# How do you make your jerky?



## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

We got the first batch of jerky into the dryer tonight. I used some of the meat from my muzzle deer. 
Over the years we have refined our marinade to where it is very good, yet simple. I cut the strips as I am cutting and wrapping the deer. It is ready to marinate and never gets frozen. I think that makes a difference. 
We have an OLD dryer an old friend gave me years ago., he has since passed away. Was all hand built. The heating element is so old, it I's a porcelain bulb wrapped with wire that heats up. Prob can't replace it. 
The grandkids are already asking when the jerky will be ready.
It's really very good stuff. 
It's part of our family tradition as part of the hunts.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Looks fantastic!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I use ground meat and seasoning from PS Seasonings & Spices. I tried High Country's mix a few times but it just wasn't flavorful enough for my taste. I then use a Cabela's Jerky shooter to form it into strips. 

When if first started making jerky I cut it into strips and then made up my own marinade but I like the ground better.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

Critter said:


> I use ground meat and seasoning from PS Seasonings & Spices. I tried High Country's mix a few times but it just wasn't flavorful enough for my taste. I then use a Cabela's Jerky shooter to form it into strips.
> 
> When if first started making jerky I cut it into strips and then made up my own marinade but I like the ground better.


Yo Critter, what flavors from PS do you like the best? I wish they'd let me pick which three flavors I wanted to try in the variety pack! Have you done the Sweet and Hot? That one has my eye.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

2full said:


> We got the first batch of jerky into the dryer tonight. I used some of the meat from my muzzle deer.
> Over the years we have refined our marinade to where it is very good, yet simple. I cut the strips as I am cutting and wrapping the deer. It is ready to marinate and never gets frozen. I think that makes a difference.


We do it in similar fashion. Simple marinade that works great. Throw meat in fridge over night, then onto a cheap dehydrator. The only work is to rotate the shelves throughout the day (take bottom of stack off, put it on top).

I haven't noticed any difference in frozen vs unfrozen. We throw all scrap meat when processing deer into 1gal ziplocks for jerky or stews. Usually at the beginning of the next hunting season we do a big batch of jerky from any meat left over from the prior year.

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Vanilla said:


> Yo Critter, what flavors from PS do you like the best? I wish they'd let me pick which three flavors I wanted to try in the variety pack! Have you done the Sweet and Hot? That one has my eye.


Most of mine has been mesquite but their pepper is also a good one.

I found that their flavors are fairly strong but that is how I like them.

It would be nice if they would sell just a 5 lb mix instead of the 15 but it is all good and gets ate quite fast.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

With the help of the grandkids. 

She calls them slimjacks. I like my jerky ground.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

A friend of mine and I played with using grind to make the jerky. He actually liked to use the burger. He had the jerky shooter and did quite of bit of the jerky for a couple of years. It was pretty easy to do for sure. And not bad tasting.
The only thing I didn't care for was having the fat in the jerky. Made it a little bit greasy for me. Nice thing was you could kick out a bunch in a hurry.


Do you guys use straight grind or the burger for yours ?


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

That batch was a 10lb tube of ground bull. It generally tests out only between 7 & 9% fat. Very lean & not greasy. When I make duck & goose ground jerky I'll ad some ground beef to help with texture and to ad a little bit of fat.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

For my elk jerky it is straight ground elk. But then I ground the meat myself.

On my deer jerky the processor screwed up when I told him that I wanted no fat in the grind but he mixed it in anyway and I didn't find out until 5 or 6 months later when I went to make jerky. However I have found that if you take a paper towel and dab the grease off after about 4 hours, then flip the pieces and dab the grease off a couple of times after that it comes out pretty fat free. At least any that you can see.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

The jerky is marinating as I type this. 20 lbs. of deer summer sausage and trail bologna out of the smoker already, using peach wood. I think peach is my new favorite wood now. I have done chicken a few times with it and it's good stuff.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

My wife gave me a nice grinder for Christmas year before last. I didn't shoot anything last year, so I didn't get to use it. I have the trim ready to go and am itching to try it out. I'll do some grind with no fat and try it in the gun. Looking forward to trying it in the jerky gun. 
I bought a summer sausage making kit this month and will use some in that as well. 
Thanks for the tips guys !!


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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

I used Walton's special blend on my first two roasts from my doe this year. Hand sliced with the grain, spice packet plus pink salt, marinade overnight, smoke for 5 hours over whole lump charcoal and apple wood chunks, old school.


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

I will tell you this. having the right equipment to make jerky really helps. I am now almost all ground jerky. it is so much easier and taste great. I clean up the meat the best I can. Throw it into my 150$ grinder. I don't add any beef, just straight up wild game. I bought a cheap meat mixer. I have been going to Bridger land College in Logan to buy my seasoning. They have a Colorado blend that is great. let it sit overnight. I finally bought a good jerky shooter gun. ( metal one) worth it's weight in gold! Press it right on the smoker racks. Smoke with hickory pellets till the meat tears apart when folding and your done. I usually make 10 lbs wet meat. with the results. it's gone in just a few hours between all of us, unless I hide it. but the kids usually find my stash.


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## Raptorman (Aug 18, 2009)

About how long do you have to let it smoke and at what temp on the pellet smoker?


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Raptorman said:


> About how long do you have to let it smoke and at what temp on the pellet smoker?


I smoke mine on high smoke for 45 min and then turn it to low smoke i think is 165. It usually takes 2 to 3 hrs


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