Jerky - Dehydrating

“I know this topic has been beaten to death so allow me to apologize ahead of time. I got the dehydrator which came with one packet of jerky spices and a cure packet. Since I'm out of those, what else can I use? I know I can make my own concoction of spices but do I need something to cure the meat as well? salt? Thanks.”

“No. bro. Marinate/rub, slice 1/8 inch thick across the grain. Lay it out on the tray. Dehydrate, checking in a few hours to wipe excess oil off top of the meat with a paper towel. Do the same when done drying as the oil/fat will cause the jerky to spoil. Meat should be pliable, not crispy.”

“I don't cure mine, but it doesn't last long enough to spoil anyway. You will want to salt the meat for taste of course.”

“so what's the point of the cure packet?”

“brother de wolf - them little cure packets are made up of salt and sodium nitrate. They'll give the jerky a shelf life of weeks. If you don't use it, it'll only last days, if you're lucky.

I would speculate you could load up on the salt to help it keep longer. But I'm just speculatin', and you may be spewin' your lunch if that's incorrect. Proceed with caution. Slippery when wet. Slow children crossing.”

“I don't understand, Artex.

The jerky I make has a shelf life of weeks, if not months. I do make mine very dry. I make sure it's dry enough to break, if bent. I've been making it this way for 5 or 6 years.

I marinate it in overnight in worchestershire, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, and ground dried habanero pepper.”

“I'm with le Subtil. I've never had a batch spoil but again, about the longest I've kept it around is a few weeks. I think it would keep for years, if kept in the freezer.”

“It's the salt in the worchestershire and soy sauce that cures the meat. (I worked in a sauage factory at one time) (High levels of salt is how many hams are cured.) It should last a couple of weeks un-refrigerated, as long, as others have said, you blot the fat from time to time during dehydration. When I've made mine ahead of time, I store in the freezer, double-bagged, with as little air as possible.”

“Most grocery stores here in the south carry "canning salt"; "salt cure" or "sugar cure" in the spice isle.

We use it to rub down the hog before it goes on the grill. (whole hog BBQ is cooked by direct or indirect heat at 250 deg +/-). As the hog doesn't heat up quickly, the sugar/salt cure protects the outside of the hog against a bacteria bloom until the hog reaches critical temperature.

You could use the meat cure.

If you can't find it, send me an email and I will send you box of it. Generally it is in a 2 or 3 # box.”

“Thanks for the tips fellers. Is there a difference when you are using groud meat as opposed to sirloin or what have you?

le Subtil - how about the amount of each ingredient in your recipe for say a pound of meat?”

“I did not know that about the other methods.. wierd, wild stuff! Thanks for enlightening me, I'll have to try the methods you guys described.”

“If you use ground me use only lean ground meat, no fat. The fat will spoil quickly.”

“I always have used round steak, cut into thin strips. Much less fat than ground beef.”

“Had a few batches spoil,even after freezing, till I got my vacum sealer. Makes all the difference in keeping anything long term.

I use London Broil, but hear Tri-tip is better. Next batch.”

“What part of you are you grinding? :-)”

“Good questions - equally good practical info.

Thanks!”

“Artex,
please don't change your recipe. It's good just the way it is!
if you change it I won't backpack with you again!


j/k”