Beef Jerky

[Silverback]

Man, that is a BAD ASS road trip you're on. My parents are moving to Wimberley and I'm stoked to spend a little more time in the Hill Country. Glad you liked that stuff too! I hope you brought some back for me

My mom lives there and is a real estate agent if they need any help, let me know.

[krazy kris]

Robertsons is badass and it's sold in every luvs truck stop

[kingjason]

Y'all who think these chain store jerky meat is good - should take the time to start making your own. I make anywhere from 3-10 pound (Dried) batches and invest about 3-7 hours of time to make it. I'm guesstimating it is around 10 dollars a pound (dried) for my cost. (meat, wood, electric, seasoning and other materials.)

Even a cheap dehydrator is good enough, I upgraded since I tend to do a ton of meat at a time. Heck ovens can do the trick too if they have a low enough temp.

Anyway, if you really like jerky it is worth the time and financial investment to do it yourself - even with store bought seasonings and such. Make it is a thick, thin, dry, moist, smoked, salty, hot, peppery...etc as you want. My preference is very dry, salty with heavy-ish smoke along with the seasoning. So I just add extra curing salt.

My FIL makes his own and it is bad ass. With the cost of jerky these days I may need to go this route.

Robertsons is badass and it's sold in every luvs truck stop

Love this but 40.00 a pound is getting out there. It doubled in price in 5 years I think.

[yellowstang]

OK, I was about to post a "How do you make your own jerky" thread, but I'll post it here.

Got a dehydrator the other day, and it came with 3 packs of seasoning. Used one on some fillet we made our first batch with, waaaaaay to salty! I still ate it, but not very good, like 4 outa 10 stars.

For those who make their own. What seasoning do you use?
What steak do you use. I'm using a fillet this time, round 2, and about half the seasoning (well, it is 2 separate packs, so half the salt pack). Just threw it in the dehydrator, check it 6 hours, see what its looking like. I did cut it a little thin probably, so it may finish in 10 or fewer hours. Last batch was about 7 hours.

[ceyko]

For those who make their own. What seasoning do you use?
What steak do you use. I'm using a fillet this time, round 2, and about half the seasoning (well, it is 2 separate packs, so half the salt pack). Just threw it in the dehydrator, check it 6 hours, see what its looking like. I did cut it a little thin probably, so it may finish in 10 or fewer hours. Last batch was about 7 hours.

I use the cheapest meat I can find that is not too fatty (Fat is your enemy with jerky) and use one of those jerky slicers to prep it.

I use the seasoning they sell at Academy and tweak that mostly and add extra curing salt. Otherwise, whatever someone gets or leaves around I'll just throw that in too.

I'll get a large mixing bowl and put whatever seasonings I want in it ...etc add water and then put it and the meat in a bag. I'll put that in the freezer for a week or two. While it is in there I'll pull it every so often and mix it around.

Then I'll cold smoke for 3-4 hours.

Then I'll dehydrate it for however long that takes. I tend to do on the cool side, some folks crank up their dehydrators. I feel like it gets it better the longer it's in there, so I do like 155-160 on mine (it's a knob, so not exactly precise).

Then when done, bag and clean up.

Generally, I don't pay more than 3 dollars a pound for the meat I use at the local market.

[yellowstang]

I use the cheapest meat I can find that is not too fatty (Fat is your enemy with jerky) and use one of those jerky slicers to prep it.

I use the seasoning they sell at Academy and tweak that mostly and add extra curing salt. Otherwise, whatever someone gets or leaves around I'll just throw that in too.

I'll get a large mixing bowl and put whatever seasonings I want in it ...etc add water and then put it and the meat in a bag. I'll put that in the freezer for a week or two. While it is in there I'll pull it every so often and mix it around.

Then I'll cold smoke for 3-4 hours.

Then I'll dehydrate it for however long that takes. I tend to do on the cool side, some folks crank up their dehydrators. I feel like it gets it better the longer it's in there, so I do like 155-160 on mine (it's a knob, so not exactly precise).

Then when done, bag and clean up.

Generally, I don't pay more than 3 dollars a pound for the meat I use at the local market.

Shit, I was just at Academy this weekend and didn't even think to look there!

[kingjason]

I use the cheapest meat I can find that is not too fatty (Fat is your enemy with jerky) and use one of those jerky slicers to prep it.

I use the seasoning they sell at Academy and tweak that mostly and add extra curing salt. Otherwise, whatever someone gets or leaves around I'll just throw that in too.

I'll get a large mixing bowl and put whatever seasonings I want in it ...etc add water and then put it and the meat in a bag. I'll put that in the freezer for a week or two. While it is in there I'll pull it every so often and mix it around.

Then I'll cold smoke for 3-4 hours.

Then I'll dehydrate it for however long that takes. I tend to do on the cool side, some folks crank up their dehydrators. I feel like it gets it better the longer it's in there, so I do like 155-160 on mine (it's a knob, so not exactly precise).

Then when done, bag and clean up.

Generally, I don't pay more than 3 dollars a pound for the meat I use at the local market.

So what's your total cost on doing a pound? 3 bones once you have the set up? Saw it up top never mind on the cost!

I think what irritates me the most about jerky, is how in the f**k do they get so many carbs in the stuff you buy? Robertsons has 0 carbs or maybe 2. Everything else is like 7 per serving.

[CJ]

round steak works great for jerky and it's relatively inexpensive. I rarely only do a pound, but I can tell you $20 will usually make a few pounds. The jerky mix and cure is something like a few bucks.

[yellowstang]

So what's your total cost on doing a pound? 3 bones once you have the set up? Saw it up top never mind on the cost!

I think what irritates me the most about jerky, is how in the f**k do they get so many carbs in the stuff you buy? Robertsons has 0 carbs or maybe 2. Everything else is like 7 per serving.

Sugar probably. Everything seems to have something sweet added to it

[ceyko]

Shit, I was just at Academy this weekend and didn't even think to look there!

haha, yeah and I was trying like heck to make my own mix and am still working on it (half pound at a time). However, my buddy's was great to awesome from batch to batch so I was trying to hit him up. Drunk he just admitted it was the stuff at academy doctored up.

Academy sells two different types/brands. One is Backwoods and I can't remember the 2nd. Both are more or less same/same with the marinade method though.

I personally would not waste your time with the peppered ones. Just use red pepper and cayenne to taste. I do hot jerky as a separate thing just for myself.

Teriyaki jerky, just make a sauce and use that. Add curing salt and whatever other ingredients you want. Curing salt can also be bought at Academy. I've had my pink shaker of it for 2 years now and I think I still have half left or a little more.

Most of the seasonings have some sort of curing salt with it, I just like the salt taste and rather be on the side of caution.

Get ready, once you get it licked folks are going to crave it. I up'ed my last batch and it was 3 (1) gallon bags STUFFED full. I'll end up giving a whole gallon bag's worth away. Nice to hand out to friends/family and folks who say...do a good job performing a service (HVAC repair...etc...etc). A lot of folks won't take money as a "thank you" but appreciate a sandwich bag with some jerky in it that is good.

[jluv]

By far my favorite jerky.. I like that it is thin and very dry and I chew it like long cut tobacco (except I swallow the juice, of course).. I absolutely despise juicy / moist beef jerky.

I'm opposite. That stuff is like putting a wooden shingle in your mouth. Bleh. Worst jerky I've ever had.

I typically buy jerky from booths at festivals. Even bought some at a gun show a while back. It may be sketchy, but I've been happy with most of what I've tried.

[Chili]

I'm opposite. That stuff is like putting a wooden shingle in your mouth. Bleh. Worst jerky I've ever had.

I typically buy jerky from booths at festivals. Even bought some at a gun show a while back. It may be sketchy, but I've been happy with most of what I've tried.

It's all a matter of taste, and we have long since established your eating habits are far from normal.

[jluv]

It's all a matter of taste, and we have long since established your eating habits are far from normal.

True. They are exquisite.

[yellowstang]

Since I'm still learning, I buy small steaks and experiment.
2nd batch, grass fed sirloin, cut sorta thin to cook faster. Cooked at 165 for about 8 hours yesterday.

Turned out pretty good! Still a tad bit on the salty side, but I'd rate this a solid 7 outa 10!

[yellowstang]

Speaking of jerky, WTF is up with toothpicks these days? Does anyone not make wooden toothpicks worth a shit? I swear, they just break or splinter within 30 seconds of use.