Salty jerky left my mouth like a desert

[giveneratry]

Hello everyone, I'm still trying to learn how to navigate this site so I hope this goes to the correct place. Anyhow I'm new to this whole smoking thing and would appreciate any help. The wife snagged me a Big Chief electric smoker and I thought I would try some jerky. Thought I would start off simple so I snagged a 5lb london broil cut er up and went with the "Easy Cure" meat jerky recipe that was in the recipes and operating instruction booklet that came with the smoker. It called for 5lbs of meat, half cup of non-iodized salt and a half a cup of sugar. I also threw in some black pepper, onion and garlic powder and a little crushed pepper flakes. I burned 2 pans of alder chips in the smoker and after about 12 hrs it looked finished.. So it smelled and looked delicious and the initial bite tasted smokey and great till ya chewed it for a while and realized you might be having salt shock. So salty that it had to be thrown out. Should I just reduce the salt in the brine or do you need it for the curing process. Anyhow it was a swift kick to the sack for the the first jerky run. Also what wood would you advise for jerky.

[BIGGLOPEZ]

from Sunny Az, I have the same set up, I make my jerky using TQ as recomended by wt of meat for cure and then marinade it in Very Teriyaki over night and smoke the next day or so... Here is my link...

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28124

[Fishawn]

"Salt shock"

Personally, I like Hickory, Alder, Apple, Cherry, Pecan for jerky...... Also, jerky can be "oversmoked" so I typically go aboot 2 pans of chips, or 2 hours in a Big Chief..... I would also recommend a brine that has cure in it for safety purposes..... I have used the soy sauce based jerky brines for years and have not got sick, but have since switched to commercial mixes that DO include cure just to make sure, or a TQ based brine as Big G noted

Oh, and from Olympia, WA

[SMOKE FREAK]

If using Tenderquick you might want to go with lo sodium soy and worch to avoid another over salt situation...

And to Smoked-Meat...

[Mark R]

It just doesn't sound like a recipe I'd wanna make. Smoking that long with no "cure" really makes me nervous. Prolly why it is so salty.
Take a look at the tutorials here - http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=16

Oh, and Welcome from Florida!

[giveneratry]

Thanks for the advice and the links. Appreciate it!

[DDave]

and after about 12 hrs it looked finished..

12 hours???



Wow.

Look through the threads listed and give it another try. We'll have you making great jerky in no time.

Dave

[Doug S.]

from Utah