Tpoppa Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Smoker or dehydrator? What's the best cut of meat for tender jerky? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevysoldier Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 IP is a jerk. Oh, that's not what this thread is about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman1 Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Venison roast thin cut and marinated. We use a dehydrator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted January 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Will any dehydrator work or does it need to be a certain kind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 I have on occasion used a dehydrator but use 90%+ fat free ground beef and an extruder gun. It's just so much easier than slicing meat and not as tough when eating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Last time I made it maybe 13 or so years ago we used a dehydrator. My Grandmother was cleaning out her chest freezer and had damn near a quarter beef worth of cubed and round steak she needed to get rid of so we turned most of it in to jerky. Made a marinade of woshishire and liquid smoke with some other seasonings and soaked it over night, cut them into strips an ran them through a roller tenderizer. Salted them fairly well with some cracked pepper and used 2 little round dehydrators that we picked up at biglots(think I still have one of them) I bet it took most of the week to do it all, in the end we had like 10lbs of jerky. I was a pain in the ass and I wouldn't want to do it again but it was some pretty damn good jerky. I was only pain because of the quantity we had and our dryers were just too small, but it worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 We always used the oven. Marinate venison in liquid smoke, hit sauce and woosrchestershire sauce, hang over oven rack, put oven on 150 and prop the door open.I've also seen it made with a box fan and the plastic grid used for rebuildable furnace filters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbarron77 Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Dehydrator or oven works fine. The big points are marinade(for as long as you can) and ensuring it is completely dried out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gump Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 I use the venison that isnt big enough for a steak yet 1/4 thick and bigger than a quarter. Standard 5 or so tiered dehydrator from Kmart. Tried deer burger thru a squeeze gun jerky maker before. It sucked. Disintegrated in your mouth I think due to the low fat in the 100%deer burger. This is home butchered stuff, nothing added. I think you need to add pork fat or something to hold burger type jerky together. Can't find my recipes but whatever it is I'd just let the meat soak in the fridge for a day. Time on the dehydrator is around 12 hours but you have to pluck thinner pieces earlier unless you like dry cardboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted January 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 I'm going to try to make some for the first time, probably next week. Seems like flank steak and eye of round roast are popular cuts for jerky. Some people add meat tenderizer to the marinade, anyone know if that makes a difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 I wish I had some venison. There's a guy at work that hunts but doesn't like it so if he bags a deer, I pay for the processing and get all the meat. He didn't get anything the year before and last year he was hurt and didn't hunt. If anyone hunts and doesn't have use for the meat, LMK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbarron77 Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 lean meat works best, and I've had it cut at Kroger, asking them to prepare it for jerky(since they cut it free). I've never used a tenderizer since my marinades have so much salt in them(Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic, or Teriyaki and garlic or salt+pepper+garlic.......I like garlic). I also to a minimum of 24 hours in the fridge to marinade, turning the bags a couple times to ensure full coverage. Drying is dependent on how much you want to chew. Pioneers would rate their jerky done "When you can break it off and stab someone", I prefer mine a bit less lethal, but make sure the moisture is low enough to prevent bacteria(leather consistency is usually a good indicator). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) The salt acts as a preservative. If you're not using a preservative, be sure you eat it within a few days or keep it refrigerated. Edited January 5, 2016 by ScubaCinci Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTheAzn Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) There's a guy at work that hunts but doesn't like Idk why but him hunting but not enjoying the spoils bothers me. Does he do it for the antlers? Sounds like he just likes killing things legally lol. Edited January 5, 2016 by TimTheAzn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytriple Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 I do smokies not jerky. Sorry but I use 100% deer meat no need to add fat. I home butcher mine also an keep some of the back fat an grind that with the leaner cuts. I use a jerky shooter to stuff casing then let cure for 24 hrs. I use the oven or smoker to do mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Idk why but him hunting but not enjoying the spoils bothers me. Does he do it for the antlers? Sounds like he just likes killing things legally lol.H just enjoys the sport of it I guess. I'm the opposite, when I was a teen I was hunting with my dad and shot a deer. Caught up with it and it was laying there bleeding out and suffering before we got there and finished it off. Made me feel like shit even though we used just about every bit of that deer and I've never been hunting since. I have no problem with others doing it...I just don't want to see it happen. I'm too empathetic I guess. hahaha...I always say that... "beef jerky time" and no one but my wife ever gets it. Love that movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytriple Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 I enjoy the thrill of the hunt as much as the harvest an use of the deer. I tried jerky before from the rump roast. Sliced thin marinade over night they dries in the oven. It turns out good, but I prefer smokies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytriple Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Or my personal favorite cheddar jalapeño trail bologna. Just made up five pounds of it the other day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted January 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 H just enjoys the sport of it I guess. I'm the opposite, when I was a teen I was hunting with my dad and shot a deer. Caught up with it and it was laying there bleeding out and suffering before we got there and finished it off. Made me feel like shit even though we used just about every bit of that deer and I've never been hunting since. I have no problem with others doing it...I just don't want to see it happen. I'm too empathetic I guess. I've not been hunting. I would be fine taking the shot, I'm just not interested in doing the field dressing. I have a friend that begs me to hunt with him because he knows I can shoot. He badly wants a deer, but he's the least accurate shooter I've ever seen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaCinci Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 My dad more or less quit hunting when we lived in upstate NY and he nearly got shot one year and his hunting partner nearly got an arrow to the gut the following year. Too many idiots out there shooting at anything that moves. He still went out here and there but only when he could hunt on private property. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted January 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 Think I'm going to try this jerky recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/142948/docs-best-beef-jerky/ Anyone got a better one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbarron77 Posted January 5, 2016 Report Share Posted January 5, 2016 liquid smoke can overpower other seasonings(depending on brand), so try a small batch before making large batches. Also, try using a London Broil, if you catch it on sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpoppa Posted January 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 I finally made a batch of jerky yesterday. It was super easy & came out awesome. The only hard part is telling when it's done. You can't really tell how firm or dry it is until you take it out of the dehydrator and let it cool for an hour. It took about 5 1/2 hours in my cheapie, $40 dehydrator. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytriple Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Easy way to tell if it's good is to take a piece an bend it. If it starts to spilt an not just bend its done. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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