Best cut for 1st jerky attempt?

[jax13]

Hi guys, just received a dehydrator for my birthday (early pressie from mother) and have tried it out on a few mushrooms and some garlic cloves. My idea is to take them to crispy and grind to a garlic mushroom powder for seasoning a batch of pork sausage.

I really want to have a crack at making some jerky and have a few different cure recipes in front of me but was wondering what cut and what marinade you guys used.

Smoker isn't built just yet so this is going to be an unsmoked batch, hopefully the next ones will be nice and smokey.

So... Over to you guys, what recipes, methods and cuts do you use?

 

[wade]

Thats great Jax. How about a photo of your dehydrator in action ...

 

[foamheart]

I realize I am not in the UK, but I like the eye of round for jerky, its one clean muscle with little or no fat, and its a whole muscle.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/151108/sweet-maple-jerky

 

[jax13]

Well, I saw one of these linked from someone else...

And for the price, it's worth it even just for drying the mass of chilli I seem to end up with each year. While I am mentioning it, I also bought a vacuum packer from the same firm for £40 reduced from £100 as well so a massive £120 saving on two new toys is worth it for anyone!

I tested the dryer with half a tray of mushrooms and some garlic, the intention is to grind it up in the morning and use it for a burger seasoning. I don't like using rusk or any other filler in my own burgers and the idea of being able to create my own powdered flavourings is really appealing - a minty rub for lamb shoulders or (as is in there now) powdered apple for a batch of pork sausage.

When it's loaded up with something worth taking a picture of then I'll chuck up piccy or two, in the meantime... I need to start planning some jerky!

 

[tx-joe-jerky]

Hi there I have just recently started to attempt jerky making, have you had a go at it yet?

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello Foam my friend.  This is one of those that you would think is a no brainer but he ain't gonna find eye of round in a U.K. supermarket. Not gonna be able to find unless his local butcher is "really switched on".  Just doesn't exist.  I asked about what else to call chuck roast and Pops generously offered to help by telling me to take pictures at the supermarket and he would help me choose.  There isn't anything like that in the supermarket!  Rump steak ( round ), some  sirloin, some  ribeye ( which is apparently a "fatty" cut of beef ), rib roast ( bone in or boneless ), topside "joint ( trimmed to death ), silverside "joint ( trimmed to death ), and a brisket "joint" ( and you saw the pictures of that sad piece of meat ).  THAT! is the lads choices.

Hello Jax.  Glad to hear from you.  Have you thought about our weekend get together?  We would love to have you there.  You can pick up some tips and tricks.  If you are using a dehydrator I would probably say silverside cut very thin.  Just my opnion but I am not a jerky expert.  I know folks back in the States sometimes jerk "chunks" of meat I don't thing they use a dehydrator.  I think "some" heat is involved.

Having said that I guess if you use a cure of some kind you may be able to do chunks in your dehydrator.  RESEARCH TIME!!!  Will get back to you.

Danny

 

[alelover]

We use London broil a lot over here. Don't know what they call that cut across the pond. Eye of the round is excellent and sirloin tip roast is good I've heard. I smoke and dehydrate mine. Smoke it at around 150 for a couple hours and dehydrate til it's how I like it.

 

[jerky nut]

Hi Jax,   If your choice of beef cut is very limited You might want to consider getting a jerky gun and using lean ground burger.  Believe me, I can get ground burger to be just as tuff and stiff as whole muscle jerky.

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello alelover.  Thanks for the tips.  Maybe in London but elsewhere you may as well be speaking spanglish.  He has no hope of finding those cuts.  I COULD VERY WELL be wrong.  MAYBE those cuts are available in the big cities  like London, Birmingham or Manchester.  I suspect MAYBE only London.  I can't even get a chuck roast.  Thank you so very much taking your time to offer help to the U.K. members.  Help from you folks in the U.S. is GREATLY appreciated.  Thank you for taking the time to join the group so that you could offer advice.

Danny

 

[alelover]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Lean cuts are best. I guess you got to use what you got. Sounds like you make it work. Can't seeing you going wrong with eye of the round if you can get it. I'm always interested in how other folks around the globe do things. And what you call stuff.