I used my MES 40 to make jerky out of sliced up bottom round (two pounds at $6 per pound) I removed fat off the ends of each piece.
Over all it looks good, smells good and tastes good. I was given a Hi Mountain cure and seasoning sample pack as a gift over two years ago. I used the hickory flavored packet.
The instructions say that they use all natural spices and ingredients like the pioneers did, but the person I spoke to recommended that the finished product is kept refrigerated or frozen for long term storage. I asked her if it's the same ingredients as the pioneers used, why the need for refrigeration? Pioneers didn't have refrigeration, she laughed and said "that's why a lot of pioneers died of food poisoning...."
I think next time I'll get it sliced slightly thicker maybe 1/4 inch and cut the strips a little wider 1.5 to 2 inches.
My cooking process:
Over all it looks good, smells good and tastes good. I was given a Hi Mountain cure and seasoning sample pack as a gift over two years ago. I used the hickory flavored packet.
The instructions say that they use all natural spices and ingredients like the pioneers did, but the person I spoke to recommended that the finished product is kept refrigerated or frozen for long term storage. I asked her if it's the same ingredients as the pioneers used, why the need for refrigeration? Pioneers didn't have refrigeration, she laughed and said "that's why a lot of pioneers died of food poisoning...."
I think next time I'll get it sliced slightly thicker maybe 1/4 inch and cut the strips a little wider 1.5 to 2 inches.
My cooking process:
- Mixed the Hi Mountain cure and spices and applied dry seasoning to both sides of sliced meat. Put in bowl and toss with hand to make sure all meat is coated with seasoning.
- Stack the meat back in it's natural formation-- tightly pack it down.
- Let sit in refrigerator in bowl or Zip Lock for 24 hours.
- Cut in to 1 to 2 inch strips wide for the length of the slice of meat
- Used wooden skewers to attach each of the strips
- Hung the skewers through the grate slots to let the meat hang
- Pre heated MES 40 to 200 degrees and cook the strips for 2 hours
- Added one cup of chips non soaked till they burned out
- Vent open most of the time
- After they are done, blotted on paper towel to remove excess grease-- (it didn't produce a lot of grease at all)
- Put in Zip Lock bag for storage--store in fridge when not in use.
- Devour!
- Watch newspaper ads for meat on sale at super markets.
- have butcher slice to about 1/4 inch
- Make the strips about 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide
- Find recipes on SMF to use
- Trying the remaining batch at 1.5 hours instead of 2 hours--though when I have it sliced thicker, I'll stay at 2 hours.
- Consider making pork jerky too.