Do it yourself jerky?
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brooklyngirl
Yankee gone south
Nice! Share details of what worked and/or what didn't?
Munchkin
Full of Fairy Dust
november_ludgate
Member
I make my own jerky all the time. I did it pre-op, and I still do post-op. Mmm. Jerky.
I've got the Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator All-In-One Kit with Jerky Gun from Amazon, and I'm happy with it. I'm not allowed to post links here yet, or else I'd just link to it, but it should come up with a search. It's $65, but I've seen it for as low as $49 at times.
We've also done the alton brown method with the box fans and all that. It works too. I'd rather just throw it in the dehydrator though.
We go through the jerky quickly enough that I don't mind if there's a little extra fat in the meat, especially post-op. It sounds kind of gross, but the little marbley bits get all buttery when dehydrated. I like those bits the best. I've never had a batch last long enough to go rancid, though I'm sure that's a possibility. YMMV, of course, but we don't mind a bit of fat on our jerky. You mentioned you liked the jerky that was chewier than the store types, and for me that seems to come down to how thick the jerky is cut and how much fat is on the meat.
The jerky gun that comes with the dehydrator at the link allows you to make slim jim/steak strip type jerky snacks at home. It seems healthier than whatever frankenfoods must go into slim jims.
It comes with some seasoning packets that are available for reorder, but usually I just do my own just adding things I think would be good in a burger. We've used things like montreal steak seasoning, bbq rubs, stuff like that.
For regular jerky, we use flank steak or skirt steak, but usually we use something called "flap meat." It's a cheaper cut of steak that makes excellent fajitas and carne asada (a little trick I learned from an old mexican butcher in the mission district in San Francisco who "discovered" the cut of meat. Restaurant supply places and Costco sell it labeled as "flap meat" or "flap steak." This is what most restaurants you go to are using for steak tacos, steak fajitas, and carne asada. It's great, and about 1/3rd the cost of flank steak).
As someone said above, you want to slice against the grain. Thinner pieces will get crispier. Thicker pieces will keep a more chewy texture. I like to do a mix of both because I'm weird like that.
Like others said, we marinate for 24 hours, strain away the marinade, and throw it on the dehydrator. The one I linked to has different temperature settings. The trays are dishwasher safe, which is nice. You can also buy additional trays--we usually do about 6 trays of jerky at a time.
For marinades, I'll do things like:
Italian seasonings, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil
Teriyaki (find one with not a lot of sugar, to limit carbs, and because it gets sticky if it's too sweet) Or make your own with soy sauce, ginger, and no sugar added pineapple juice or sugar free jelly or sugar free maple syrup, depending on your tolerance for carbs)
Italian salad dressing
A1, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic powder, & olive oil
My husband likes to use chipotle tabasco and oil as a marinade, but really any hot sauce you like can be good for a spicy version
BBQ Sauce & cider vinegar - again find one that's not too sweet or it'll get sticky and have a lot of carbs
We'll also do a mix of BBQ sauce and tabasco. Obviously, that's spicy too
I've also done sesame ginger dressing pretty successfully, though I prefer the teriyaki if I'm going to go asian. The dressing was a bit less sweet, so it just depends on your tastes.
I've got the Nesco American Harvest FD-61WHC Snackmaster Express Food Dehydrator All-In-One Kit with Jerky Gun from Amazon, and I'm happy with it. I'm not allowed to post links here yet, or else I'd just link to it, but it should come up with a search. It's $65, but I've seen it for as low as $49 at times.
We've also done the alton brown method with the box fans and all that. It works too. I'd rather just throw it in the dehydrator though.
We go through the jerky quickly enough that I don't mind if there's a little extra fat in the meat, especially post-op. It sounds kind of gross, but the little marbley bits get all buttery when dehydrated. I like those bits the best. I've never had a batch last long enough to go rancid, though I'm sure that's a possibility. YMMV, of course, but we don't mind a bit of fat on our jerky. You mentioned you liked the jerky that was chewier than the store types, and for me that seems to come down to how thick the jerky is cut and how much fat is on the meat.
The jerky gun that comes with the dehydrator at the link allows you to make slim jim/steak strip type jerky snacks at home. It seems healthier than whatever frankenfoods must go into slim jims.
It comes with some seasoning packets that are available for reorder, but usually I just do my own just adding things I think would be good in a burger. We've used things like montreal steak seasoning, bbq rubs, stuff like that. For regular jerky, we use flank steak or skirt steak, but usually we use something called "flap meat." It's a cheaper cut of steak that makes excellent fajitas and carne asada (a little trick I learned from an old mexican butcher in the mission district in San Francisco who "discovered" the cut of meat. Restaurant supply places and Costco sell it labeled as "flap meat" or "flap steak." This is what most restaurants you go to are using for steak tacos, steak fajitas, and carne asada. It's great, and about 1/3rd the cost of flank steak).
As someone said above, you want to slice against the grain. Thinner pieces will get crispier. Thicker pieces will keep a more chewy texture. I like to do a mix of both because I'm weird like that.
Like others said, we marinate for 24 hours, strain away the marinade, and throw it on the dehydrator. The one I linked to has different temperature settings. The trays are dishwasher safe, which is nice. You can also buy additional trays--we usually do about 6 trays of jerky at a time.
For marinades, I'll do things like:
Italian seasonings, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil
Teriyaki (find one with not a lot of sugar, to limit carbs, and because it gets sticky if it's too sweet) Or make your own with soy sauce, ginger, and no sugar added pineapple juice or sugar free jelly or sugar free maple syrup, depending on your tolerance for carbs)
Italian salad dressing
A1, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic powder, & olive oil
My husband likes to use chipotle tabasco and oil as a marinade, but really any hot sauce you like can be good for a spicy version
BBQ Sauce & cider vinegar - again find one that's not too sweet or it'll get sticky and have a lot of carbs
We'll also do a mix of BBQ sauce and tabasco. Obviously, that's spicy too
I've also done sesame ginger dressing pretty successfully, though I prefer the teriyaki if I'm going to go asian. The dressing was a bit less sweet, so it just depends on your tastes.
SHales
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2014
- Messages
- 442
I make my own out of venison and beef. I wear like mine chewy. I usually buy a beef roast and grind it up myself, almost a chili meat grind. I season it with Braggs aminos and whatever else and put it in a thingy that looks like a salad shooter for burger. This thing pushes out pretty uniform slices. Then I dehydrate it and put in ziplock baggies in the freezer. Grab out a baggie and it is thawed by the time I eat it. I also do regular jerky but I like the ground meat kind better.
brooklyngirl
Yankee gone south
@november_ludgate thanks for all that great info! We get the flap meat packages from Costco all the time for marinating and grilling, the name is off-putting, but it's good
bearmom
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2014
- Messages
- 980
I didn't get the results I wanted, but it was my first try. I left it a little thick, which when dried, made it tough (like, tougher than jerky usually is) and hard to eat. I also didn't get enough salt on it, at hubbys request. He's eating it, as he has the teeth and jaws of a hyena.
If I make it to the farmers market tomorrow, I'm taking another stab at it. I've dried a few herbs this week as well that I thought would be good for jerky too.
If I make it to the farmers market tomorrow, I'm taking another stab at it. I've dried a few herbs this week as well that I thought would be good for jerky too.
ha! I snorted, too.
