Jerky advice

[gunslinger]

Right I can understand marinades and in fact already have a plan.

But how thickly should the beef be sliced??

Cheers
GS

 

[john scrivy]

slice it thin buddy

 

[Toddy]

5mm was too thick for beef and pork.
I think the meateaters in the family decided that 2 or 3mm was about right, but I did wonder if it were cut to 1mm would it turn into little meaty crisps though.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[C_Claycomb]

Well, with enough heat you can dry most things. I sliced up a half price roast and turned it into a sort of biltong/jerky in the kitchen oven over night on the lowest setting, with the door open, and some of those slices were a touch more than half an inch thick when fresh.

Thicker slices make it less of a snack food since it will be slower to pick up atmospheric moisture and its easier to carry, but harder to eat in the hand.

 

[Toddy]

The 5mm stuff was too tough said my carnivores...........did the long slow cook/ oven dry out make an easily chewed jerky ??

cheers,
Toddy

 

[C_Claycomb]

Sticks of biltong are never easy to chew. From the word go I cut bite sizes off with a knife.

 

[Nagual]

Most of the beef I've jerkied has been around 5mm or more, as a rule I can't cut it thin and even enough so I don't try. What I do do is score the meat in a criss-cross fashion so it dries out evenly and quicker though. Criss-crossing also helps you bit off little pieces too.

 

[CAL]

I've only made jerky once but I cut it about 3mm thick and dried it overnight in the oven. It came out dry but slightly chewy which was OK. I put far too much tariyaki and soy sauce in the marinade though so its not that pallatable.

 

[Melonfish]

between 3-5mm is what i did with mine, 7 hours in the oven and they were fine, not too chewy anyhoo, but then i like my jerky a little chewy.
like the idea of cutting up a roast tho, that sounds a bit cheaper then buying steaks! heh
pete