First attempt at jerky

[Rascal2018]

I make biltong but when I vac pack it it goes bad ......so be cautious pal ...I now leave it uncut in a take away try with the lid just resting on top in the fridge and it lasts for yonks ...got a ab recipe if ya like it ...Everyone in the pub loves it .

You do yours in a biltong box?

 

[T.eddie]

Would it be better to put it in a dehydrator rather than a smoker then it should be dry enough to store.
Steve

It didn't last long enough for it to be a problem to be honest, texture was a expected with normal jerky though I've not tried to do it in a dehydrator yet so will do next time to compare

 

[TringSaint]

Try adding curing salt / pink salt (3% of meat mass) to the marinade and letting it sit for 24 hours.
This will pull the water out. Then rinse off and re marinade for another 2-3 hours or over night and then dry it.

Works a treat.

 

[T.eddie]

Try adding curing salt / pink salt (3% of meat mass) to the marinade and letting it sit for 24 hours.
This will pull the water out. Then rinse off and re marinade for another 2-3 hours or over night and then dry it.

Works a treat.

Cheers I do have some of that so will use it next time

 

[Woodsy]

Try adding curing salt / pink salt (3% of meat mass) to the marinade and letting it sit for 24 hours.
This will pull the water out. Then rinse off and re marinade for another 2-3 hours or over night and then dry it.

Works a treat.

@T.eddie Just be mindful which curing salt you use. Using #2 for jerky might not be the best idea because it requires time to convert the nitrite in to nitrate.

“What is the difference between curing salt #1 and #2?
The key difference between the two curing salts is the prague powder #2 has the additional sodium nitrate as well as sodium nitrite found in prague powder #1. This addition is good for curing meats over long periods. Products like salami, air dried hams such as prosciutto or serrano ham.”

Normal salt will draw moisture out over 24 hours.

 

[TringSaint]

@T.eddie Just be mindful which curing salt you use. Using #2 for jerky might not be the best idea because it requires time to convert the nitrite in to nitrate.

“What is the difference between curing salt #1 and #2?
The key difference between the two curing salts is the prague powder #2 has the additional sodium nitrate as well as sodium nitrite found in prague powder #1. This addition is good for curing meats over long periods. Products like salami, air dried hams such as prosciutto or serrano ham.”

Normal salt will draw moisture out over 24 hours.

Sorry, should have said that use a bacon dry cure salt which isn’t Prague #2.

 

[T.eddie]

@T.eddie Just be mindful which curing salt you use. Using #2 for jerky might not be the best idea because it requires time to convert the nitrite in to nitrate.

“What is the difference between curing salt #1 and #2?
The key difference between the two curing salts is the prague powder #2 has the additional sodium nitrate as well as sodium nitrite found in prague powder #1. This addition is good for curing meats over long periods. Products like salami, air dried hams such as prosciutto or serrano ham.”

Normal salt will draw moisture out over 24 hours.

Didn't know that thank you, I think I have the #2 which I got to eventually try and cure a leg or do salami so will have to get #1, Thank you for the heads up

 

[Woodsy]

Didn't know that thank you, I think I have the #2 which I got to eventually try and cure a leg or do salami so will have to get #1, Thank you for the heads up

To draw moisture out you only really need to use normal kitchen salt. Will draw a lot of moisture out over 24 hours.

 

[TringSaint]

To draw moisture out you only really need to use normal kitchen salt. Will draw a lot of moisture out over 24 hours.

It does the job ok, but it can make the meat change colour.
By adding a bit of #1 i find it retains the deep colour and the texture is firm but chewy.

But the key is experimentation. My marinade is: #1, light soy, coarse ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bit of sugar and either ground chilli flakes or ground cumin (depending on if I want it spicy or hot).

I usually put the fan oven on at 30 degrees and lay the meat out on cooling racks and let it go from there. Usually takes 10 hours to dry a sliced haunch of cwd or munty.

Another trick is to part freeze the meat before slicing as that way you can get to 3-4mm thick slices without losing the ends of fingers!!

 

[Woodsy]

It does the job ok, but it can make the meat change colour.
By adding a bit of #1 i find it retains the deep colour and the texture is firm but chewy.

But the key is experimentation. My marinade is: #1, light soy, coarse ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bit of sugar and either ground chilli flakes or ground cumin (depending on if I want it spicy or hot).

I usually put the fan oven on at 30 degrees and lay the meat out on cooling racks and let it go from there. Usually takes 10 hours to dry a sliced haunch of cwd or munty.

Another trick is to part freeze the meat before slicing as that way you can get to 3-4mm thick slices without losing the ends of fingers!!

Sounds delicious! Good point about colour change, it will definitely make a difference as far as that goes.

 

[StephenJD]

It does the job ok, but it can make the meat change colour.
By adding a bit of #1 i find it retains the deep colour and the texture is firm but chewy.

But the key is experimentation. My marinade is: #1, light soy, coarse ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bit of sugar and either ground chilli flakes or ground cumin (depending on if I want it spicy or hot).

I usually put the fan oven on at 30 degrees and lay the meat out on cooling racks and let it go from there. Usually takes 10 hours to dry a sliced haunch of cwd or munty.

Another trick is to part freeze the meat before slicing as that way you can get to 3-4mm thick slices without losing the ends of fingers!!

@TringSaint would you be willing to share quantities for your marinade / cure recipe? Just about to start my first batch and will have a play around but always helpful to start with a “known good” if possible.

 

[TringSaint]

@TringSaint would you be willing to share quantities for your marinade / cure recipe? Just about to start my first batch and will have a play around but always helpful to start with a “known good” if possible.

For the dry cure powder or #1 it’s 3% of the weight of the meat.
As for the rest, it’s a bit of trial and error. You want the mix to be a balance of salty and sweet (bit like teriyaki sauce) so add soy and sugar to taste in a bowl and then the other flavours until it’s at the right level of spice for you. Don’t taste with any dry cure powder or #1 in it tho as it’s poisonous!!
Then mix and combine all together and leave overnight or for longer to infuse into the meat.
I then drain off the liquor and grind some black pepper over the meat and give it a mix before drying.
I usually dry to the point that it’s is no longer sticky to the touch but has some chew left in it.
Hope that is ok.

 

[StephenJD]

For the dry cure powder or #1 it’s 3% of the weight of the meat.
As for the rest, it’s a bit of trial and error. You want the mix to be a balance of salty and sweet (bit like teriyaki sauce) so add soy and sugar to taste in a bowl and then the other flavours until it’s at the right level of spice for you. Don’t taste with any dry cure powder or #1 in it tho as it’s poisonous!!
Then mix and combine all together and leave overnight or for longer to infuse into the meat.
I then drain off the liquor and grind some black pepper over the meat and give it a mix before drying.
I usually dry to the point that it’s is no longer sticky to the touch but has some chew left in it.
Hope that is ok.

Perfect, thank you very much! I’ll let you know how it goes