Jerky making questions!

[antix]

Hey all,

  New to the forums and I don't actually have a smoker, but a dehydrator.  G/F and I have been attempting to make jerky and we felt our first batch had just too much of an overpowering flavor.  We prefer a very classic simple taste mostly just beef, salt pepper, and maybe something to give it a little tanginess.

We tried a recipe with soy,Worcestershire,onion/garlic powder, salt, pepper, liquid smoke.  This one turned out ok, but just too much flavors not enough meat flavor. Think we got the proper consistency after about 9 hours in a nesco dehydrator pretty thin cut Flank steak.

Next batch wsa top round and similar recipe but no soy or liquid smoke.  I haven't tried yet, but g/f made it last night and said it still had that same "overpowering" flavor.  I am thinking its the onion/garlic powder.  

So, next batch I am thinking of eliminating that.  So, i wanted to see if anyone had recipe recommendations to have mostly just the meat flavor, but maybe some salty/pepper/hint of tangyness.

Thanks!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Give this a try. Works good on beef, pork, and turkey.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/233270/thai-jerky

Ask anyone here that has made it, you can't keep enough of it in the house!

 

[antix]

Let me give it a gander! thanks.  I've never really had fish sauce, but what is that flavor profile?

Also, a friend of a friend makes great jerky and my friend says he has seen his marinade is in prebought "jugs" but doesn't know what kind.  Is there a wholesale store that does that?

 

[tropics]

 
Give this a try. Works good on beef, pork, and turkey.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/233270/thai-jerky

Ask anyone here that has made it, you can't keep enough of it in the house!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/257229/thai-jerky

 

[chef jimmyj]

Out of the bottle, Fish Sauce has a strong Fishy smell and frankly most stink. But once heated, the smell disipates and the remaining flavor is very pleasant often described as meaty and nutty. It is very salty. Some are more stinky than others. I have sampled several and find Golden Boy brand or premium Red Boat, to be much less stinky then ohers and a good choice for a newbie...JJ

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Out of the bottle, Fish Sauce has a strong Fishy smell and frankly most stink. But once heated, the smell disipates and the remaining flavor is very pleasant often described as meaty and nutty. It is very salty. Some are more stinky than others. I have sampled several and find Golden Boy brand or premium Red Boat, to be much less stinky then ohers and a good choice for a newbie...JJ

Yep that!

You won't taste what it smells like. If you've had Thai or Vietnamese food you've had fish sauce and not even known it. It is used to depth enough the flavor profile of many dishes. It is also used in place of salt. Which is what it is really used for in this jerky. It adds a bit of tang flavor too.

I use it in most soup sticks that I make to add more depth and salt.

Word to the wise do not spill it or get it on your clothes. Cause it will stink you up good!

 

[mr t 59874]

I use it in most everything I cook, and no one who eats it knows it’s there. It adds an umami flavor that normally would not be there. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly. Get a good quality brand such as Red Boat.  

T

 

[antix]

Thanks guys, i'll be trying this out this weekend!  Looks like I can't get golden boy or red boat at most places this weekend.  Any other suggestions?

Also, do I need to add cure to it when marinating over night?

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
Thanks guys, i'll be trying this out this weekend!  Looks like I can't get golden boy or red boat at most places this weekend.  Any other suggestions?

Also, do I need to add cure to it when marinating over night?

 I always add cure #1 to my jerky. Its not so much about the overnight cure as it is about the low slow drying/smoking process.

Use whatever fish sauce you can find. Viet Huong is what I am currently using. Before that bottle I was using Thai Kitchen, before that some other brand. All depends on what I can find. The restaurant supply here stocks big bottles of the Viet Huong, So that's what I use now.

 

[antix]

Ok update for everyone. I got a small 2 lb eye of round roast and I am trying out 3 different marinades.

The "famous" thai jerky suggested here is marinating now along with a very simple one I made up with Worcestershire, salt, and pepper.

I have another 1/3 using this recipe minus the Worcestershire:  http://jerkyholic.com/rig-hand-jerky/

I have a flavor i'm going for that is similar to a kind I have been buying from a friend of a friend. Hoping one of these is close to this. I've got the rig hand recipe on the dehydrator for about  4 1/2 hours now. Thinking another 4-6 as I like it nice and dry.

 

[myownidaho]

 
Let me give it a gander! thanks.  I've never really had fish sauce, but what is that flavor profile?

Also, a friend of a friend makes great jerky and my friend says he has seen his marinade is in prebought "jugs" but doesn't know what kind.  Is there a wholesale store that does that?

Take a fish carcass, throw it in a pan and put it outside in the sun until it's so rotten the flies won't even come near it. Pour off the liquid that has accumulated and you have fish sauce.

Fortunately when used to cook with, the final dish has none of those characteristics and your thought will be "hmm, I don't know what that interesting flavor is, but I like it!".

 

[antix]

Ok, so batch #1 using the rig hand recipe minus Worcestershire finished last night and it wasn't bad, but wasn't to my liking.  I could still taste too much of the soy, but the overall taste wasn't bad.  I could see reducing the soy amount and substituting it for a little water/salt mixture and coming up with a solid taste

I have batch 2 and 3 in the dehydrator this morning after marinating about 16 hours in fridge.

#2 - the thai jerky recipe (boy does this stink lol, but I'm hoping finished product is solid)

#3 - Just salt, pepper, worcestershire, and some water for marinade.  

Appreciate all the advice everyone.  I'm slowly getting there to the taste I like.

 

[antix]

Ok, jerky finished and here is the review of my 3 batches:

Thai Jerky - Not bad, but not quite the flavor i'm looking for. The "meat" flavor just wasn't quite what I was looking for, but it was decent. Don't know if I'd make it again (sorry!)

Rig hand jerky minus Worcestershire: The g/f's favorite so far and I would agree, but it had a little more soy flavor than I would like, but I also didn't have a full LB for the mix so that might of been part of the issue. Either way, I am going to give this another try but reduce the soy to 1/8th cup per lb.

Freestyle: 2 TBS Worcestershire, pepper, salt, water: I tried this to see what the flavor profile of Worcestershire was by itself. turned out ok, but as expected mostly just meat flavor. Would like this added back in the rig hand jerky.

I am slightly obsessed with coming up with "my" favorite recipe. So, I am going to get another 2 lb eye of round roast tonight and try 2 versions of rig hand with 1 lb each.

1. The same recipe, but reduce both soy/Worcestershire to 1/8 cup each and the rest liquid water.

2. Rig hand with just 1/8th cup soy, and rest water.

Will know the results in a couple days!