I am going to make some of my own venison jerky for the first time this year and I have a question for you guys that have been around this a little bit.
First question-What do you use to dehydrate your meat? I was thinking of using a regular barbeque smoker, but I know some people like dehydrators or some say a smoke house is the best way to go. I don't have a smoke house so it will be either a smoker or a dehydrator.
Second question-If you do smoke your jerky, what kind of wood do you like? I have oak, mesquite and pecan readily available here. Or, if I had to, I could buy other types from the store.
So, how do you guys like your jerky?
I use a dehydrator, my co-worker uses a smoker. I like them both. Be careful with the smoke though it is easy to over do it.
I just cut up and dehydrated a whole antelope into jerky
You can use a smoker, but remember that smoking wood is a seasoning, like salt and pepper. Once you get some flavor on the meat, use a neutral wood like oak to finish the dehydration.
Yep +1 on over doing the smoke..tried some in my new electric smoker last year with our fresh apple wood...damn stuff tasted like apple cigars..YUK !!!!
Been using the dehydrator works well. I use a little liquid smoke even a little of that goes a long ways. You have to watch it too closely when you do it in the smoker.
Smoker all the way. About 10 years ago I made mine out of plywood and a single burner hot plate. Add a fistfull of dampened mesquite wood chips to a small cast iron skiller on the hot plate turn on high and close the door. Put 4 trays of jerky in at about 9:00 pm and it is done when you wake up for work in the morning. I can't bring myself to throw it away and get something fancy from Cabela's. The wood is seasoned real nice and it works too good.
I like it both ways but a dehydrator is easier for me. I like to soak the meat overnight in a marinade and then when i get it on the dehydrator i sprinkle with jalapeno or green chile powder i make. I have some on right now.
If you are just starting out, try doing your jerky in the oven. Marinate your jerky in whatever jerky marinade you like, I usually do this in the refrig for 24-48 hrs.. I use a Tupperware container, turn it over every 8 hrs. to get thorough saturation of the marinade. When it is ready for the oven, cover the bottom of the oven with a sheet of aluminum foil to catch the drips. Skewer your jerky strips on toothpicks and suspend from the oven racks. I do this over the sink to catch drips, when the racks are full transfer to the oven. Set the oven to the lowest heat and prop the door open a couple of inches to allow moisture vapor to escape. An oven full of jerky takes about 3 hrs. to dry, start watching and testing at 2 1/2 hrs. The caution regarding adding smoke flavoring is a good one, use it according to directions on the bottle a little bit goes a long way and it is easy to make your jerky bitter tasting from too much liquid smoke. I have a Luhr Jensen Little Chief electric smoker the I use too, I prefer Alder wood chips for smoking as it gives a nice flavor that is never bitter. A pan full of chips will smoke for 1 hr. which is a good starting point, your jerky will need to stay in the smoker for 2-3 additional hrs. without wood chips to be done. If after you've tried jerky with one hrs. smoking and you want a more intense smoke flavor, increase the smoking time to 2 hrs.. A real Holiday treat is Rock Cornish hens done in the smoker with Apple wood. We have them for Christmas dinner quite often, each guest has their own hen, some wild rice, vegatable of choice and a nice white wine complete the meal. Give it a try.
Smokehouse all the way. Liquid smoke is horrible to my tastes...
We use real smoke and often play between pecan, hickory, and mesquite. Even break down and use standard post oak now and then.
FWIW once its seasoned and smoked, you can dry it in the fridge.... you don't really need a smokehouse, dehydrator etc...
dehydrator and marinade to taste....
Hi-Country original spice with a little honey added,put in the dehydrator,this makes some of the best jerky!!
+! on this advise - use ur oven - - been jerkin elk - deer for many yrs. wish i knew how to post pictures - Az
alder is the best wood to use
alder is the best wood to use
Send some to me...............been wanting to try it
Cabela's and Gander Mtn. both have Alder wood chips in Luhr Jenson bags. You really owe it to yourself to try it.