Jerky Lacking Flavor

[Bud J]

Hi all. I did my first and second batch of Jerky yesterday & today and was not too impressed with flavor.
Did about 2lbs eye of round and trimmed any excess fat. Marinated for 24 hours in basic recipe of:
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons liquid smoke (only used in dehydrator)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon meat tenderizer
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika

Pat dry and put in dehydrator for 3 1/2 hours at 160*.
Did the same exact thing as above but put in smoker using hickory & apple pellets. Smoked for a little over 3 hours at 175-180*. I know that many only use smoke for about 2 hours but I tested at 2 and felt it needed more.

Overall, not too impressed. Doneness was good but both sessions had mild flavor. Smoker session was better due to smoke taste. I like a robust flavor (not necessarily very spicy) in ALL foods so not sure if this is me or not. Dehydrator session had darker colored meat. This photo is from smoker.
Will happily accept recipes that you can recommend that are FULL FLAVORED.

 

[Steve H]

I would have doubled the soy sauce and added cure.

 

[Steve H]

Full flavored? Check out the High Mountain Mesquite jerky seasoning. Loaded with flavor and just a mild kick of heat.

Mesquite Blend Jerky Kit

Make your own homemade jerky with the world’s best Jerky Cure and Seasonings. Hi Mountain Jerky Kits include everything you need to make delicious, homemade jerky from beef, poultry, wild game and fish in your oven, smoker or dehydrator.

himtnjerky.com

 

[Winterrider]

OFG Jerky

I love jerky. It is so handy to have around for golf games, road trips or just snacking. I have been working on my jerky making and have tried several different methods and seasonings. I have finally settled on my go to base recipe and this is it. So, I have dubbed it OFG Jerky! I start with...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Disco's OFG jerky is excellent

Another very good is Bloody Mary Mix from either Waltons or Owens BBQ

 

[kruizer]

You could add a good amount of red pepper flakes for some heat.

 

[Bud J]

Thanks. I’ve been trying to collect some recipes and did have that one on my MUST try list.

 

[thirdeye]

I wonder if your starting temps in the dehydrator and smoker are too high? You want a gentle combination of drying and heating. In the dehydrator, I preheat it at 155°, but back it off to 140°. I use a nitrite based cure + seasonings, so I'm okay with longer drying times. In a couple of hours, I ramp up the temp but usually finish in 5 to 6 hours. Oh, my slices start off around 1/4" inch.

I use a dry cure for my jerky, but overall.... jerky needs a LOT of spices. That combined with the fact you loose so much weight during the drying process is why it's so expensive.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I know it's a lil messy... but I don't dry/wipe off meat when putting in smoker ...

 

[Bud J]

I know it's a lil messy... but I don't dry/wipe off meat when putting in smoker ...

Yeah, I’d like to try that. Am sure the smoking time will be longer, but think maybe will add a bit more flavor.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Here's one from SFLsmkr1... It's pretty much the only one I use...

Here is my 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.

Enjoy

Thanks to SFLsmkr1 for this recipe

 

[johnnyb54]

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I wonder if your starting temps in the dehydrator and smoker are too high? You want a gentle combination of drying and heating. In the dehydrator, I preheat it at 155°, but back it off to 140°. I use a nitrite based cure + seasonings, so I'm okay with longer drying times. In a couple of hours, I ramp up the temp but usually finish in 5 to 6 hours. Oh, my slices start off around 1/4" inch.

I use a dry cure for my jerky, but overall.... jerky needs a LOT of spices. That combined with the fact you loose so much weight during the drying process is why it's so expensive.

Thirdeye, a quick question. You use a dry cure so I’m assuming you sprinkle the seasoning over the sliced meat. Do you add the cure #1 to the seasoning or do you devolve the cure in water and then mix it with the meat to distribute the cure?

 

[zwiller]

I am all about DIY but I was in the Christmas exchange last year with another member and he sent some of his beef jerky and it was the best I ever had (and I have had a LOT of jerky). Told me it was Owens seasonings...

 

[thirdeye]

Thirdeye, a quick question. You use a dry cure so I’m assuming you sprinkle the seasoning over the sliced meat. Do you add the cure #1 to the seasoning or do you devolve the cure in water and then mix it with the meat to distribute the cure?

I buy bulk CURING MIX from Hi Mountain Seasoning. It's the same packet of 'cure' you get in their Jerky kits but in bulk I get 7 pounds for $21 and the mix contains salt, sugar, brown sugar and Sodium Nitrite (0.85%) which is suspended in this mix, I still shake it up but having the 'suspension' is important. So, this is similar to the ingredients listed on the Tender Quick label except TQ contains 0.5% sodium nitrate, and 5% sodium nitrite for a total of 1% (verses 0.85%). The nitrates in TQ are also in suspension.

Per 1 pound of meat I mix 6.6 grams of cure mix + 1 tablespoon of whatever my seasoning of the day is.... for example garlic peppercorn, or pastrami. (I make my own seasonings from scratch). I lay out my strips of meat, then divide the seasoning into 2 bowls. One bowl is sprinkled on side 1, the other bowl is sprinkled on side 2. the meat is stacked, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for 24 hours. Then it can go to the oven, dehydrator or smoker. The function of the cure is not so much preservation, but for color and flavor. Temperature wise, I'm never in the danger zone longer than 4 hours.

 

[johnnyb54]

I buy bulk CURING MIX from Hi Mountain Seasoning. It's the same packet of 'cure' you get in their Jerky kits but in bulk I get 7 pounds for $21 and the mix contains salt, sugar, brown sugar and Sodium Nitrite (0.85%) which is suspended in this mix, I still shake it up but having the 'suspension' is important. So, this is similar to the ingredients listed on the Tender Quick label except TQ contains 0.5% sodium nitrate, and 5% sodium nitrite for a total of 1% (verses 0.85%). The nitrates in TQ are also in suspension.

Per 1 pound of meat I mix 6.6 grams of cure mix + 1 tablespoon of whatever my seasoning of the day is.... for example garlic peppercorn, or pastrami. (I make my own seasonings from scratch). I lay out my strips of meat, then divide the seasoning into 2 bowls. One bowl is sprinkled on side 1, the other bowl is sprinkled on side 2. the meat is stacked, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for 24 hours. Then it can go to the oven, dehydrator or smoker. The function of the cure is not so much preservation, but for color and flavor. Temperature wise, I'm never in the danger zone longer than 4 hours.
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Thank you

 

[thirdeye]

Thank you

You're more than welcome. I forgot to add that you could make a similar jerky mix using TQ. Here is the mix I came up with for Buckboarding loins and chops.

Per ONE pound of pork loin or boneless pork butt:
1 Tablespoon of Tenderquick*
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of maple sugar (or brown sugar)
Sprinkle of black pepper
(I think the Hi Mountain Buckboard cure has a hint of garlic powder in it too, but the label does not mention it, so if you want to add some that's up to you)

*Since we know that a jerky curing mix (from Hi Mountain) is not actually curing, rather the cure is for flavor and color.... so maybe use 1.5 teaspoons of TQ when making a "jerky mix", then add seasonings at the rate of 1 tablespoon+ per pound.

 

[johnnyb54]

You're more than welcome. I forgot to add that you could make a similar jerky mix using TQ. Here is the mix I came up with for Buckboarding loins and chops.

Per ONE pound of pork loin or boneless pork butt:
1 Tablespoon of Tenderquick*
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of maple sugar (or brown sugar)
Sprinkle of black pepper
(I think the Hi Mountain Buckboard cure has a hint of garlic powder in it too, but the label does not mention it, so if you want to add some that's up to you)

*Since we know that a jerky curing mix (from Hi Mountain) is not actually curing, rather the cure is for flavor and color.... so maybe use 1.5 teaspoons of TQ when making a "jerky mix", then add seasonings at the rate of 1 tablespoon+ per pound.

Thanks again, I’ve been following you and your website for years. My screen name on most forums is Retired Railroader but for whatever reason I didn’t use it here. Still using and loving your 3 finger grate lifter

 

[thirdeye]

Thanks again, I’ve been following you and your website for years. My screen name on most forums is Retired Railroader but for whatever reason I didn’t use it here. Still using and loving your 3 finger grate lifter

Hey man, small world. You were in the early group of ThirdHand owners, and your testimonial is on page 1. After April I had some supplier problems due to COVID and I only buy domestic materials. I might not resume fabrication this year. And when I do it will be limited.
Wayne