Justin & Meredith Winokur's Kitchen Cooking Notebook
Sitemap ·
Our Recipe Book ·
Steven's Recipe Book ·
Ann's Recipe Book ·
Meal Ideas ·
Copied Recipes
Random ·
Random Links
Home > jerky
All for 'jerky'
All sub pages for /_tags/jerky
House ("No Idea") Flavor Ground Beef Jerky -- back to top
I made this a few times and this recipe is mostly based on 2016-02-14 with some changes from 2016-02-19.
I would call this my "House Flavor" at this point
Vinegar Note: I've had mixed experiences with the amount. When using a cheap (filtered) grocery store brand, 3 is fine. When using high-end, unfiltered, going lighter will lessen the over-powering impact. Use water to make up the difference.
Combine all but the beef and heat just enough to dissolve the sugar. Let flavors meld for 10+ minutes and marinate with the beef for an hour to a day.
"Original" Beef jerky -- back to top
I made another batch of ground beef jerky. I aimed for a "Classic" or "Original" recipe. I based mine off of two of Alton Browns [1, 2, local]
My adaptation was as follows. Note that this was for 1 lbs of extra-lean ground meat:
I marinated the ground beef in that over night. When I pulled it out, there was some liquid not absorbed so I drained it.
I rolled it into thicker strips than last time using a plastic chopstick as a guide. I think they were about 1/4 in. going it. I dehydrated them for about 6 hours on the hottest setting.
It worked out really well. This could very easily be my "Original" recipe. Maybe a bit lighter on the liquid since I didn't need it anyway. And more agave! I will be playing with, and modifying this one some more. I am not sure how it would need to be adapted for slices of meat instead of ground beef.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9406, 2015-01-01_165053
Miso Mushroom Jerky -- back to top
I tried to make mushroom jerky. It was strange. I took about 10 large portabella caps, removed the stems and gills and made a marinade. The marinade was essentially exactly that ofMiso-Marinated Portobello Carpaccio(recipe) but with the following changes
I sliced the caps and marinated them over night. I then dried them on 135-145 until dry (~7 hours). They are strange to say the least. Not bad but weirdly chewy and rubbery.
I like the general idea and I will keep experimenting. Maybe ground up mushroom would work better.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9431, 2015-01-05_073555
"Original" Flavor Beef Jerky (take II) -- back to top
I made another thing of "Original Flavor" beef jerky. I was going with thicker slices so I also did two lbs of extra-lean ground beef.
My recipe was as follows:
I mixed the liquids together and let them sit for a while. I then marinated the beef overnight. This texture was good but I still really struggled to form it. I am going to look into something like a jerky gun. I do not think all of the pepper made it in and I liked that. Less pepper next time
I made about 14 ounces all said and done. The nutritional info is below but it's essentially 2 points/ounce with 335 mg sodium. Not bad. I do not think I will be messing much with this recipe or process (other than forming and pepper as noted). And I do still want to try with beef slices instead of ground.
| Item | x | Cal | Fat | Carbs | protein | fiber | Sodium (mg) | per | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soy Sauce | 6 | 15 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 460.00 | 0.22 | 1.30 |
| Worcestershire | 18 | 5 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 65.00 | 0.11 | 1.95 |
| Agave | 1.333 | 60 | 0.00 | 16.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.74 | 2.32 |
| Sriracha | 3 | 5 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 80.00 | 0.11 | 0.33 |
| Beef | 8 | 130 | 4.00 | 0.00 | 22.00 | 0.00 | 65.00 | 3.04 | 24.32 |
| Total | 1314.98 | 32.00 | 54.33 | 176.00 | 0.00 | 4690.00 | 30.22 | ||
| Per Serving | 14 | 93.93 | 2.29 | 3.88 | 12.57 | 0.00 | 335.00 | 2.16 |
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9524, 2015-01-12_150106
I made BBQ beef jerky. I just kind of played around with it. It ended up with way too much liquid. This was my first time using solid meat. I was going to use flank but it was very expensive so I went with top round. It started as 1.49 lbs but by the time I trimmed the fat, it was just over 1 lbs + 3.5 oz (I didn't think I took that much off. Starting was from the package and the end was weighed at home).
The marinade was as follows: Note that if I do this again, it has to be a lot less liquid.
I marinated overnight then blotted off the beef (didn't rinse) and dried for about 5 hrs on 160.
Next time, I would dry at 160 for an hour then bring it down. I liked it a lot but it was a bit dry. I'd have to be more careful about lower temps though.
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9639, 2015-02-21_131101
Coffee-Cola and BBQ Slab Beef Jerky -- back to top
I am writing this pretty far post making it but I'll do my best.
I made two types of beef jerky. I bought 3.69 pounds of Beef Top Round and trimmed it to 3 pounds, 9 oz (it was pretty lean). I made coffee-cola jerky and BBQ. The coffee-cola was from this recipe (and local copy below). I followed it pretty closely including using Tender-quick. I knew this would be shared and would need to sit out a little bit so I wanted to cure it as well.
I also threw together a BBQ marinade. I used Tender-quick in that too. The recipe is below.
While I used the Tender-quick, I think they both needed more salt; especially the BBQ. It was very flavorful but a bit sweet and needed more flavor. It was also very thick making it harder to make and longer to dry. I need to get better at making marinades for slab jerky. Ground beef jerky has different needs since it can have the flavor inside it more and all the salt will be in the meat (as opposed to the leftover marinade)
I use a strainer that also helped make it easier to drain. Especially the coffee one which needed almost no draining.
I used 2/3 of the meat for the coffee cola and 1/3 for the BBQ. I marinated it starting at 4:30pm and started making it at 9:15 the next day. I did about 3hr 15 min at 150 (trying to go lower temp) and then a long time later at 140 until it was done.
Also note with this that added Tender-quick to the cola can cause it to fizz quite a bit. Make it flatter next time
Coffee Break Beef Jerky (Coffee Cola) (from Traeger Grills)
Local Copy password is the name of my dog, all lower case
Original Wordpress ID and Date: 9798, 2015-03-26_102316
"No Idea" Beef Jerky -- back to top
I decided to get back into jerky making. And, I also decided I wanted to go back to ground beef since, with the help of my new jerk gun (think caulk applicator but for beef), it is so easy to use.
I am calling it "No Idea" Jerky since the flavors are hard to describe. It was inspired a bit by Bilton and also some (but not all) recipes for bresaola.
Below is the recipe I used. I debated the salt content. I read through many recipes both from my own and a few books. They tended to have about 1/2 cup of soy sauce per pound. I had done that too with low sodium making it about 2300mg of sodium. That is about 1 tsp/pound of table salt. I think this worked well. It probably could have been a bit saltier but I kind of liked it not being over whelming. Therefore, I think the general guidance (for me) is about 2300-2800 mg of sodium per pound of ground beef
Anyway, the ingredients and process I followed is below but see below that for comments
I microwaved it all but the beef for about 30 seconds to dissolve the sugar. I then let it sit for about 40 minutes. After mixing the beef in, I let it sit over night (probably about 15 hours or so.
I used the Jerky Gun to form strips and then dehydrated at 145 for about 5:45 (HH:MM). At about the 2-3 hour mark, I took each piece off, blotted it well with paper towel, put it back (flipped) and rotated the trays. I did it again at about the 4-5 hour mark
I chose 145 to try to avoid cooking it too much. The instructions say 160 but many people do it even lower. I figured this was an ok mix
There will be a next time. This came out really good. Not too salty and lots of flavors. I can't really describe it, but they were a nice mix.
Next time though, I think I will use just 1 pound of beef but tweak the spices a bit and scale the salt. This should make it more intense but still keep it from being too strong. I will adjust from there for the future
I will scale the salt to 1tsp but I think I will switch to Morton's Tender Quick to provide some curing agent. Just to keep it safer.
I will actually make another batch soon for the sake of experimentation and having the time.
(2016-02-19: Final version of this recipe is now here)
"No Idea" Jerky (II) and Thai Jerky -- back to top
I made more jerky so we would have a good bit for the week.
I made them the night before. I heated the marinade to dissolve the sugar and marry the flavors. I let them sit for about 30-60 minutes, then I added the beef/bison (around 7:45pm on 2016-01-09). Then, around 2:30pm today (2016-01-10), I had it going at 145
I actually left the house and was out for longer than anticipated. Therefore, I did not blot it or anything. I came back around 7:00pm and stopped it. Therefore, it was about 18.75 hours marinating and 4.5 drying.
As I noted the first time, I wanted to try making the same basic recipe again but with less beef and keeping the rest the same.
That is essentially what I did. Below is the recipe. It again came out really good with lots of flavor. But, too much juniper. I would cut it to a scant 3/4 tsp next time but the rest can stay the same. The salt level was perfect
Heated all but the beef just until the sugar was dissolved then let sit for about 30 min to an hour.
(2016-02-19: Final version of this recipe is now here)
I debated exactly how I wanted to do this, but eventually decided on the following. I considered a Thai Chili pepper but decided against it since I was afraid the heat would be inconsistent. I wish I had done it as it was not very hot. I just thought of it now, but next time, I would use the blender to break it up.
The final result was good though. Maybe a tad salty but not bad. Not sure yet if the rice powder added anything
Again, heated all for a bit to combine. See above for comments and times.
Beef Jerky: "No Idea" and an attempt at New Mexican Red -- back to top
I made beef jerky again. I was a bit more time constrained. I made the marinades, let them sit to meld flavors for a little bit and then I marinated the meat for about an hour (out of the fridge).
I think I may have come to a stable recipe. It is basically like the one from last time but less juniper and I replaced the water with extra apple cider vinegar.
It started around 4:30 and I took it out around 8:40 after drying it at 145°F.
Combine all but the beef and heat just enough to dissolve the sugar. Let flavors meld for 10+ minutes and marinate with the beef for an hour to a day.
(2016-02-19: Final version of this recipe is now here)
I wanted to try to make something New Mexican so I went with red chile. The plan was to do it with close to normal amounts of liquid and blend it but the vitamix needed more liquid to grab everything. I think I ended up with about 1/2 a cup which made for a very wet jerky. I had to let it dry for about an hour more than the other one. I also did this one with the sticks instead of strips but I think from now on, I will just use the strips. I got some of the ingredients from red chile sauce recipes.
Flavor wise, it has a little kick and was overall ok. It could probably use some work on the flavors and more heat.
Toast the whole chili pods about half way, then cut off the stem and let the seeds stay in the pot. Finish roasting and add the water and turn off the heat (the water will likely boil right away). Let steep for ~5 min.
Remove the peppers but reserve the water. Combine all other ingredients but the beef in the blender. Add the minimal amount of water possible to the blender to get it going, starting with the pepper water (with the seeds removed). I needed about a 1/2 cup total. Use as little as possible.
Beef Jerky: Pepperoni and "No Idea" -- back to top
I again made another batch of beef jerky. I decided that, in general, I will do a batch of No Idea and then something new. This way, I know I have something good on deck.
Sadly, this time, the No Idea wasn't as good. I struggled with extruding it and I think the apple cider overpowered. I think it is because I used a higher-quality one that packed a lot more flavor. Maybe it was unfiltered. It wasn't bad, but not the best either.
I let this go for about 5 hours. It came out pretty dry and brittle. I read somewhere that this may be due to more water <==> more brittle but I do not know if that is true.
I did move it it's own recipe page here. See that page for a note about the amount of vinegar.
The pepperoni jerky was based on Off the Cutting Board (LOCAL). I made a few changes besides halving it but rather than note the changes, below is what I actually did. I let this go for about 5 hours and 40 minutes but, unlike the No Idea, this was a better texture
Grind the fennel and mustard with the crushed red pepper. Grind as much as possible. Combine all ingredients including just enough water to help it hold together. Heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.
Let the flavors meld for about 15 minutes then mix the beef and marinate for 1 hour to a day.
The end result certainly tasted like pepperoni. There was no doubt about it. But, the amount of liquid smoke was too much making it taste like the fake stuff my dad used to buy. Cut liquid smoke to 1/4-1/2 tsp next time
Also, the fennel as a bit over-powering. Not too bad and Meredith would still eat it. But, cut fennel to 1 tsp next time
House ("No Idea") and BBQ Beef Jerky -- back to top
I made my regular house (aka "No Name") jerky and a BBQ jerky.
I used the regular recipe except did half the apple cider and the other half water since this was unfiltered.
It come together and extruded normally, but for some reason, despite being the identical beef to the BBQ, this was so oily when I checked on it. I swear I couldn't even really blot it. I ended up at a certain point since it was late, turning it off, placing it open on a lined plate, and refrigerating it. It seems to have reabsorbed the oil or something since it was fine in the morning. As usual, I treat these as something you should refrigerate but can last some amount of time
I kept this super simple. I worked out the math on salt and went with:
I mixed the TQ and the water, then mixed it all. I know Sweet Baby Rays is super fake (first ingredient: high fructose corn syrup) but I like it a lot. These came out pretty good. Not overpowering amount of BBQ sauce and you could still taste beef, but also not super overpowering.
I marinated them both for about 3 hours, then started drying at 6:25pm at 145°F. At 10:45pm, they were super oily (especially the House) as mentioned above. After blotting them, I did another hour at 160 and then basically gave up. I think they worked out fine though.
House and BBQ Jerky -- back to top
This is basically a repeat of 2016-04-02. I basically did the same thing but with the cooker on 165.
They got really oily. The meat was supposedly 95% lean (from Whole Foods) but I am not sure. Also, it took a really long time. About 5 hours.
From now on, my rule is that if I am making jerky, it must be in my 4:30pm
Also, I didn't let it cool enough before putting it in the bags in the fridge. They were wet in the morning. I took them out and let it dry a bit and used a new bag.
Interestingly, the BBQ made about 9 oz and the House made 7.75 oz (probably due to the extra liquid to start)
House Flavor and Teriyaki Flavor Beef Jerky -- back to top
I've done this before on 2014-12-30 so I used a similar recipe, but I made some changes. For instance, we used Teriyaki sauce from 2016-07-24 which was very sweet so I didn't add extra sugar.
Anyway, it was:
The beef was super (!!!) wet. 1/2 cup of liquid is really the absolute upper bound I think for how much goes into it!
This was just my usual house jerky with bison. The only difference is that I wanted to use regular salt so I used about 2 1/4 tsp Diamond Brand1 kosher salt aiming for about 2500mg. I think it was actually a bit too salty this time. Other than that, I kept to my usual recipe.
I did both at 160°F.
Sure enough, the teriyaki did dry up pretty well. Still a bit more moist (and chewy) than I wanted but I think that is what should be expected
Also noted is a buffalo jerky recipe I was going to do but ended up doing teriyaki instead.
This one more coarse so this is still about 2500 mg sodium ↩
Kangaroo Green-Chile Jerky and Cilantro Beef Jerky -- back to top
Left: Kangaroo (not sure why it was so white at the lines), Right: Beef
This was part one of what we made for a Mad Science Party. I made green chile kangaroo jerky. Yes, kangaroo! We had bought frozen kangaroo at the supermarket a while ago and used it for this.
I made green chile flavor with:
I did it in the food processor (better for not a lot of liquids). The only problem was that I aimed for about 2300 mg of sodium from the salt, but forgot about salt in the chile.
It started off very wet but oddly seemed to dry faster. I think the wetter the start, the dryer the finish. And in less time. (5 hours @ 160°F)
This came out pretty good. A bit salty and had some kick from the chile. A bit gamey but that is to be expected (I'm told).
I think I would try green chile like this again. Maybe also paint some on later.
We use our cilantro-chile dip on everything so why not also in jerky? I was a bit hesitant because it has some oil, but I have it a shot. All I did 5 Tbsp of the green chile dip and 3/4 tsp salt. It was about as easy as it can get.
It needed more time than the green chile (6.5 hours @ 160°F). It came out pretty good. Tasted strongly of a dip. Maybe a bit too much so next time I would use less so you also taste the beef. But easy!