Making Beef Jerky

Kevin the grey said:
I must confess to only liking what I like . I,m not the most adventurous when it comes to wines though that is slowly changing . I,ll have to try a burgundy . Is there a winemaker you reccomend .
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Kevin I haven't drank wine for several years although we do cook with it once in a while.
Cooking evaporates the alcohol I'm not allowed much of due to health issues.
For cooking and general table fare it's hard to beat the better California Vintners.
There are now supposed to be some pretty dayumed good wines coming out of Oklahoma and Missouri, Arkansas has long been known as a wine making state. I used to like the Red Fox Wine my grandma used to buy over in Springdale but I don't recall the vintner, just been way too many years ago.
Years ago there was a line of wines put out by a Jewish Vintner that I really liked but again it's been way too many years.:( I liked them because of the variety, not just grape wines but all kinds of berry wines as well. I was especially fond of the blackberry and the red currant wine they made!!!!:thumbup: :D
The main thing about wines is to experiment and drink what *you* like, not what someone else dictates to you.:D :cool:
 
Thanks for this thread :thumbup: I'm going to have a go at it sometime, I love beef jerky but it's way too expensive in stores.
 
Kazeryu said:
Thanks for this thread :thumbup: I'm going to have a go at it sometime, I love beef jerky but it's way too expensive in stores.
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Yup, sure can't disagree with that.:( When you start making it though you come to realize just why it is so expensive.;)
Not only the labor and cost of supplies and meat but the realization that about 4 pounds of beef makes 1 pound of jerky.:eek:
Barb managed to find some really good flank steaks a while back for $2.99 a pound IIRC. Would have loved to have made some jerky from that but it was too good a cut to make jerky out of, we really enjoyed the steaks hot off the smoker though!:thumbup: :D :cool:
 
People around my neck of the woods wonder how I get my jerky potato chip thin and tasty . I use sliced eye of round that is meant for Chinese fondue .
Its quite common in my neck of the woods and is usually so lean as to need no trimming . It soaks up marinade in no time flat . It drys quickly and like I said , eats like potato chips . I get it on special for about three bucks a pound . I put it in the marinade when it is still partially frozen . Just thawed enough to separate it into its slices . Some stores will sell it a little " OLD" cause its frozen and they think they can get away with it . It is usually a dark red then and the tiny veins of white fat in it stand out dramatically . Usually it is just fine .
 
I've had the good fortune of grazing on and even getting to take a bag of Barbie's jerky home with me. It *is* the real deal and wonderful stuff...

I have a dehydrator available...going to try my hand at it soon now that I have her actual method and all...
 
This is from Alton Brown on the FoodNetwork (yields 10 to 12 ozs.).

1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords


Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.

Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.
 
Normally I don't resurrect old threads, but I finally had bought a food deydrator and made some beef jerky this weekend. It came out very tasty!

I used a top round which was on sale very cheap. Stuck it in the freezer for an hour and it was easy to slice pretty thin (Syperco Santoku for knife content!)

I made a quick and easy marinade of soy sauce, maple syrup and some ketchup and put it in the fridge over night.

I then used my "American Harvester" dehydrator and dried the meat for 5.5-6 hours. They recommended 7 hours, but I must have cut my meat thinner, since it was if anything overdone by 6 hours.

I got about 12 ounces of jerky from the original 3 pound round but that included cutting off all fat and stir frying some that wouldn't fit in the dehydrator.

Very simple and very tasty. I'm afraid that making your own jerky is going to be like reloading ammo-you don't spend any less money, you just eat a lot more jerky!

Shann
 
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