MH Jerky seasoning and some smitty's spice meet some Angus round and merlot!

[BBQ Engineer]

Last year I made some killer jerky from a cure and spice mix that Rich sent me...I had him make me up some more, because it is so easy to do and I wanted some for the pantry. Here is my second round of Jerky.

Bought some Angus Round...prices sure have gone up. I partially froze them too, and this time I am trying the across the grain cuts...more on that later.





Both were really lean with little waste and trimming.




got out my trusty MH Jerky cure and seasoning packet...I also added a sprinkle or two of some smitty's spice.


And added a little over a cup of some of Mrs. Engineer's current open wine.


Coated each piece and into a vac bag for about a day and a half...


Used Gunslinger's paperclip method and into the cabinet with a slow drizzle of cherry smoke.


Pulled after it got dark and finished in the oven...I may need to get a little bit more moisture out of a few pieces, but I called it for the night, I'll give it a sample again tomorrow and maybe a few more minutes in the oven.


I gotta say, I am still a sliced with the grain fan on jerky...but still a delicious treat. I think Mrs. Engineer may get a dehydrator on my christmas list, cause I'm gonna have orders for this stuff if I sample it around.

Thanks for taking a look at my post...Jerky!

[Critterhunter]

Damn fine looking Jerky,Dana.

[Fishawn]

Hell Yeah Dana! .... Maybe try this to remove some of the moisture?.... Stick the jerky in a zip lock bag with some paper towels overnight to help absorb some of the moisture.... I have used it a lot on smoked salmon & a couple times on jerky.

[Richtee]

Well, that's just downright pretty stuff, sir! I know how some pieces seem to be moister... I'll leave 'em out overnight on a rack... if that don't do it, I toss em back in the oven preheated to like 140 and turn it off. That will do it.

Thanks for trusting your meat to the Mad Hunky :{)

[curious aardvark]

or do what I do and just eat the wetter bits

Hell i start eating jerky before it goes anywhere near heat or smoke
Couple of days in the marinade and it's all good

Good looking batch of jerky
Paperclip hooks rule. If you get the larger size you can hang quite a few poundage of them too.

Got a couple of top rump joints in the freezer that are earmarked for jerky for christmas food gift parcels. Have to wait till a couple of days before I make the parcels up otherwise by christmas I'll just have eaten it all :-)

[SmokinLee]

Thats a fine lookin batch of beef jerky. The price of beef is up there and I'm thinking on pickin up some pork loins since they are on sale for 1.79 right now and the loin jerky I made a coupla yeas ago wasn't too bad.

[drewan]

That looks damn good I seem to go a little to dry with mine the dehydrator

[SmokinOutBack]

Damn fine looking Jerky,Dana.

What he said. Looks freakin' great.

[tadowdaddy]

I love me some Jerky! Ashamed to say I've never done it in the smoker, always done it in a dehydrator. I guess I'm gonna need to try this SOON! And also, I'd love to know where all these pics of Rich come from!

[Fishawn]

Dana, did you try anything on this batch? .... Looks fricken awesome

[BBQ Engineer]

Dana, did you try anything on this batch? .... Looks fricken awesome

Scott,

I came home tonight, and started eating some...It is just perfect. I'm glad I stopped last night as tonight it is at the right moisture level. The thing is, I can't stay out of it. I started at over $20 bux worth of round, and man I can see that I could just demolish that. I'm gonna take some to work tomorrow and sample it around...I swear I give away more bbq than I actually eat. Thing is I love to cook and I can't stop.

I love the ease of Rich's cure and seasoning packet, and I have some in my spice pantry that I can just grab and go with...no fuss, no muss. I started sampling the Jerky pretty early through the smoking yesterday...when I first sampled it it seemed like it needed more salt...but that concentrated down as the moisture dissipated. Now in final jerky state, it is perfect.

I kept the smoker at about 140°-150°. Used lump charcoal in a little tiny fire, and kept the smoke really thin. Seemed really smoky last night when I pulled it outta the smoker and put it into the oven. That mellowed a lot in the oven (I have a convection oven with a fan in it) and the whole house smelled like cherry smoke...almost like I kicked up a nice fire in the fireplace and used my smoker wood. Next time I may add a little more CBP, and 4 or five shakes of Smitty's instead of 2.

Good to know the paper towel trick to finish it up too.

Thanks everyone for your kind feedback.

[Richtee]

I started sampling the Jerky pretty early through the smoking yesterday...when I first sampled it it seemed like it needed more salt...but that concentrated down as the moisture dissipated. Now in final jerky state, it is perfect.

Now THERE is an important point folks... as the meat 'shrinks" and the moisture goes away... the seasonings STAY

Great observation Dana!

[Fishawn]

Scott,

I came home tonight, and started eating some...It is just perfect. I'm glad I stopped last night as tonight it is at the right moisture level. The thing is, I can't stay out of it. I started at over $20 bux worth of round, and man I can see that I could just demolish that. I'm gonna take some to work tomorrow and sample it around...I swear I give away more bbq than I actually eat. Thing is I love to cook and I can't stop.

I love the ease of Rich's cure and seasoning packet, and I have some in my spice pantry that I can just grab and go with...no fuss, no muss. I started sampling the Jerky pretty early through the smoking yesterday...when I first sampled it it seemed like it needed more salt...but that concentrated down as the moisture dissipated. Now in final jerky state, it is perfect.

I kept the smoker at about 140°-150°. Used lump charcoal in a little tiny fire, and kept the smoke really thin. Seemed really smoky last night when I pulled it outta the smoker and put it into the oven. That mellowed a lot in the oven (I have a convection oven with a fan in it) and the whole house smelled like cherry smoke...almost like I kicked up a nice fire in the fireplace and used my smoker wood. Next time I may add a little more CBP, and 4 or five shakes of Smitty's instead of 2.

Good to know the paper towel trick to finish it up too.

Thanks everyone for your kind feedback.

Right on .... I'm outta but totally worth it..... Don't know what you mean about not being able to stop eating the stuff

[curious aardvark]

That looks damn good I seem to go a little to dry with mine the dehydrator

umm - dry it for less time :-)
I tend to go 6-8 hours on mine at 140, and then 30 mins at 160 - but I do like it pretty chewy.

Don't know what you mean about not being able to stop eating the stuff

I do :-)

worst or best one I did was some pork jerky.
Started with three trays of the stuff and by the time it wa finally cooked had just under a tray left. Man that was good - don't know why I haven't made it again

Thinking about cold smoking the jerky and then doing the drying/cooking in the dehydrator. Figure that way I'd get a mild smoke flavour and the controllability of the dehydrator. Plus the cold smoking is set and forget as well.
Ah but if I make jerky - I'll eat it, hmm or is that a good thing ?

[Richtee]

worst or best one I did was some pork jerky.
Started with three trays of the stuff and by the time it wa finally cooked had just under a tray left. Man that was good - don't know why I haven't made it again

Yaknow..yer right!

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/sho...82959#poststop