The Jerky Trials

[RE8ELD0G]

So in preparation for the next midlands meet based around smoking/jerking meat i am going to trial a few recipes at home to get my perfect marinade for jerky.
I will post the recipes i try here then give you a review of what its like after its made.
All mixes will marinade over night before going in the oven.

I like a bit of heat to my jerky, like the red peperami's
so my first mix will be:

JERKY MARK I...... FAILED

4tea spoons of Salt
1tea spoon of Pepper
1tea spoon of Chinease 5 spice
1tea spoon of Garlic powder
1/2 spoon of Cayenne pepper.
1/2 cup of water.

JERKY MARK II......WIN

2t salt
1t pepper
1t garlic
1/2t chilli powder
2t soy sauce
dribble vinegar
1t sugar
dribble worcester sauce
1/2 cup water

JERKY MARK III......WIN but hot!!!

4t salt
2t pepper
2t garlic
1t chilli
Used as a rub instead of a marinade.



CHINESE JERKY......Acceptable

Just going to try a packet Chinese style mix

HOT AND SPICY.......
Packet mix

PIRI PIRI......
packet mix

 

[Outdoordude]

Ive been wanting to make jerky for a while now. You mgiht of just helped me out. I must try it now. Cant wait to see what the result might be.

 

[MartinK9]

My Jerky recipe:

Apple cider vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Sugar or Honey
Black Pepper
Chili flakes
Garlic salt
Onion granuales
Soy sauce
Worchestershire sauce.

 

[sasquatch]

Those recipes both sound fantastic. There are a lot about, seems to be one of those things where people have their own formula for success. Nom nom nom!

 

[British Red]

That looks about spot on to me Martin - soy because it penetrates and salts, vinegar to tenderise, onions and garlic for flavour, sugars for sweetness, chilli for savoury heat. Thats about as good as it gets

 

[RE8ELD0G]

JERKY MK I FAILED
The chinese 5 spice was far too overporwering and was all you could taste
also i cut the meat too thin and it went brittle after only 4.5 hours!!

Now have the Chinese style and MK II in the fridge marinading,
MK III is in the oven drying now.

 

[widu13]

I marinade mine.

I use none measured amounts of:

Soy sauce
Honey (or any brown sugar, or even white sugar)
Fresh or more commonly dried Chilli flakes
Fresh garlic
Hot pepper sauce

Marinaded for 24 hrs in the fridge.

The mix is fantastic, but I am yet to get the cut right and often end up with very dry jerky; which is okay, but at vacuum seal time can puncture the bags!

 

[RE8ELD0G]

Just read the meat should be cut 1/4 inch thick!!!
I have sliced mine about 2mm thick and there in lies the problem too thin and it dries crispy.

 

[rik_uk3]

Sherry, garlic and liquid smoke work well.

Garlic, dry sherry or rice wine, honey and liquid smoke is a good one.

Any vinegar will tenderise the meat but not always needed, certainly not so much with sirloin. Go easy on the Chinese spice and try a Cajun mix which is also nice (85gm for 89p in B&M just now).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stubbs-Hickory-Liquid-Smoke-148ml/dp/B0011BPCVO comes in different wood 'flavours', its cheating a bit but tastes good but use carefully as its quite strong and you don't need to add a lot.

Celerysalt is not bad to add either.

 

[Mafro]

I quite like it crispy. I sometimes make it thin, sometimes thick.

Finely chopped hot chilli peppers such as scotch bonnet and whisky with a good grind of salt and pepper is really good. Last one I made I used Ardbeg whiskey and it was very good

 

[RE8ELD0G]

MARK III is very hot, tried some that was very thin and almost dry.
Thought my head was stuck in the oven!!!! lmao
cant wait for the chinese to baste so i can get that drying yum yum

 

[Craig88]

great thread, I too have been pondering making my own jerky so to get so recipe ideas down is great. keep up the good work

 

[Hammock Hamster]

I tend to find a gravitate back to the same old recipe -
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
2 heaped tablespoons of molasses or brown sugar
1 tablespoon of hickory liquid smoke (can get from places like amazon but is not cheap)
1 tablespoon of garlic powder (usually dehydrated garlic I have made myself which is much nicer than the shop bought stuff)
1 teaspoon for powdered onion (as above)
Heaped teaspoon of salt
Heaped teaspoon of well ground pepper
Maybe a dash of whiskey or brandy to suit your taste.

I have found the best way to get a good mix is to put all the dry ingredients in first and add a tablespoon or two of boiling water from the kettle in which helps everything dissolve a bit then add the wet ingredients.
It should turn out about 75% marinade and 25% wet rub, stick it all in a bowl in the fridge for 24 hours before dehydrating.
It may just be my taste but have found the more liquid you add the less you get flavour wise, it should be a sort of watery syrup consistency and be just enough to cover all your meat a bit like a glaze if that makes any sense.

Hope that makes sense and is some help.

Hamster

 

[tartanferret]

I did some spicy / Chinese type jerky but squeezed Lime juice over it now and again, gave it a nice zing ? zest surface which worked well with the Chilli !

Get's the old taste buds going on a morning ! (healthier than the salt-kick)

 

[RE8ELD0G]

Ok so the MARK III is done to perfection a little bit on the spicy side.......has a hell of a kick about 30 seconds into chewing and burns for 5 mins after!!!!!
Maybe a little less Chilli powder next time.

Got the Chinese one in now.....................smells soooo good cant wait to try it.

 

[RE8ELD0G]

The Chinese style has come out perfectly cooked but slightly bland in flavor.
The sauce is usually very nice but dehydrating it seems to have toned down the flavor, this one may need some tinkering to spice it up a bit.

The MARK II is now in and cooking smells beautiful.

 

[RE8ELD0G]

MARK II is lovely, got a nice flavor, the perfect texture and a good kick at the end.
May try a little more sugar in the next batch and amend this post as i do more.

Going in search of some different spices and some more packet mixes too.
Especially BBQ flavour

 

[widu13]

Just as a tip, for those of us that cannot keep jerky (because we eat it too quickly!) a much cheaper and just as tasty option is to mince stewing steak etc. Many mincers will also produce the "ribbons" and you just have to cut to length. Just marinade the same and mince nice and wet with some of the marinade. Delicious and cheap(er).

 

[RE8ELD0G]

Now trying some more packet mixes of Piri Piri and Hot and Spicy.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

Now trying some more packet mixes of Piri Piri and Hot and Spicy.

You will be a Jedi on the Jerky by the time White Rose meet comes round. Great thread!