Jerky - Thank you

[lostagain]

:You_Rock_ WOW :You_Rock_

Joined and paid up a while ago after lurking for free for a bit. Numerous articles about jerky had me thinking why not have a go at that, I like the shop stuff, can't hurt !!!

So, off I went today, bought myself a big old chunk of lean cow, sliced it up, salt, pepper and some dried herbs and spices. It all went in the oven (just the fan on, door open a jar and no heat) about 8pm.

It got to about 11pm and I'm getting impatient (its like telling a kid he can't have chocolate when the smell is wafting through the whole house and teasing me!!) so I've put the oven on the lowest setting and opened the door a bit more.

Curosity got the best of me about 5 mins ago when i spotted a very thin piece that deserved being eaten.... WOW ....when someone said it tastes 100 times better than shop stuff they were wrong....its 1000 times better.

That taste has just justified the membership fee. The only problem now is will the rest last till tomorrow !!!

I'd post a picture but lost my upload settings for the web site I use....the jerky looks like everyone else's oven with strips of beef hanging off wooden skewers...mmmmmmmm there goes another bit !! Thanks for all the advice posted here, still learning something new every day

 

[lostagain]

Just an update...been munching on this stuff all day, very pleased. For my next batch (learning all the time) I'll go a bit easier on the salt. It seems to intensify once dried properly and some bits are a bit over salted.

 

[Singeblister]

nice one glad your getting on with the Jerky its well worth making , I recently made a stew with Jerky on a trip and it was really good , you will have to try that next

 

[harlequin]

Who's recipe did you use, lostagain?
If you actually try again you should have a go at biltong, instead. very similar. Here is my recipe.

I make biltong quite regularly and it always goes down a treat!

Get your meat (especially when there's two for one in your supermarket!) silverside is usually the best. buy the biggest bit you can afford, as the oven will be on all that time anyway , you'd be as well fill it!
Prepare the brine mix.
For a large joint, 2 -3 Kg, use about two packets/tubes of ROCK salt. Do not use any other type (I talk from experience!), a big handful of brown sugar and as much ground coriander seeds as you want, probably more. Ground coriander seed flavour is the authentic mark of SA biltong. Grind some pepper in, until your hands get tired using the pepper mill!
Cut your meat into approx. 2cm width and breadth and as long as the joint is.
Trim all fat and sinew that you can see (this pays big dividends in the long run!).
Chuck it in the brine mix.
Brine for about 45 MINUTES/60 MAX. Forget any recipe that you might google that says 'brine for 3 hours' the result is unpalatably salty (this I also talk from experience - several times!).
Prepare the 'wash'.
In a large bowl add a bottle of red wine vinegar, maybe two. Top up with water if there is not enough. Add seasoning liquids e.g. worcestershire sause; tabasco; liquid smoke etc. This will be your stamp of individualidity, don't skimp!
Wash the salt carefully from the meat, making sure you don't miss any, and then dip into the 'wash', massage in briefly,
Make a spice mix (optional but makes it 100% better)
Grind up a handful of black peppercorns and three, yes that's right three handfuls of ground coriander seeds. roll the meat in this mix. You'll get the idea once you run out of spice mix halfway through doing it how much you actually need! But then again you can now experience the difference between the 'spiced' ones and the plain ones.
Stick a cocktail stick through the very end of it and hang it from an oven shelf located at the highest point you can in the oven. Stick your oven on at the lowest setting and leave the door slightly ajar. Wooden spoons come in handy here!
depending on how you like your biltong drying times will vary. I like mine dry (keeps better and tastes better!) so approx 24 hours. If you like it wet just keep trying little pieces until you like the taste (wet, it tastes more like liver).
Shave VERY thinly and enjoy with an ice cold beer!
PS look out for the biltong mites once you make it!
My house has an unbelievable infestation of them!
Make a load and next morning when you come down half of it's gone!
PPS the South Africans I know say I make it better than they can so don't tell them the recipe!
PPPS A coffee or spice grinder make the job of grinding the spices much much much less of a chore. Again I talk from experience!

PPPPS membership here is always money well spent,I think