NoDak
Hotlinking' sonofabitch
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 22,913
Jerky
I used top sirloin, and cut it in strips less than 1/4" thick. If you put the meat in the freezer for an hour or so before cutting, it makes it a lot easier to slice. After slicing the meat, sprinkled both sides with a jerky mix of black pepper, garlic, and cure. (that's the flavor I used, but there are a shit-ton of different flavors you can get) Then put it all in Ziploc bags in the fridge for about 24 hours.
Place all strips on jerky racks so there is a little space between them for airflow. I used hickory smoke, and smoked at 225 degrees for 2 hours. After 1 hour, I rotated all the racks so everything would get even heat/smoke. Then, removed smoke and water pan, and turned heat down to about 175 for another hour or so to continue drying. Check your jerky occasionally so it doesn't get too dry. You want to be able to bend it without it breaking. Keep in mind, drying will cause it to shrink and lose a lot of weight. You'll lose probably over half the weight you started with if not more.
If you want bigger/thicker strips of jerky, you'll need to adjust your marinade/smoke/drying time.
I used top sirloin, and cut it in strips less than 1/4" thick. If you put the meat in the freezer for an hour or so before cutting, it makes it a lot easier to slice. After slicing the meat, sprinkled both sides with a jerky mix of black pepper, garlic, and cure. (that's the flavor I used, but there are a shit-ton of different flavors you can get) Then put it all in Ziploc bags in the fridge for about 24 hours.
Place all strips on jerky racks so there is a little space between them for airflow. I used hickory smoke, and smoked at 225 degrees for 2 hours. After 1 hour, I rotated all the racks so everything would get even heat/smoke. Then, removed smoke and water pan, and turned heat down to about 175 for another hour or so to continue drying. Check your jerky occasionally so it doesn't get too dry. You want to be able to bend it without it breaking. Keep in mind, drying will cause it to shrink and lose a lot of weight. You'll lose probably over half the weight you started with if not more.
If you want bigger/thicker strips of jerky, you'll need to adjust your marinade/smoke/drying time.