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Jerky Cure Question

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    Jerky Cure Question

    Hi All,

    I have a question regarding making jerky with a jerky gun as opposed to sliced meat as I have in the past.

    I got the Nesco jerky gun for Christmas and I do like it however I found the finished product too salty following the instructions and using the supplied seasoning mix AND the supplied cure.

    My question is do I have to use all or some of the cure? What are the risks of leaving it out? When using sliced meat I marinade it over night and use no curing salts. That product tastes great and lasts for quite a long time. Is using ground beef or buffalo a game changer?

    I would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and other options that may be available.

    #2
    If its too salty, use a different recipe. There are too many recipes and commercial marinades to be used. I have found that making your own recipe is the best way to go. Then you can dial in the flavors you really want. I have one that I use for my jerky when I go up to Canada and Alaska, that works really well. Let me know if your interested.

    Comment


      #3
      Thanks Spinnaker! Sure if you're willing to to share it I'm always looking for something new to try.

      Is it a recipe that can be used on ground meats, or only on sliced meats?

      Comment


        #4
        I happen to think of a follow-up question. Can I just skip the cure packet and substitute Prague Powder #1 in its place? The recommended amount is 1 tsp/5lbs of meat.

        Comment


        • Spinaker
          Spinaker commented
          Editing a comment
          No you shouldn't substitute. Prague powder can be dangerous stuff. It must be measured perfectly. I would leave that to Meathead or docblonder to tell you the correct ratio for doing that one.

        #5
        Okay, so here is the recipe. This is how it was given to me on this site. This recipe is amazing. I added a few teaspoons of ginger to the mix. And I leave out the liquid smoke, for obvious reasons. Now, I have not tried this with ground meat, but I see no reason that this wouldn'tt work for ground meats. Good luck and report back so we know how it went. Also, please let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!
        Click image for larger version

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        Comment


        • ecowper
          ecowper commented
          Editing a comment
          Just FYI .... Morton Quick Salt contains salt, sugar, sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. It's basically Prague Powder #1 plus sodium nitrate and sugar.

        #6
        Thanks Spinaker, I will give it a try, but I may try it on muscle meat rather than ground. I have read a few other posts about making jerky from ground meats that seem to indicate keeping liquids to a minimu as it extends the drying process. Whichever way I go I'll be sure to post back. In the mean time I plan to continue my quest for a less salty dry cure. I will post back my findings on that too.

        Comment


          #7
          This makes me want to bust out some of my venison steaks and make jerky. One question for you Spinaker , do you oven bake this or smoke it? Do you towel dry after marinade, or just leave them wet....ok I guess it was 2 questions
          I've always used the High Mountain stuff and had mediocre results

          Comment


            #8
            After I take the meat out of the marinade, I towel dry them. I lay paper towel down then place the pieces on the paper towels. Then I bot from the top with some more PT. I like to use the blue shop towels. They work great.
            Then take them to the smoker. Cook it to 165 IT and smoke low (200 F 225 F)
            Check out this thread, it has the original discussion on doing this whole recipe.
            Hello fellow Pitmasters. As some of you know, I am heading up to Alaska in a week. I am planning on making some beef jerky for the group. This will be my


            Comment


            • Spinaker
              Spinaker commented
              Editing a comment
              Good deal man! Cooking with family is the best!!!! And your gonna love this recipe!

            • Huskee
              Huskee commented
              Editing a comment
              Oh, blue paper towels are ok but not blue gloves? Crazy dude.

            • Spinaker
              Spinaker commented
              Editing a comment
              Hahahaha, I never made the connection. Looks like now I have to go back to Bounty!! Darn you Husk! Huskee

            #9
            I use the same marinate for my ground as my sliced just use less. Just add enough to mix in the ground evenly, unlike the sliced the ground keeps most of the marinade in it. Your really flavoring more than marinating. I don't use a cure salt in mine because it never lasts long enough in my house to need it. Also with ground you can always toss a piece of it in a pan or microwave and taste it before you put it in the smoker or dehydrator. Good luck

            Comment


            • efincoop
              efincoop commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks Mikey C, I'll give it a try.

            #10
            Hi guys-- It's not *necessary* to use a curing salt when you dry meat into jerky. As long as the meat hits 160F or so for an hour, and dries out, all but a few species of bacteria are dead, and cannot grow without moisture. Storing your jerky in the fridge is double insurance.

            But, the curing salts do add flavor, maintain a pink color, and protect against botulism and listeria. Its hard to field dress a deer, in the cold, without some fecal contamination. Not bad insurance all around.

            More important is making sure the meat hits 160F, and does so rapidly. Slow heating gives the bacteria time to shut down and hibernate. Then reawaken in your backpack. In a 180F oven, wet raw meat is only at 135F due to evaporative cooling. Only when the meat dries out and the moisture is gone, does it rise to 180F. But this is exactly the slow process you should avoid.

            Commercial jerky ovens cook at 160F in 100% humidity for the initial hour. So the meat can't cool by evaporation, and in minutes hits the target kill zone above 160F, and is pasteurized. Drying off the marinade on a towel helps reduce evaporative cooling, but removes some flavor. Some people air dry their raw meat strips on a rack in the fridge overnight, to safely remove moisture, then smoke or dehydrate in an oven. Others sousvide at 170F for an hour, then remove and oven dry.

            Comment


            • Spinaker
              Spinaker commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks for your help Doc!!

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