Home made jerky

Macdaddy4738

Macdaddy4738

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2005
Does anyone make their own home made jerky?

I got a dehydrator for Christmas and have been messing with it a bit. I've done jerky (beef) twice now but it's still not where I want it. Any recipes?

I've been using london broil for my meat, but I think there are better cuts out there. Any suggestions?

The dehydrator is awesome. I've used it to make a few different things. Have apple chips going right now, planning on having some fruit leather going later this week.
 
For Christmas my daughter gave me some deer jerky. A friends of hers from upstate NY made the kill and gave her some venison. It is spicy and good :)
 
I have made a lot of deer jerky. London broil seems like a little too tough of a cut if beef to me. The trick is to slice the meat against the grain and at least a 45 degree angle.
 
I use London broil for mine. I really like my recipe. I haven't committed it to memory. I'll post it once I look it up.
 
Do any of you cure it? I used a few marinades high in salt (typically from soy sauce) so I never bothered to add cure or mess with that.

This last batch, I used the cure packet and seasoning packet that came with the dehydrator just to see if there was a difference. It's still marinading so I won't know for sure until later in the week.
 
I use London Broil too. My trick to slicing it is to put it in the freezer for about 2-3 hours before slicing. That makes it firmer, but not frozen, so it is easier to slice. I also prefer dry rubs that have a cure to wet marinades. The beef jerky outlet use to have a flavor called hillbilly that was really good, but haven't seen it in a long time.
 
For venison jerky I've been using a 50/50 mix of soy sauce and Worcestershire, with a healthy dose of fresh cayenne peppers, fresh garlic, and black pepper for a kick. Made three batches in the last month and it always seems to disappear within a couple days.

I don't have a dehydrator so I just hang it in the oven at 170 degrees until its the right consistency, usually about five hours.

It isn't a finished recipe by any means, but it sure gets devoured fast. I'm going to work on a teriyaki version and a cracked pepper version next.
 
I use soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder,onion powder,lemon juice, franks redhot sauce. You add or subtract they hot sauce for a milder or spicier flavor. Another trick is to add extra pepper, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper once you put it in the dehydrator for extra flavor as well. trial and error is part of the fun!
 
It's almost impossible to make bad jerky. It can be dryed too much IMO. I usually use Soy Sauce, brown suger, Colgins liquid smoke, garlic/onion powder, pepper or lemon pepper and there are many other things like fresh peppers, fruit juices, wine, spirits you can add to your marinades. I just throw together rough measures of stuff mentioned and taste/adjust till I like it before marinading.
 
This time I made it with whatever spice/cure came with the dehydrator. It was pretty good, definitely more beefy tasting than my other batches. I also sprinkled a few different dry rubs I had on it. I definitely prefer the thinly cut stuff.

Does anyone use cure in their marinades? I haven't until this time, but I think it made a difference. Everything I've read says that if you use something high in salt (soy sauce, etc) that cure isn't really needed.
 
Heres the recipe I use on both beef and deer. It works great on either and can be adjusted easily for heat....


1 tablespoon sugar-based curing mixture (such as Morton® Tender Quick®)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon whole mustard seed
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 pound lean venison roast, trimmed of all fat and sinew or beef flank steak
Directions
  1. Combine curing mixture, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard seed, ground pepper, red pepper, and liquid smoke in a large bowl. Mix until evenly blended, and set aside.
  2. Slice venison with the grain into strips 3/16-inch thick, and 2-inches wide. Add to curing mixture and gently mix together until every slice is coated with curing mix. Place into a plastic bag, squeeze out all air, and seal; or place into a glass or plastic bowl and cover. Refrigerate for at least 18 hours to cure.
  3. Squeeze excess liquid from the venison, and lay the strips onto the dehydrator racks, making sure the pieces do not touch each other.
  4. You can tell the meat is done when it no longer bends and you could break off a piece with ease, but the meat should not be so dry as to be crisp and break. It is better to be less dry than over dried, because you can finish it by letting it air dry to perfection. Do not worry about color changes of the jerky, it will get lighter and harder as it continues to dry over time. Jerky can be frozen or kept in sealed containers in the refrigerator.
 
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