dehydrator, or homemade smoker like mine to dry. If I use the oven, line cookie sheets with alumium foil, set at 200 degrees and turn every 40 minutes till done.
Turns the toughest meat into tender jerky.
 
I was talking to someone a couple weeks ago that made their jerky by grinding it up and rolling it out on a cookie sheet and then cutting it into strips before drying. Has anyone else tried anything else like this? Kind of sounds like bcbear3 does something similar. I think I will try it next time. I currently have the problem of my jerky getting too dry too fast. I have been using a dehydrator and stopped using the bottom tray to help slow it down a bit.
 

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