Jerky Round or Sliced

[dougk]

I am looking to make jerky this year.  Does anyone have a recommendation for using ground venison or sliced venison?  Also. do you have a great mix recipe that I can make using spices found around the house?

Thanks
Doug

[WylieKy]

dougk,
Jerky is a food of LOVE, so I don't believe in recipes, but I'll tell you the basics as they have stood in my family.  1st-ground is for chili, not jerky. 2nd-use a soy sauce base and try to NOT get the authentic stuff, it is much more bitter than our A-merican version. Not sure what part of the country you're in, but Kroger brand is great.  From there it goes by your personal taste, but I will tell you what I usually use.  1lg bottle of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of both worstcheshire sauce and teriyaki.  1 cup brwn sugar, lots and lots of garlic, red pepper, and onion powder.  A little white pepper and black pepper.  Now, I like it HOT, so I also at 1 lg habanero pepper carefully chopped.  I also use Louisiana hot sauce for some tang.  You can add more brown sugar and less pepper for more sweet and less heat and vice versa.  This is a POTENT marinade, you should start taking it out after 1-1 1/2 hrs.  Works in both dehydrator and oven.  It's done when you can bend it and the outside cracks and you can see white fibers along the break.  Good luck.

[willysjeep134]

Some folks say to slice with the grain when making jerky so it comes out more chewey, but I usually slice across the grain or on the bias so the jerky is still edible once I dry it out to the point I like. Ground jerky requres a jerky shooter to make, and I don't like it so much.

[John]

I like to make it with ground meat. I have a good slicer, but you have to marinate sliced meat quite a while, and use alot of liquid for the marinate.

With the ground meat you use about all dry spices and it's ready for the dehydrator as soon as you get it mixed.

There's several jerky guns on the market now, and I would recommend one of the larger versions over the little plastic shooter that was sold by wallyworld. Bass Pro has a couple of nice versions. They lay down a thicker piece of meat and it makes good jerky.

Here's one of my recipies for ground meat...takes two pounds of meat.

1 tsp. curing salt
2 tsp. cayanne pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1/8th tsp garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tbs. lea&perrins worchestershire

It's pretty quick and easy, mix the meat with the seasonings run it through the shooter and plug in the dehydrator.

I haven't found anyond that didn't like it, but there's alot of different recipies if you want to play around. When you get tired of playing around whip up a batch of mine and enjoy. :lol:

[aulrich]

I too do ground jerky but it is mostly because I like a good roast as much or more than jerky so I never sacrifice my good cuts for jerky.  My kids prefer it too the ground is easier for them too eat.  Recently I tried a high country spice pack (I got a couple of them for $2 each) and it turned out reasonably well (it disappeared fast enough).  

IMHO the big thing is getting the curing right, you want enough so that it is safe but not too much. After that spice it to what ever tasted good,  just remember it takes more spice than you think. Hey like the guy said, chilli I bet you could make a chilli flavored version, Morten's salt and chilli powder,  boom chilli jerky.

My next batch is going to be a little experimental. Sort of like pemican (that old indian pack food ground up jerky with dried berries held together with bison fat).  I have heard of modern versions using peanut butter instead of bison fat.  But I though I would try A plain salt and pepper flavored jerky with some proportion of dried cranberries and ground peanuts. Mix it together shoot it into the dehydrator and with any luck a pemican type snack comes out. The idea is to balance out the nutrients in it,, the fruit and nuts adding some carbs and fat to the mix..

[dougk]

Wow... Thanks for the advice... I might try ground first.
Doug