Favorite Jerky Recipies.

Diomedes Industries

Diomedes Industries

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Mar 19, 2007
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As it cools down, and the hiking season is upon us (well in Texas) I am dehydrating a bunch of food to make trail food.

I am wondering what you use to make jerky. I have a nice dehydrator and will likely use that - but post up anything!

TF
 
There is a jerky sold around here called Wild Bill's. I love the stuff....just enough pepper...lots of salt and almost no sweetness. I'd be curious to see if anyone has a recipe that comes close to Wild Bill's. This should be a fun thread to watch.
 
Been using one of those circular nesco units...think I picked it up on Amazon for cheap. Can add a bunch of trays. Same basic unit my mother has been using for many many years. Simple, reliable, and does a good job.

How can we talk jerky without talking recipes? I feel like the mad-scientist of jerky...can't stop tinkering. I like a little sweetness, but want to really taste the meat too...and feel some burn. I usually do a marinade, but only let it soak for 3 hours or so because I don't want it overpowering the meat. I almost always use a little ginger and some sort of chili pepper (mmmm...habanero) too, which I didn't do on my last batch. I kept the last batch simple:

Marinade:
1 cup pineapple juice
2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
Salt
White pepper
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper

I make just enough marinade to barely cover all the meat. Once pulled out of the marinade I give it a second good dose of black pepper and salt then slap it on the dehydrator.

I'll keep an eye out for Wild Bills and give it a taste if I can find it.
 
I like to mix soy sauce with honey, Spiracha chili sauce, grated ginger, green onion, sesame oil and red pepper flake and then marinate the meat overnight. Then dry/cook/dehydrate/whatever to your liking. This is the same sauce I use for lo mein noodles, potsticker dipping sauce, lions head soup, etc.
 
There are all kinds of good recipes out there but most rely on a lot of salt to help with drawing the moisture out during the deheydration process. I use a little salt and a lot of lime juice along with other spices in a 24 hr marinade. Tastes great and healthier too!--KV
 
Can you guys give me a guideline as to "when" the jerky is "done?" I typically over dry my jerkey as I'm afraid to pull it out too soon. What is a good guideline to know when it is "done enough?"
 
morrowj_98 said:
There is a jerky sold around here called Wild Bill's. I love the stuff....just enough pepper...lots of salt and almost no sweetness. I'd be curious to see if anyone has a recipe that comes close to Wild Bill's. This should be a fun thread to watch.
Click to expand...

Yes!! +1 on that! Wild Bill's is awesome! Where are you located? I'm up in NE PA in Honesdale...
 
Quirt - Thickness will have a lot to do with this. I usually have mine cut like thick bacon, and just sample the product periodically.

Everyone hurry up with the recipes...I just ordered up four pounds of london broil for this afternoon...cut like thick bacon...and I need some new ideas.
 
Quirt said:
Can you guys give me a guideline as to "when" the jerky is "done?" I typically over dry my jerkey as I'm afraid to pull it out too soon. What is a good guideline to know when it is "done enough?"
Click to expand...

I do mine in the gas oven set on 200 and the door open about 4 inches. I let it "cook" for about 12 hours. Starting around 8-9 hours when I can't stand not tasting it anymore, I'll bend a piece. I want it to barely crack, but not break. That's when I turn the oven off, open the door all the way and let it cool to room temperature.
 
Ive used several Hi Mountain jerky packs . They were all excellent. You cant go wrong with the Mesquite. The recipe is on the pack.
 
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One of the reasons I started making my own jerky was to make flavors I couldn't get as store-bought jerky. My favorite is jerk jerky. I'm partial to Lawry's Carribean Jerk marinade, mostly because I'm too lazy to experiment with my own blend and seriously doubt I could do better.
 
Just threw four pounds into the marinade. Includes two habaneros and half a cup of ginger beer on top of my standard marinade. Extra pepper too. This should be a face burner. If it's good I'll post the recipe tomorrow. See what you started TF?
 
I use corn beef it salty when its done , but handy for throwing into a pot to make stew with .

slice it up , stick it in the drier .. I learned it when I was in the kimberlies and saw an older Aboriginal woman drying it .. she called it biskut .. stuck a slab of corned beef in a cotton type flour sack and threw it up onto the roof to dry .. never rains there in summer ,the heat and dry is more than adaquate to dry the stuff slab at a time , and it keeps it out of reach of the dogs

I slice it into strips , and dry till it cracks on the outside but doesnt snap thru when its bent

to get fancy with it , I soak the strips in chilli sauce and then dry them

this stuff is OK to chew on in hot weather .. salt is apreciated , my personal taste anyway , but mostly its just for saving weight and space on travel food , throw in a pot with some veg and its soup / stew
 
In 30 years, I've tried a lot of recipes and techniques , but the dehydrater jerky I like the best for most control and easy clean-up. My favorite is the simple stuff . I take whatever amount of lean meat , cut with the grain into 1/4" strips , or let the butcher do it . If you ask politely , many will do it for you. I like Flank the best . Then I go home and grab the Morton's Tender quik , or just plain sea salt (not iodized ) , fine black , pepper , and a big plastic bowl. I don't measure anymore; I just rub each piece with a pinch of Morton's or the salt , a small sprinkle of pepper, and that's it. In the Fridge overnight , and in the dehydrater trays the next morning. Set it to high , and leave for 8 hours. Then I start checking for donesness every two hours. It should bend , but not break. It dries out a little bit more after you have removed it , so under-estimate it if you don't want to be eating shoe leather.
 
I've got about 5 lbs of pre-jerky strips soaking right now, ready for the dehydrator tomorrow.

This is my current recipe. I really like it. I use plenty of water to water down the soy sauce, even though it is already low sodium. I don't like overly salty jerky, because I eat way too much of it when it's jerky snacking time.

Marinade:

Kikkoman lite soy sauce
water
balsamic vinegar
molasses
honey
sherry
a dollop of ketchup

Dry rub:

ginger, chipotle, curry, onion, garlic, ground Brazilian peppercorns, Habanero powder, cumin (I keep this in a shaker bottle)

Meat:

shoulder (the best cut I've found for jerky) cut into 1/8 strips (against the grain)

Method:

marinate beef strips for 12hrs overnight, sprinkle generously with dry rub, and dry for approximately 7-8 hrs at 140° (Excalibur dehydrator)

store in paper bags
 
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