Pepper Jerky & Hot Pepper Jerky Seasoning Recipes

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forluvofsmoke

Smoking Guru
Original poster
OTBS Member
Aug 27, 2008
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The pepper jerky recipe is a blend I've used in the past...a simple & to-the-point seasoning which I've used with hickory to sharpen it up a bit and had very good results:

Pepper Jerky Seasoning and Cure:

For 3 lbs 85/15 ground beef or sliced beef:

1 Tbls medium grind black pepper

1 Tbls fine ground white pepper

1 Tbls paprika

1 Tbls crushed red pepper flakes

½ Tbls chili powder

½ Tbls garlic powder

3 Tbls tender quick cure

* ¾ cup potable water (purified, filtered or spring for best results and taste) if using sliced beef

Mix all of the above together, then mix thoroughly into pre-weighed meat. Cure in refrigerator over-night (min 8 hours) in air-tight packaging before smoking and/or drying.


The hot pepper jerky is variation of the above, which I just released on 10-01-09 for it's first test on the lab rats...lol! Myself, family and friends alike enjoy it alot. It has that creeper mode...you're chewing along and after about 2 or 3 bites it starts to grab ahold a little bit...good stuff. If you like some zip, but not an overwhelming amount of heat, this one's for you...I used apple for smoke and it seemed to smooth over the cayenne to let in sneak up on you later.

Hot Pepper Jerky Seasoning and Cure:

For 3 lbs 85/15 ground beef or sliced beef:

1 Tbls medium grind black pepper

1 Tbls fine ground white pepper

1 Tbls paprika

1 Tbls crushed red pepper flakes

½ Tbls cayenne pepper

3 Tbls Tender Quick cure

* ¾ cup potable water (purified, filtered or spring for best results and taste) if using sliced beef

Mix all of the above together, then mix thoroughly into pre-weighed meat.
Cure in refrigerator over-night (min 8 hours) in air-tight packaging before smoking and/or drying.


Enjoy!

Eric
 
You're welcome, Mark...we'll getcha fixed up with some good ideas for your Vault when you're ready to go for it! LOL! Of course, your GOSM probably would really enjoy being loaded with this stuff too...heh-heh-heh...why wait?

I do like to keep my seasoning blends a bit more simple than most might use, but I don't like buying spendy exotic spices and then having then lay around for a year before I get them used up. So, I prefer the KISS method.

These recipes will work for ground or sliced. Omit the water if using ground beef. The cure time can go for a few days if something prevents you from doing the smoke/dry when you planned for it. The last batch I did was 2-1/2 days cure time in the fridge. You really can't over-cure meats, but you can under-cure, so I like to cure at least 12-24 hours for the jerky.

Thanks

Eric
 
like your spice mix,i don't use the tenderquick or water. i use low sodium soy sauce instead and put the spice mix on right before smoke or dehydration. like to see how others do it.
 
Hey Eric
Thanks for sharing your recipes. When you smoke how long and what temp do you like to use for these? Does it change if you use ground beef
Thanks
Gary
 
Sounds tasty.
Never made jerky before but I'm going to bookmark this page so when I do I already have a great sounding recipe to go to.
Thanks for sharing!
 
You're welcome, Paul!

I use TQ and omit all salt in my seasoning, including soy sauces or any pre-made marinade. I have done some with a Teriaki marinade, and it was good jerky, but I had to get the temp of the meat up faster than I liked to keep the meat safe...it needs to reach safe I/T before it starts drying or the bacteria can become heat resistant in the low water environment...increased risk of illness. The TQ allows you to take your sweet time getting it dried out after smoking without worries of poisoning from botulism.

You're welcome Gary, I have started smoking as low as 115-120*. I only smoke for 20 minutes maximum otherwise it will be a strong smoke (thin/small piece of meat doesn't take long to smoke) @ 115-160* (whatever you like, lower temps seem better though).

When I have started in the 150-160* range and didn't notice much difference in the texture or flavor. I think the cure really does the trick. It will take alot less time at higher temps, but 160* is as high as I've taken it. You can cold smoke @ 120*, then remove the smoke wood and bump to 150 or 160* to finish. This is risky without curing first.

Total drying time will depend on relative humidity, cabinet temperature, ventilation of the cabinet to exhaust the meat's sweated-out moisture, the thickness of the meat and how crowded the smoker grates are. You need to check the texture after about 3 hours, and wait until it's getting leathery before you pull it. For a heavy chew with whole muscle meat, slice it with the grain, for a soft chew, slice accross the grain.

If using ground meats, watch for the droplets of rendered fat forming on the surface. An hour or so after the fat formation, pat it off and check the texture at the same time. If it will bend alot without cracking, you're close. If you can fold it in half, flatten it, and it will then tear apart cleanly, it's ready. This will give a nice chew without being really tough.

My last run took 1/2 as much time with just under 1/2 the previous weight in meat. So, this told me I was pushing the limits pretty hard. The heavy load took 9 hours to get the last grate emptied and patted down of rendered fat (ground meat). So, I'll be doing under 10# batches in the Smoke Vault 24 from now on...less crowding, less time.

Oh, man, you don't know what you're missing my friend...this stuff is the bomb! My wife has had several friends come over in the past couple weeks, and she offered them some to sample. They said it's better than any brand sold @ convenience stores/grocery stores. One asked for an extra piece to give to her husband so he could try it...she also asked if I'd do a bunch of their newly harvested venison into jerky.

The biggest issue with store-bought is a very high salt content and overdrying of the meats. This allows for a longer un-refrigerated shelf life, along with all the preservatives they cram into the stuff.

I'd have to be really, really desperate to ever buy pre-made jerky again...no comparison to doing your own.

Thanks guys! Enjoy!

Eric
 
so when you do muscle meat you make like a brine and then cure it in this solution over nite?
 
Yes, 3/4 cup water per lb of sliced meat...with all the seasonings and cure it's a pretty heavy mixture. Just slice first, then mix the water/seasoning/TQ and toss into a baggie, squooshing it around gently to get good coverage of the meat, or toss in a bowl first to mix it all together.

I'm curing my whole muscle meat for at least 24 hours...the batch I'm curing now will be 4 days.

Enjoy!

Eric
 
so for whole muscle meat use above recipe as a brine by using mortons tender quick curing salt?

1 tbs to 3/4 cup water per pound of meat,brine overnite with spices in brine?does this take the place of nitrates?

I think that's how I read that!lol

looking for a recipe close to uncle mikes

thanks for any help
 
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Yes, the TQ has sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. I like to cure sliced whole muscle for jerky at 24 hours minimum.

And correct on the water to TQ ratio I used...Morton's recommends a 20% solution by measure, but it doesn't seem to need it for thin cuts of meat. I have found that with smaller amounts of water for a wet cured jerky that if you use the recommended amount of TQ per pound, instead of by concentration in the water (when using just enough water to distribute the seasonings/cure mix), it will fully cure in one day.

Eric
 
 
Hey Eric

These sound really delicious.  I'Ve made jerky before, but always out of whole muscle meat--never from ground beef.  What do you do to keep it together like, well, jerky 

Gary
Here ya go:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/81528/sighted-in-my-jerky-gun-today

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/82534/nesco-jerky-works-jerky-gun-tutorial-w-gun-view

Those are a handy tool to have around...they make a bigger model, too. There's a large one called the jerky cannon for big batches...could also be used for stuffing sausage links, etc.

Eric
 
You're welcome, Gary.

Another jerky thread you may find interesting (from my sig line) for thick sliced whole muscle jerky that I smoked and dried in the Vault:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/fo...-steak-jerky-from-bottom-round-in-sv24-q-view

I haven't made jerky very much lately, but just got a Nesco FD-75PR dehydrator...bought it to dry my own dry rub ingredients...thinkin' about trying some in the smoke, then finished in the dehydrator...thing is, I usually do batch sizes ranging from 8-12lbs and have done 14lbs in one shot...won't fit this dehydrator, but I could down-size, I guess...LOL!!!

Have fun, and keep your smoker(s) warm and happy!!!

Eric
 
so I tried this recipe, flavor was spot on! butt.......... mine came out a little salty I used 3 pounds of muscle meat and 3 tbs MTQ and only 3/4 cup water,do I need to add 3/4 cup of water for each pound of meat to dilute salty content,other than that this recipe is awsome!!!!!
 
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Glad you like the flavor! It is a big hit around here.

I doubt that using a bit more water will reduce the sodium in the meat..at least not enough to notice the difference by taste. Osmosis will equalize the sodium throughout the meat during curing, and unless you use enough water to keep it from soaking into the meat, it won't make any difference3 at all in the sodium content when finished. MTQ will give a salty finished product, which is better for longer storage, if dried properly. If you want to use MTQ, but also want less salt, try soaking the cured meat in ice-water for 30-45 minutes to pull some salt out of the meat...drain and pat dry, then smoke and dry. This may remove some of the flavoring from the wet-cure process, compared to how I used to do mine, as I didn't even rinse before smoking and drying. There should still be plenty of flavor to go around, though, but the sodium content should be noticeably decreased. If you wanted to boost the flavor after soaking in ice-water, you could toss the meat batch in a small amount of seasoning again before smoking/drying. Hope that helps on your next round.

Eric
 
do I nee 3/4 cup water for each pound of meat?the recipe at top of page does not specify that,it just says 3/4 cup of water

thanks for the help

bill
 
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