Homemade jerky

[km71107]

Some good jerky & a cold beer make a pretty good snack, so I decided to make another batch of beef jerky. I used a very lean eye of round roast. Put it in the freezer until it's about 1/2 frozen and cut it anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Cut some with the grain, some across the grain. Make sure you trim all of fat off of the meat. Fat on jerky is NASTY

. I got this marinade recipe from a friend. It's a mix of 1 part worcestershire, 1 part good liquid smoke & 2 parts soy sauce. You can adjust this to suit your taste. The low sodium soy sauce works pretty well too. If you like it hot, add some ground cayenne. Marinate the meat for an hour or 2 and throw in the dehydrator. Leave it for a few hours till it all feels like leather.
When it was done, I let my two little girls, ages 6 & 8 be the guinea pigs. They were devouring the hot jerky! They were fanning their mouths & wanting more! Some deer jerky will be next. I also need to get my hands on some buffalo. Share some of your jerky recipes & post a few pics.
Here's a pic of the finished product. At least what's left after the little monsters got into it.

 

[sierra2]

Re: Homemade jerky

I use pretty much the same sauces as you, but I like to add a little liquid smoke and I stir in some brown sugar, along with the cayene (or hot sauce) to make it sweet and hot. Good stuff!!!

 

[km71107]

Re: Homemade jerky

I need to try the brown sugar. I also thought about using some good fajita marinade. It might be good, it's worth a try.

 

[ewoaf]

Re: Homemade jerky

that's the recipe I use on duck and beef

 

[HOGGHEAD]

Re: Homemade jerky

I use basically the same marinade. But as stated above we add some brown sugar, and just a touch of hot sauce. I do not like it too hot. However I let mine marinade at least 24 hours, and 48 hours is even better. We use a de-hydrator. Tom.

 

[rrflyer]

Re: Homemade jerky

I make some with the same cut of meat. Been trying some of the pre-made marinades but the standard ones like you have seem to be the all around best.

Might have to whip some up this week!

 

[km71107]

Re: Homemade jerky

I've tried a few pre-made marinades and they were awful. Some have curing salt (sodium nitrite) in them and it does not work with jerky. I use curing salt in sausage sometimes but nowhere else.

 

[sierra2]

Re: Homemade jerky

I've also started using my ground deer burger with dry seasonings and shooting it through a jerky gun onto the dehydrator trays. Not quite as good a flavor as the marinades but it's much easier chewing.

You guys are making me hungry.

 

[km71107]

Re: Homemade jerky

Just wait till I post homemade sausage pics

 

[kellogg2185]

Re: Homemade jerky

Hey guys, looking to start processing my own deer, and looking for any tips?? I'd like to buy a relatively cheap meat grinder, as well as a decent dehydrator, anything else necessary? I'm going to hunt in MO, but I live in DC so I more or less need to process anything I shoot myself. I just downloaded a "complete guide to jerky making", what else do I need to do? Thanks.

 

[km71107]

Re: Homemade jerky

You need a good set of knives. There's no need to spend a load of money though. A boning knife, a cimeter & a regular butcher blade will be enough. I like Dexter Russell Sani-Safe knives. They aren't very expensive and hold a good edge. A meat saw is nice too. If you have a Sawz-all, your good. Just use a new coarse wood blade, it makes a helluva meat saw. If you get a grinder, buy the best & biggest you can afford. Hand crank grinders SUCK!!!! A vacuum packer is nice to have too. Order a catalog from one of the butcher supplys and they will have everything you need and it'll be a lot better quality than BassPro or Cabelas. Good luck to you!

 

[ALASKAPREDATOR]

Re: Homemade jerky

I like to use Yoshida's Gourmet sauce with some red pepper flakes-After pulling from 24 hours in the Yoshida's, I let drip dry- I sprinkle with black pepper and smoke with hickory for 12 hours in my "Big Chief"smoker. I like to buy a round steak roast, trim and slice thin in my meat slicer-The last batch made I used 12 lbs of eye of round, took about three days to make and was gone in 1 1/2 days.
I have also bought whole turkey breast, sliced, and done the same thing with success.

 

[MEAT4272]

Re: Homemade jerky

Thanks for the marinade recipe. An electric ove should be fine to make the jerky.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Homemade jerky

I use an electric slicer, and cut across the grain about 1/8" thick. Cold, but frozen isn't required.

My marinade is Teriyaki Sauce, Port Wine, Liquid Smoke, Black Pepper, Soy Sauce, and a bit of Worcestershire. I marinate in a plastic bag, air removed, overnight in the fridge.

I use an electric roaster set to about 250 degrees, and take it out when it seems 'right'.

Greg

 

[lovetsx]

Re: Homemade jerky

I use pepper corn and mustard seed instead of cayenne. Use the leanest meat. Cut ALL the white off. run through meat grinder. Add seasoning and let sit in frig over night. Load jerky gun. Spread on wire rake. put in oven at 160 for 2 hours with door Slightly opened.

 

[DaveV]

Re: Homemade jerky

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: km71107</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Fat on jerky is NASTY

.
</div></div>

On the contrary, I think some of the tastiest pieces are the fatty ones (yes Shankster, we're still talking about jerkey). I use a smoker however and haven't tried the dryer route, so maybe the real smoke mellows out the fat's flavor.

 

[sierra2]

Re: Homemade jerky

Meat,

Yes, an oven will work too. Just be sure to use a LOW temp setting, as it's easy to get it over done in an oven. Check it often.

 

[Kletzenklueffer]

Re: Homemade jerky

Allegro Hot and Spicy marinade is very similar to the recipe you posted. I soak the meat for about an hour, put the oven on 200 (keep it under boiling point or it'll boil the oils and make the jerky greasy).

I dry it for a couple hours then drain off the liquid that has cooked out, dry it til dry to the touch, and put it back in the marinade to soack up some more and dry for another 6-8 hours depending on the meat and thickness.

 

[MEAT4272]

Re: Homemade jerky

OK, thanks... I'll give it a try.

 

[GunGal79]

Re: Homemade jerky

Ok I haven't tried to make jerky before but since I don't have a dehydrator (yet) I was going to try it in the oven. Is there any kind of special pan or rack you need to do it in the oven?

 

[lovetsx]

Re: Homemade jerky

use a wire cookie rack with a cookie sheet underneath. I like better than dehydrator. One secret when its been in there 20-30 minutes take a fork and lift each piece off the rack and move a little keeps from sticking.

 

[el gordo2]

Re: Homemade jerky

The wife and I have been making jerky and sausage from wild game for years. We dont use any marinades, sauces, dehydrators and such. Still doing it the old fashion way which is using dry seasonings. Basically keeping it simple...salt, black pepper, garlic, cayenne pepper, cure. We smoke our meat in a smokehose using oak, pecan and mesquite wood.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Here is some dry sausage we just finished from a archery buck I took last week. </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">mixing.... </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">some helping hands </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">slicing jerky </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">turkey jerky being smoked </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">finished product </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">grinding some meat </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">jalapeno/cheese venison summer sausage </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">snack stix smoking </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">just out of the smoke house </span>

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Re: Homemade jerky

El Gordo, are you willing to share your dry sausage, and pepperoni recipe? Looks like a grand setup you have there.

 

[MEAT4272]

Re: Homemade jerky

WOW... that is some setup you have there.

 

[Remmy Blaster]

Re: Homemade jerky

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MEAT4272</div><div class="ubbcode-body">WOW... that is some setup you have there. </div></div>

One heck of a setup for sure.

Although this may sound odd, a can of coca-cola in the marinade for the sweet touch works well.

 

[km71107]

Re: Homemade jerky

Coke doesn't sound odd at all. Dr. Pepper works great too. El Gordo, I'd like your dried sausage recipe too if you don't mind sharing. I tried some dried sausage in South Tx and loved it but you can't buy it in La.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Homemade jerky

Try the German Butchers, Jaegerwurst.

 

[Foul Mike]

Re: Homemade jerky

At the local mexican grocery I get something like El Yuccatano chipolte sauce in a bottle. It is about $1.70 a bottle.
It helps a marinade. Regards, FM It doesn't take too much.

 

[Bryan27]

Re: Homemade jerky

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: el gordo2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The wife and I have been making jerky and sausage from wild game for years. We dont use any marinades, sauces, dehydrators and such. Still doing it the old fashion way which is using dry seasonings. Basically keeping it simple...salt, black pepper, garlic, cayenne pepper, cure. We smoke our meat in a smokehose using oak, pecan and mesquite wood.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Here is some dry sausage we just finished from a archery buck I took last week. </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">mixing.... </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">some helping hands </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">slicing jerky </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">turkey jerky being smoked </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">finished product </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">grinding some meat </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">jalapeno/cheese venison summer sausage </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">snack stix smoking </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">just out of the smoke house </span>

</div></div>

That looks so damn good I'm licking my computer screen! You really know how to make a fat man horny.