About to start making sliced beef jerky for the first time in my MES 30" can someone help me with so

[logicalron]

As I said in the Title, I have a MES 30" I bought some stainless trays and plan to remove my smokers racks and stack the the racks I bought. They have small square grids, I will have to cut them to fit my smoker but I will be able to fit more jerky per batch.

Now I need a good recipe to start with, I have seen cure #1 and other code words that I do not know what they are.  I am looking for a recipe, where to get the items that are not things that a normal kitchen would have in it. I plan to cut my lean beef 1/8" I bought a meat slicer so that should be easy enough if I put the beef in the freezer for a bit to firm up.

I've made a bunch of ground beef jerky years ago but never sliced beef so this is all new to me.

If anyone has a recipe that is liked by many that would be the one I'd like to start with. when you suggest a recipe I would appreciate it if you could tell me where you get your products to marinade the beef in before smoking it.

Also I need to know what temp to smoke the jerky, I bought a cold smoker attachment for my MES 30" but I have no idea how to use it. I am relying on your advice on what is the best jerky recipe and way to smoker it.

If anyone needs more info to give me the advice I am seeking, just reply and I will give you whatever you need.

Ron

 

[noboundaries]

Hey Ron,

I don't own a dehydrator.  I've been making jerky in my kitchen oven, and now my WSM, since last Fall.  Basically no different than your MES. 

Because the MES, oven, and WSM rely on heat to dry the meat, temp control is important.  Basically, for sliced beef, you want to avoid going over 200F.  150-175F chamber temp is a nice range based upon my somewhat limited experience. 

Cure #1, also called Prague Powder #1, is a curing salt with a specific percentage of nitrites.  You can buy a pound at Amazon for something like $11-$15.  I purchase a pound 3 years ago, use it for jerky, brines, etc, and still have enough left to last me a year or more.  1 tsp cures 5 lbs of meat if the cure was used by itself. 

20170607_155928.jpg

• noboundaries
• Jun 7, 2017

20170607_155943.jpg

• noboundaries
• Jun 7, 2017

A LOT of recipes call for soy sauce.  I'm not a fan of straight soy sauce in jerky, so I've substituted teriyaki sauce, which still contains soy.  Here's the recipe I use for sliced beef.  It has a distinctive sweet/salty, kind of barbequey flavor. 

You'll have to decide how done you like yours.  I like mine a little more tender than what folks recommend.  When I pick up a piece in the smoker, I like to see about a 30-45 degree bend.  If it is straight, it is too done for me. 

Barbeque Beef Jerky Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs lean beef
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2/3 cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 Tbs minced garlic)
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cure #1

Smoker Directions

1. Slice meat 1/4" thick max.  MIx all ingredients well.  Marinate 12-72 hours in the fridge.  I do not dry the meat when I put it on my grates.  To me it adds flavor.  Just adds time for the meat to get dry. 

2. Smoke at 150-165F for 5 to 6.5 hours.  Lower temp, longer time.

3. Removed.  Let cool completely, then use meat scissors to cut into bite-sized pieces.  Cut off and discard any excess fat.  Store in Ziplock bags in the refrigerator, but it is shelf stable.  Delicious when 1.5 to 2 oz is heating in the microwave for 15 seconds prior to eating, but not necessary.

002.JPG

• noboundaries
• Jun 15, 2017

With last night's batch.JPG

• noboundaries
• Jun 7, 2017

 

[logicalron]

 
Hey Ron,

I don't own a dehydrator.  I've been making jerky in my kitchen oven, and now my WSM, since last Fall.  Basically no different than your MES. 

Because the MES, oven, and WSM rely on heat to dry the meat, temp control is important.  Basically, for sliced beef, you want to avoid going over 200F.  150-175F chamber temp is a nice range based upon my somewhat limited experience. 

Cure #1, also called Prague Powder #1, is a curing salt with a specific percentage of nitrites.  You can buy a pound at Amazon for something like $11-$15.  I purchase a pound 3 years ago, use it for jerky, brines, etc, and still have enough left to last me a year or more.  1 tsp cures 5 lbs of meat if the cure was used by itself. 

20170607_155928.jpg

• noboundaries
• Jun 7, 2017

20170607_155943.jpg

• noboundaries
• Jun 7, 2017

A LOT of recipes call for soy sauce.  I'm not a fan of straight soy sauce in jerky, so I've substituted teriyaki sauce, which still contains soy.  Here's the recipe I use for sliced beef.  It has a distinctive sweet/salty, kind of barbequey flavor. 

You'll have to decide how done you like yours.  I like mine a little more tender than what folks recommend.  When I pick up a piece in the smoker, I like to see about a 30-45 degree bend.  If it is straight, it is too done for me. 

Barbeque Beef Jerky Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs lean beef
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2/3 cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 Tbs minced garlic)
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cure #1

Smoker Directions

1. Slice meat 1/4" thick max.  MIx all ingredients well.  Marinate 12-72 hours in the fridge.  I do not dry the meat when I put it on my grates.  To me it adds flavor.  Just adds time for the meat to get dry. 

2. Smoke at 150-165F for 5 to 6.5 hours.  Lower temp, longer time.

3. Removed.  Let cool completely, then use meat scissors to cut into bite-sized pieces.  Cut off and discard any excess fat.  Store in Ziplock bags in the refrigerator, but it is shelf stable.  Delicious when 1.5 to 2 oz is heating in the microwave for 15 seconds prior to eating, but not necessary.

002.JPG

• noboundaries
• Jun 15, 2017

With last night's batch.JPG

• noboundaries
• Jun 7, 2017

Thanks for your post, it will help me understand what the cure # 1 is. I am not a big fan of BBQ taste so I don't think your recipe would work for me but it does help me get a start on a recipe. I just remembered I had a Jerky book that had recipes but can't seem to find it, just my luck.

I like a peppered jerky flavor, I don't mind a teriyaki flavor but my first batch will be plain old jerky, I want to try all kinds in time but for my first batch I'd like to go simple.

Thanks for your reply there was helpful info in it.

Ron

 

[shyzabrau]

Once you start branching out, here is a good Korean-style marinade (for 3 pounds of meat):

* 1/2 cup - soy sauce

* 1/2 cup - sweet soy sauce

* 1/4 cup - rice wine vinegar

* 1/4 cup - sesame oil

* 2 TBSP - fish oil

* 2 TBSP - garlic powder

* 2 TBSP - onion powder

* 2 TBSP - black pepper, coarse grind

* 2 tsp - ground ginger

* 2 tsp - gochugaru (Korean pepper flake)

* 25 gram - salt

* 4 gram - cure #1

Quite peppery, with a bit of extra heat from the gochugaru.

 

[logicalron]

 
Once you start branching out, here is a good Korean-style marinade (for 3 pounds of meat):

* 1/2 cup - soy sauce

* 1/2 cup - sweet soy sauce

* 1/4 cup - rice wine vinegar

* 1/4 cup - sesame oil

* 2 TBSP - fish oil

* 2 TBSP - garlic powder

* 2 TBSP - onion powder

* 2 TBSP - black pepper, coarse grind

* 2 tsp - ground ginger

* 2 tsp - gochugaru (Korean pepper flake)

* 25 gram - salt

* 4 gram - cure #1

Quite peppery, with a bit of extra heat from the gochugaru.

When I start making teriyaki or other sweeter flavored jerky I will try this one, how much beef is this recipe for? Thanks for your reply

Ron

 

[shyzabrau]

 
When I start making teriyaki or other sweeter flavored jerky I will try this one, how much beef is this recipe for? Thanks for your reply

Ron

3 pounds

 

[slipaway]

I don't use any cure for my jerky. The reason is  - it doesn't last more than a few days with all the grandkids nearby (aka next door).

I use a simple marinade of:

1 TBS ground black pepper.

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

1 dash Franks hot sauce

1 dash worcestershire sauce

2 pound of whatever beef you want to use. I have used several different cuts. Sirloin seems to work the best for my kids....

Marinade overnight (the longer - the stronger). Smoke at 250 until meat is (almost) as dry as you like it. It will dry more and tighten up as it cools.

With no cure in it you must keep it refrigerated and consume in a fairly short time - never a problem here................

Anyway,  that's my .02

 

[dward51]

I've made this recipe from NEPAS a couple of times.  If you don't know him, NEPAS is a sausage and jerky making legend in the forums.  I've seen this same recipe posted as NEPAS jerky, and Hillbilly Backwoods Jerky (but it is identical).  Link is to one of my runs I did in the dehydrator, but the recipe is included and it would work in a smoker as well:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/243918/hillbilly-backwoods-jerky-finished-with-photos

 

[mark532011]

2. Smoke at 150-165F for 5 to 6.5 hours.  Lower temp, longer time.   

I'm still trying to understand jerky methods, Don't you worry about the 160 degree boundary for killing bacteria?

 

[daveomak]

Choose one of the following recommended drying methods:

Dry meat at 145° - 155°F for at least 4 hours followed by heating in a pre-

heated 275°F oven for 10 minutes. Drying meat at a temperature below 145°F will produce a product that looks done before it is heated enough to destroy pathogens, and before it has lost enough moisture to be shelf-stable. Only a few dehydrators currently on the market will maintain the necessary temperature of 145° - 155°F: the Gardenmaster by Nesco/American Harvest and the Excalibur are two such units. Each of these units has a large heating element, strong air flow, and adjustable temperature setting. Dry for at least 4 hours (6 hours is preferable) and remove jerky from the dehydrator. Place dried strips on a baking sheet, close together but not touching or overlapping. Heat in a pre-heated 275°F oven for 10 minutes to an internal temperature of 160°F – strips thicker than ¼" (when raw) may require longer to reach 160°F. In our research, strips removed from the oven were sizzling hot. Remove oven-heated samples from the oven, cool to room temperature, and package. Always include the post‐drying oven‐heating treatment as a safety precaution.

Steam or roast meat strips in marinade to an internal temperature of 160°F before drying; heat poultry to 165°F (internal temperature) before drying. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline currently recommends this method for making safe jerky. The pre‐heating step assures that any bacteria present will be destroyed before drying and a lower dehydrator temperature (130° to 140°F) can be used. After boiling, dehydrate meat for 4 to 6 hours. No post-dehydration oven-heating is necessary. Since it can be impossible to accurately measure the internal temperature of a thin strip of meat, consumers can boil meat in marinade (or water) for 5 minutes before drying. Unfortunately, this USDA‐recommended method produces a dried, crumbly product that would be judged inferior by Wisconsin standards for chewy, flexible jerky.

 

[shyzabrau]

Has anyone tried to sous vide first at a lower temp (130 for 2 hours) with the marinade, and then smoking/drying?