Anyone have experience with making gound beef jerky?

hondabbq

Looking at trying this out.

Im not a big fan of the original jerky with full muscle meat, but I do like the stuff from a jerky cannon.

Any tips or tricks to share before I go deep?

fishlessman

never tried the ground meat, but have you tried regular jerky in the egg, big difference than from a dehydrator. does have more moisture, less of a hard chew

OhioEgger

I've made jerky with the jerky gun many times, and like it a lot. I get 90% lean ground bison meat at Costco. More expensive than beef but I like the flavor better. Mix it up with your favorite herb and spices and lay out strips on the dehydrator trays. Important not to make them too thick -- about ⅛" seems best. 

hondabbq

OhioEgger said:

I've made jerky with the jerky gun many times, and like it a lot. I get 90% lean ground bison meat at Costco. More expensive than beef but I like the flavor better. Mix it up with your favorite herb and spices and lay out strips on the dehydrator trays. Important not to make them too thick -- about ⅛" seems best. 

I have read a lot about seasoning the meat and letting it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. Is it just to let the flavors come together?

Do you put cure in yours?

What temp do you cook them at in the dehydrator?

Legume

Some good info in this thread, I ended up making with ground meat and was happy.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1190460/need-beef-jerky-suggestions/p1

OhioEgger

hondabbq said:

I have read a lot about seasoning the meat and letting it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. Is it just to let the flavors come together?

Do you put cure in yours?

What temp do you cook them at in the dehydrator?

Yes, I think the overnight (or at least a few hours) rest in the frig after mixing is really useful to let the flavors spread around.

I don't usually put cure in it but if I'm making it and don't expect it to all be eaten in a reasonable time I'll add ¼ tsp of Prague powder #1 per pound.

It really needs to be dried at high temperature for safety. My dehydrator goes to 165°F which is fine. I typically give it 12 hours, although less would probably be fine. If you can't dry it at that sort of temperature, then you can finish it off in the oven at 275°F for half an hour.

hondabbq

Legume said:

Some good info in this thread, I ended up making with ground meat and was happy.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1190460/need-beef-jerky-suggestions/p1

Thanks for the link to the thread.

I was thinking of doing something like the chips if I didn't buy the jerky gun.

I was thinking of rolling it out and cutting strips. Might give that a run if I don't use a gun.

hondabbq

OhioEgger said:

hondabbq said:

I have read a lot about seasoning the meat and letting it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. Is it just to let the flavors come together?

Do you put cure in yours?

What temp do you cook them at in the dehydrator?

Yes, I think the overnight (or at least a few hours) rest in the frig after mixing is really useful to let the flavors spread around.

I don't usually put cure in it but if I'm making it and don't expect it to all be eaten in a reasonable time I'll add ¼ tsp of Prague powder #1 per pound.

It really needs to be dried at high temperature for safety. My dehydrator goes to 165°F which is fine. I typically give it 12 hours, although less would probably be fine. If you can't dry it at that sort of temperature, then you can finish it off in the oven at 275°F for half an hour.

The dehydrator im looking at goes to 160, so even with the cure I know ill be ok.

nolaegghead

I just made 10 pounds of Jerky last weekend, but it was the whole-muscle type.  Did a wet cure this time, usually do dry.  Came out very tender.  Ended up with 4.4 pounds of finished jerky.

I think I'm going to buy the LEN Aluminum Jerky Cannon - not just for jerky, but also to fill stuffed pasta and the like.

Focker

My brother uses ground deer, various Hi Mountain jerky cure offerings, a double barrel jerky gun, and Nesco round dehydrator.  It is all crack...so good.  Softer chew than any whole jerky I have done, dehydrator, WSM, or egg.

I've had the original, garlic pepper, terriyaki.  Original is my favorite if I had to pick one.  

nolaegghead

hondabbq

nolaegghead said:

Looks really good.

What brand of dehydrator is that?

nolaegghead

@hondabbq STX.  Bought a couple years ago.  Really happy with it.  I leave it out back - all the shelves and the drip tray go in the dishwasher, really very little effort to use other than loading it up.

https://www.amazon.com/STX-INTERNATIONAL-STX-DEH-1200W-XLS-Stainless-Dehydrator/dp/B007QCXU5M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500571999&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=stainless+food+dehydrator&psc=1

nolaegghead

I don't remember where I bought it...it wasn't Amazon, they didn't have the best price.

HellrodKC

I've got the LEM jerky cannon. Super easy to use. It has both flat and round tips, and you can do with casings or not. The one I got came with a couple seasoning packets to start with as an intro, but not sure if they all do.

@nolaegghead is on to something with the stuffed pasta... haven't thought about using it for anything other than jerky but don't see why it wouldn't work. 

hondabbq

HellrodKC said:

I've got the LEM jerky cannon. Super easy to use. It has both flat and round tips, and you can do with casings or not. The one I got came with a couple seasoning packets to start with as an intro, but not sure if they all do.

@nolaegghead is on to something with the stuffed pasta... haven't thought about using it for anything other than jerky but don't see why it wouldn't work. 

You both are going to have to post that process up and the final product.

blind99

@nolaegghead how did you make your cure? and how do you judge doneness? I make my jerky with a food dehydrator and I feel like I always take it just past "shoe leather"

@hondabbq how's the consistency of jerky from the cannon? 

nolaegghead

Indeed.  Many time's I've needed/wanted some viscous goop-injection tool.  I have a SS injector but it has a needle.  Injecting bread, pasta like manicotti, chicken breasts with cheese/prosciutto/mushroom glop, etc.  Seems like a 1.5 pound capacity tool that I'd really use for other stuff that I normally wouldn't have the tech to do.  I'm buying one today. 

RRP

Not ground beef, but I've made this jerky several times on my egg with success
http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71&func=detail&id=211

fishlessman

RRP said:

Not ground beef, but I've made this jerky several times on my egg with success
http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71&func=detail&id=211

ive made that one alot over the years. i think the ancient wiseone cookbook has the full recipe describing his mound method, makes jerkey in the egg alot easier

nolaegghead

blind99 said:

@nolaegghead how did you make your cure? and how do you judge doneness? I make my jerky with a food dehydrator and I feel like I always take it just past "shoe leather"

@hondabbq how's the consistency of jerky from the cannon? 

@blind99 I usually use a dry cure and sprinkle it on like I'm making lasagna.  I used a wet cure in this last batch.  Weight and salt ratio is mostly what you need to worry about.

From memory, to cure 10 pounds of beef:  Freeze, cut on slicer.  Make the cure with a cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of Worcestershire,  few table spoons of fish sauce, and I think about 5 tablespoons of salt.  Added the normal amount of prague #1 mostly for color.  Then whatever you feel like with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, etc.  I usually add some maresh and/or alleppo pepper because it's complex and not too hot.  Red pepper for heat.  And MSG because I'm a totally A-hole (and it augments the umami in the fish sauce and soy).   Mix up well (this takes some work), let it sit in the fridge overnight. There is not much free liquid the next day.

Then dry at 150-155 F in the dehydrator until the thinnest pieces are very dry and the thicker ones aren't dry enough.  Bag it and let it sit and it equals out.  45-50% moisture loss from the meat weight is just about right for beef.  Will be less with venison. or leaner meats.

nolaegghead

PS - I usually try to use lean beef (obviously) but a little fat isn't terrible, just impacts storage life.  I try to cut against the grain, but there are camps out there that go with the grain because they want to torture people by making a product that needs to act like a cud in an ungulate.

nolaegghead

PS PS - and for some heresy - I put in a couple ounces of applewood liquid smoke.  I didn't feel like throwing that much stuff on the egg, would have taken several batches, and in my opinion, just a little smoke is best with my palate.  I find the BGE doesn't do a good job dehydrating, maybe because it's higher than normal humidity, and the capacity to do 10 pounds of thinly sliced meat would make it take forever, and ain't nobody got time for dat!

fishlessman

RRP said:

Not ground beef, but I've made this jerky several times on my egg with success
http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_recipes&Itemid=71&func=detail&id=211

heres the writeup with the mound method, bet i cook do it in a big fry basket

CERAMIC GRILL

RECIPES

BEEF/VENSION

Page

41

Directions:



Marinade the beef (3

-

5 lbs sliced thin) at least 1 hour. I typically do it (12 hours) overnight.



Smoke over low heat (dome temperature 160 to 180 degrees) until desired texture. It may

take 12 or more hours. Turn it every couple of hours.



The strips of beef are placed on the grill to create the mound

-

the grill is preheated to 160

-

180 using firebricks and drip pan

-

I let the mound cook for about 1¼ hours and flip the whole

thing usin

g a 2nd grid

-

then it cooks for another hour

-

after 2¼ hours I'll take it off the grill and

start to separate all the pieces from the mound

-

as the day progresses, I'll use a pair of tongs to

turn the jerky about every hour and make sure that all the p

ieces get rotated.

A lot of work for something that doesn't last very long

--

not because it won't keep, but it tastes

so good! Try the marinade recipes on the following page as well.

Focker

Smarter, not harder.
The egg is terrible at jerky temps.
Nothing wrong with liquid smoke here, in my book.

OhioEgger

nolaegghead said:

PS PS - and for some heresy - I put in a couple ounces of applewood liquid smoke. 

Agree. Jerky is one of the few (IMHO) legitimate uses for liquid smoke. It definitely improves the product.

hondabbq

blind99 said:

@nolaegghead how did you make your cure? and how do you judge doneness? I make my jerky with a food dehydrator and I feel like I always take it just past "shoe leather"

@hondabbq how's the consistency of jerky from the cannon? 

I haven't done it yet. Just in the planning stages for now.  I'm on holidays in 2 weeks so I'm sure a batch or 2 will happen then. 

blind99

@nolaegghead thanks, great writeup.  yeah, the cud thing is spot on.  I've been cutting with the grain, thinking if I cut against it would fall apart.  shoe leather....  I'm fine with MSG... glutamate seems pretty natural to me.  and liquid smoke is just that.

I try to keep things pretty lean - the fat can get a bit rancid.  jerky is kind of disheartening with all the shrinkage.  but it's so tasty.

@hondabbq cool, post it up for us to see.  we'll all be ordering jerky cannons if it comes out well, like the lemmings we are

Legume

blind99 said:

like the lemmings we are

Amen to that.

SGH

nolaegghead said:

I have got to ask, is that a cat turd?

SGH

I only kid above ole buddy