Easy way advice ??

[sarge1947]

I'm trying beef jerky this week and have the meat sliced very thin.....I use an electric slicer and the meat was mostly frozen so it came out really nice. 

Anyway I'm more into the product right now since I'm very new and not so much into the process. My question is, if I'm buying my teriyaki marinade in the store instead of trying to make it what is a good brand to try? I looked  online and there are lots of brands out there. 

Oh and which flavor of smoke? I'm thinking a mix of hickory and apple or cherry. ???

 

[sqwib]

I have always used Kikkoman, but to be honest, never gave it much thought.Try each wood species by itself and see what you like the best, do a triple batch.

 

[sarge1947]

Cool, Good advice. 

 

[sarge1947]

So I've checked some recipes online and they say 180 degrees for 8 hours. For all I know that sounds right. Question is, will I want to smoke the whole time, or just the first couple or three hours?

 

[smokesontuesday]

 
So I've checked some recipes online and they say 180 degrees for 8 hours. For all I know that sounds right. Question is, will I want to smoke the whole time, or just the first couple or three hours?

8 hours at 180 sounds fine. 

Smoke level is just according to your taste. I wouldn't smoke teriyaki jerky the whole time, maybe 2-3 hours with light flavor smoke, but everyone is different.

 

[sqwib]

I really don't want to open a can of worms and take this how ever you like but at 180° you are cooking the meat not drying it, jerky needs to be dried.

I wont go into my OLD SCHOOL process of jerky because by USDA Standards it is not recommended and SMF folks would most likely rip me a new one.

However I would like you to do a search on Tenderquick for making your jerky. Using a cure you can dry at much lower temps I dry at 120°max and have used tenderquick, you just need to watch the additional salt.

My Old School method I have used for 30 years has never got me sick but like I said I will not post it here because it is frowned upon, but most folks do it anyway.

Look up Biltong and you will get  better understanding of all of this...I said too much already.

If you click on my signature with all my cooks, there is an article for jerky.

 

[oregon smoker]

  

  Sounds much like my method, one Likes a Soft Bite and the other Likes a Harder Bite, so the cooking times vary in our case. I just pull some sooner than I pull the others.

Keep On Smokin,

OS

 

[sqwib]

• Check the texture after about 3 hours, and wait until it's getting leathery before you pull it. Pull it when it’s leathery but not to soft in the middle, it will continue to dry while it is resting. You want a leathery product that will crack like old leather when bent, if it breaks it is too dry.

 

• You want it to crack with the grain but not against the grain. 

 


 

Test a piece, but remember, it will taste differently after it has had time to rest overnight, Leave it rest uncovered till the next day then vacuum seal. The flavors change and the texture gets a little drier.

 

[oregon smoker]

 

• Check the texture after about 3 hours, and wait until it's getting leathery before you pull it. Pull it when it’s leathery but not to soft in the middle, it will continue to dry while it is resting. You want a leathery product that will crack like old leather when bent, if it breaks it is too dry.

 

• You want it to crack with the grain but not against the grain. 

 


 

Test a piece, but remember, it will taste differently after it has had time to rest overnight, Leave it rest uncovered till the next day then vacuum seal. The flavors change and the texture gets a little drier.

What Great Pictures and Great Looking Jerky, the pictures explain it well. that is exactly how Mrs OS likes hers. 

Tom