velveting jerky meat

[in. pred]

has anyone ever tried velveting your jerky meat before or while marinating it? i do it for stir fry or fajitas. i wonder if the smoke would give a bad flavor from the treatment?

also if you have done this did you use baking soda or corn starch?

 

[Chasdev]

Can't say about jerky but I don't like the taste of beef after treating.
It's a subtle change but I can taste something a bit off.
I guess strong flavors like the chineese use mask it because I like stir fry beef I get served at resturants and that meat has to have been velveted.

 

[in. pred]

i did a round steak in strips across grain. used baking soda to velvet it. then just a simple dales brown sugar and garlic. i just used the grill and smoke tube with apple pellets and chips of mesquite mixed in. i didnt notice a difference in taste but ill try it again with some deer. i really rinsed it good before going in marinade it definitely was tender to chew though. i hate stuff you have to chew ten min and then have mouth full of mushy fibers. lol

 

[Fueling Around]

That's a great trial.
With my old teeth, I velvet by putting it through the grinder

 

[chef k-dude]

I dont see why it would hurt if you rinsed and patted dry. I haven't made jerky in years but when I made my famous deer jerky I hand pounded every slice with a spiked mallet, then marinated for at least 2-3 days before dehydrating. I never smoked it. I used to load it with cayenne pepper and black pepper just to slow people down from eating it, otherwise it would be gone in no time. The stuff was like crack, nobody could stop eating it unless I punished them with cayenne!

 

[Chasdev]

Would not have worked on me.

 

[1MoreFord]

There are a lot Chinese restaurants where I don't like their beef entrees. For a long time I had no idea why I didn't like the texture of the beef. Now that I know about velveting that's what I blame.

Think I'd rather try Jaccarding the beef before marinating. Hopefully it would tenderize and help with the marinade too.

 

[in. pred]

it does make it spongy in beef broccoli 1moreford. i mite agree with you on the tenderizer tool. treat it then slice it up.

chasdev, the wife is in your corner. she said there was something different tasting. im going to try the corn starch next time. not giving up yet. im still snacking on it.

chef k dude, i think smoking it takes it up a notch myself. normally i put it in the oven on racks at 170 for a while until it gets to were i can handle it. then i just toss it in a pile in the smoker and stir it up every half hour or so. low tech low labor. lol thats a great idea about the heat making it last longer. that tells me you know what your talking about. lol i have to hide some in the back of the freezer to make it last here.

 

[in. pred]

this experiment is just about saving time. a vinegar based marinade will tenderize it as much as you want it, if you leave it in there.

 

[Fueling Around]

this experiment is just about saving time. a vinegar based marinade will tenderize it as much as you want it, if you leave it in there.

I agree vinegar tenderizes, but biltong is too chewy for my teeth.

 

[chef k-dude]

There are a lot Chinese restaurants where I don't like their beef entrees. For a long time I had no idea why I didn't like the texture of the beef. Now that I know about velveting that's what I blame.

I've had the opposite. Most of my life I have assumed that Asians and Latinos just think tough beef is how it is supposed to be because thats what I would usually get at their restaurants. I like to velvet pork strips for an Asian inspired meal but dont make much beef stir fry though.

There's a hibachi place nearby that serves the most tender beef stir fry I've had outside of Japan. I was skeptical when they asked me how I wanted the beef cooked (strips of rib eye) but I'll be darned if the meat doesn't come out medium rare, perfect every time. If only they had some pizazz for the sauce...same basic brown sauce for everything, including shrimp and fish seems weird to me.

 

[1MoreFord]

I've had the opposite. Most of my life I have assumed that Asians and Latinos just think tough beef is how it is supposed to be because thats what I would usually get at their restaurants. I like to velvet pork strips for an Asian inspired meal but dont make much beef stir fry though.
.....................................................

I should have expanded on my thoughts about Chinese restaurants and beef.
Most Chinese restaurants I've been to use tough beef. However some of it may not be as tough but has an almost slimy feel to it. That is what I'm assuming is the effect of velveting.
Either way I tend to avoid beef at Chinese joints and some Thai joints. If I do decide to get a combination meal of some sort my dog appreciates the tough pieces of beef.

 

[in. pred]

i dont do many beef dishes at those joints either ford. although it mite be the safest meat at some of the worst dives. lol been some funky things cooked up according to the past news stories from the big city near by!

 

[in. pred]

I agree vinegar tenderizes, but biltong is too chewy for my teeth.

you leave strips of meat in vinegar it will turn to mush if soaked too long. even strips of buck neck meat! lol i pushed back some deer steaks setting in catalina dressing(already vinegar based) and ACV one time. in that juice was too long. the meat stayed together but it was pretty soft. everyone liked the taste but nobody liked the mouth feel. closest thing i can think of is, it had the texture of raw beef liver. not appetizing at all. but learn its limits and ACV, in your marinade can do wonders for the chew.