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Started my four-week jerky-making marathon

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    Started my four-week jerky-making marathon

    I have made ground meat jerky for many years now. Our family likes it better than whole muscle jerky (don’t hate me).

    I decided to do a five pound batch every weekend for four weeks, and I started yesterday. Cajun was the flavour and it turned out great.

    After it’s done, I wrap ten pieces at a time in wax paper, and vacuum bag. Should be shelf stable for at least at least a year. Anyone know for sure? I dry the meat quite well, so moisture isn’t a problem. Not that I expect it to last a year, but...... 😀

    I plan on making a different flavour for each of the four batches.

    I also went to the convenience store and found them selling 12 grams of ground meat jerky for $1.99!!!!

    At those rates, the 900g I get from five pounds is worth $150!!!

    So much cheaper, and so much better.

    #2
    I am right there with you on the ground meat jerky. Way better texture, and I like the way the flavors meld together.

    Comment


      #3
      I know very little about making either kind, but I plan to give it a go this year. Please post some pics. Maybe you can shoot the entire process for one batch?

      Comment


      • andy.wpg
        andy.wpg commented
        Editing a comment
        I’ll document this weekend’s efforts and post a new thread. 😀

      #4
      I know for jerky you have to worry about the fat going rancid. You’re not using just regular ground meat are you?

      Comment


        #5
        I'm a whole muscle kind of guy. My go to recipes are smokey chipotle beef, and honey sriracha pork.

        Comment


          #6
          Originally posted by Razor View Post
          I know for jerky you have to worry about the fat going rancid. You’re not using just regular ground meat are you?
          Nope. Using very trimmed cuts with virtually no intramuscular fat. Beautiful jerky meat.

          The butcher I go to makes jerky that he sells over the counter, and commercially to companies that repackage it. He has a good supply of meat just for this.

          If I want to grind it myself, it’s $5/lb. If I’m feeling lazy, he charges an extra dollar a pound to grind it for me. I’m about 50/50 on grinding it myself and feeling lazy. Depends on the day.
          Last edited by andy.wpg; March 9, 2020, 06:08 AM.

          Comment


            #7
            Backroadmeats it's you that does jerky sticks too, right?

            Comment


              #8
              andy.wpg I am curious about the process for making this type of jerky. Definitely post more about this. Do you smoke this on your smoker, or use a food dehydrator? I've done jerky from thin cut steaks and such before, or cut it myself from a really lean cut of meat, and smoked it on my offset or kettle, but its been a couple years since I did any.

              Comment


                #9
                I am interested too. I have a dehydrator, and I make jerky at least once a month. Never tried it with ground meat though.

                Comment


                  #10
                  Originally posted by jfmorris View Post
                  andy.wpg I am curious about the process for making this type of jerky. Definitely post more about this. Do you smoke this on your smoker, or use a food dehydrator? I've done jerky from thin cut steaks and such before, or cut it myself from a really lean cut of meat, and smoked it on my offset or kettle, but its been a couple years since I did any.
                  In the nice weather, I’ll use the MES set for 160F for five hours (pasteurization) and then 135F till it’s done. Only put wood chips in when I put the meat in, and one hour later.

                  In the winter, I use the dehydrator, same exact temperatures and method.

                  After 3-4 hours, I turn the pieces over and rotate the trays to mitigate any hot / cold spots.

                  When you start checking for doneness , always take your test chunk out and let it cool for five minutes before trying it. If it’s hot, it’ll fool you into thinking it’s not dry yet.

                  We find that round sticks are way more tender to eat than flat ones. The flat ones dry a lot thinner, and require more work to eat. I do them both ways, depending on mood.

                  Works very well either way.

                  Comment


                  • Cheef
                    Cheef commented
                    Editing a comment
                    I use the Big Chief smoker for all my jerky. It gets a bad rap because people try to use it as a meat SMOKER rather than a dehydrator. It does like the warm temps of spring and summer but it is a jerky making machine with large capacity
                    I have also used this little guide book for years. Simple explanations, and VERY good recipes. If you bourbon drinkers do a little research it has a recipe that an't be beat.
                    Last edited by Cheef; March 9, 2020, 04:23 PM.

                  • Mr. Bones
                    Mr. Bones commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Cheef Wha?
                    Swear I heared somebody say "Bourbon" lol!
                    Thanks fer th book link, I'll probly be gittin this one on my Kindle, sooner, rather than later!

                  #11
                  Originally posted by klflowers View Post
                  I am interested too. I have a dehydrator, and I make jerky at least once a month. Never tried it with ground meat though.
                  As
                  Cheef mentioned above, it’s a lot more tender, and the flavours distribute evenly throughout. I mix with a stand mixer, and about 2-3 minutes mixes it great.

                  I’m about 50/50 using the Hi Mountain "kits" and doing the cure and seasoning from scratch. Both work very well.

                  I have two nozzles for my extruder (think caulking gun for meat) one is round, the other is flat. The round ones tend to be very easy to chew, the flat ones dry thinner and take more work.

                  Comment


                  • klflowers
                    klflowers commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Every time I go into Bass Pro or Sportman's Warehouse, I look at those jerky making kits, but I never pull the trigger. Is there one you would be comfortable recommending? Last time I was in Cabelas's (now closed and merged with Bass Pro), I was thinking about buying this one: https://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod..._ref=prd734172

                  • andy.wpg
                    andy.wpg commented
                    Editing a comment
                    They are all quite good. They work equally as well with whole muscle meat or ground. A little more expensive than making your own, but very convenient. Pick the flavour you like, they’re all tasty.
                    Last edited by andy.wpg; March 9, 2020, 11:31 AM.

                  #12
                  In case anyone is curious what happened with this project, it’s on hold until the shelter in place orders have lifted. We’re doing a lot better in Manitoba than a lot of places, and stay at home is helping.

                  The project will recommence at some point.

                  Stay safe everyone!

                  Comment


                  • Mr. Bones
                    Mr. Bones commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Lookin forward to more, Brother!
                    Be safe an well!

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