Original recipe needed

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

dendrob

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 1, 2013
7
10
Hi, wanted to see if anyone is willing to share their favourite recipe for making beef jerky.  I am looking for a good "original" recipe please.
 
This I got from NEPAS (Rick).. dunno if it's an original of his or not.. but it's pretty darned good ...

Hillbilly Backwoods Jerky

5 lbs meat strips
2 T salt
1 t cure 1
2 t liquid smoke. This is opt but good if your just going to dehydrate the strips.
2 t chili powder
1 T black pepper (you can cut the pepper amounts back if you like)
1 T white pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup Worcestershire
3 cup cold water.

Mix all the above (except meat) in a large glass or plastic container with a cover. Mix well to dissolve the cure and salt (you can mix with the water, easier to look at)
Place the meat into the marinade and place in fridge from 12 to 24 hours, stir the meat a few times during this time to fully marinate the meat strips. Next take the strips from marinade (do not rinse the marinade off) lay on racks and either smoke or dehydrate at temps from 150 to 170. Your looking for the strips to bend not break. Can take from 8-12 hours or depending on how much power your dehydrator has.
 
That looks like good base recipe, exactly what I'm looking for.  Since I'll be using my smoker I can forgo the liquid smoke, 

can you or someone explain to me what "Cure 1" is ?  It's not something I use (knowingly) Is this normal curing salt?  I use curing salt when I make brine for meats and for sausages, but I always buy it in the European market in my city.  I make bacons, loings, hams, sausages, etc

Looking at ingrediants in my curing/pickling salt that I use

99.5% Normal Salt NaCl

0.5 %  Sodium Nitrate NaNO2

Can you look up what percentages you have in "Cure 1" ?
 
This should answer all your questions, re cures and there uses.

Here is the Cure that is reliable. Follow this and you will end up perfect every time.

CURES - Cures are used in sausage products for color and flavor development as well as retarding the development of bacteria in the low temperature environment of smoked meats.

Salt and sugar both cure meat by osmosis. In addition to drawing the water from the food, they dehydrate and kill the bacteria that make food spoil. In general, though, use of the word "cure" refers to processing the meat with either sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate.

The primary and most important reason to use cures is to prevent BOTULISM POISONING (Food poisoning). It is very important that any kind of meat or sausage that will be cooked and smoked at low temperature be cured. To trigger botulism poisoning, the requirements are quite simple - lack of oxygen, the presence of moisture, and temperatures in range of 40-140° F. When smoking meats, the heat and smoke eliminates the oxygen. The meats have moisture and are traditionally smoked and cooked in the low ranges of 90 to 185° F. As you can see, these are ideal conditions for food poisoning if you don't use cures. There are two types of commercially used cures.

Prague Powder #1

Also called Insta-Cure and Modern Cure. Cures are used to prevent meats from spoiling when being cooked or smoked at low temperatures (under 200 degrees F). This cure is 1 part sodium nitrite (6.25%) and 16 parts salt (93.75%) and are combined and crystallized to assure even distribution. As the meat temperate rises during processing, the sodium nitrite changes to nitric oxide and starts to ‘gas out’ at about 130 degrees F. After the smoking /cooking process is complete only about 10-20% of the original nitrite remains. As the product is stored and later reheated for consumption, the decline of nitrite continues. 4 ounces of Prague powder #1 is required to cure 100 lbs of meat. A more typical measurement for home use is 1 level tsp per 5 lbs of meat. Mix with cold water, then mix into meat like you would mix seasonings into meat.

Prague Powder #2

Used to dry-cure products. Prague powder #2 is a mixture of 1 part sodium nitrite, .64 parts sodium nitrate and 16 parts salt. (1 oz. of sodium nitrite with .64 oz. of sodium nitrate to each lb. of salt.) It is primarily used in dry-curing Use with products that do not require cooking, smoking, or refrigeration. This cure, which is sodium nitrate, acts like a time release, slowly breaking down into sodium nitrite, then into nitric oxide. This allows you to dry cure products that take much longer to cure. A cure with sodium nitrite would dissipate too quickly. Use 1 oz. of cure for 25 lbs. of meat or 1 level teaspoon of cure for 5 lbs. of meat when mixing with meat. When using a cure in a brine solution, follow a recipe

cleardot.gif
 
That looks like good base recipe, exactly what I'm looking for.  Since I'll be using my smoker I can forgo the liquid smoke, 

can you or someone explain to me what "Cure 1" is ?  It's not something I use (knowingly) Is this normal curing salt?  I use curing salt when I make brine for meats and for sausages, but I always buy it in the European market in my city.  I make bacons, loings, hams, sausages, etc

Looking at ingrediants in my curing/pickling salt that I use

99.5% Normal Salt NaCl
0.5 %  Sodium Nitrate NaNO2

Can you look up what percentages you have in "Cure 1" ?

With Jerky, Cure is an insurance policy, as salt only jerky can be made safely. In this case the curing salt you have been using will be fine. No need to jump through hoops to get a 6.25% Nitrite blend...JJ
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Clicky