jerky cuts?

[badgeringtim]

Hi all,
Im sure this topic has been discussed many times but i couldnt find an answer to this so hope someone wont mind pointing me in the right direction. i did find one comment about what i think must be an american cut.

What cuts of beef are good for making jerky?

Also i presume the cut would be the same no matter the animal, ut things like Elk are less fatty so maybe would use a different cut?

But mainly the beef question please!

Thanks

[mayobushcraft]

I use London Broil (American cut) not sure what its called here. But any cut with low fat would work. I lightly freeze it so that it is slightly hard then cut it with a meat slicer set to about 1/8". Marinaid over night in the fridge. Then hang.

[CAL]

I've used most cuts so far. I tend to look for something reasonably lean (or with the fat in the right places to easily and economically cut out) and in the sale. So far I haven't really found a difference between the cuts.

[British Red]

As said, many cuts will work,

The cheapest way if working in quantity is to get a good lean roasting joint and carve it to the thickness of slice that you want.

The key to good jerky is to cut each slice "across the grain" so that the fibres run horizontal acroos the thin strip and not vertically along it - this means its easy to bite a piece off without pulling your teeth out. As you chew, it renders to smaller, easier swallowed pieces and not long strings like celery.

If you are experimenting, try the thin "minute steaks" available in many supermarkets

If loaded, A good sirloin at about £10 a kilo makes great jerky :D

Red

[badgeringtim]

Well i did manage to get some discouted sirloin which is why i asked :-)
I thought the meat was cut along the grain ...? just from reading elsewhere.
Ah i might just have a go and see what happens!!

cheers

[Everything Mac]

As said, many cuts will work,

The cheapest way if working in quantity is to get a good lean roasting joint and carve it to the thickness of slice that you want.

The key to good jerky is to cut each slice "across the grain" so that the fibres run horizontal acroos the thin strip and not vertically along it - this means its easy to bite a piece off without pulling your teeth out. As you chew, it renders to smaller, easier swallowed pieces and not long strings like celery.

If you are experimenting, try the thin "minute steaks" available in many supermarkets

If loaded, A good sirloin at about £10 a kilo makes great jerky :D

Red

when i make jerky i tend to buy the cheap tesco value steaks - they tend to be around £2 for a reasonable amount of meat - you just have to cut out all the fat and gristle.

[rik_uk3]

Better cuts give better jerky IMHO, its worth the extra price for sirloin to be honest, I don't like the stuff but I make it for friends from time to time and they seem happy with the sirloin.

The last batch was OK even for me, sirloin, soy sauce, garlic powder and Chinese five spice :)

[Celt_Ginger]

I find that Topside or Silverside roasts make great jerky. Topside may need a bit of trimming up as it often has a seam but Silverside usually slices without issue. You get plenty of fat free meat for the money by using a roasting joint.

[lannyman8]

i would say topside,braising steak and rump but any will bo with low ish fat marbeling content as it keeps the meat moist and prone to spoiling....

hope this helps....chris...

[Chinkapin]

Recently, a friend asked me if I wanted a piece of jerky, an naturally, I said "yes." It was the best piece of jerky I have every eaten, and I have eaten more than my fair share.

After I told him it was great, he informed me it was Goose. I would have never guessed that it was bird and not beef.

I tried to get the recipe out of him but he said it was his mother's and she wouldn't give it up.

Might be something you want to try.

[markheolddu]

I use beef skirt, lots of flavour and its quite cheap. Cut across the grain it works well.

Mark

[ashab1]

Anybody used ox heart im very tempted to give it a go also would a slow cooker with the lid slightly open dry out the meat

[Everything Mac]

Anybody used ox heart im very tempted to give it a go also would a slow cooker with the lid slightly open dry out the meat

there was a thread about using offal on here a while ago.

I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to use heart.

not sure on the slow cooker front. I literally have a batch in the oven as we speak.

andy

[ashab1]

there was a thread about using offal on here a while ago. I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to use heart. not sure on the slow cooker front. I literally have a batch in the oven as we speak. andy cool I going to marinade some for weekend

[MrEd]

i used topside, got it off the meat counter in waitrose and got them to slice it in their slicer machine. seasoned it with cayman pepper and garlic salt rub overnight then hung it in the oven for 7hrs on 100 degrees c. worked ok for me but i expect my elec bill will be big lol..... was thinking of getting a dehydrator sometime

[jasons]

JERKY CATS:eek:I will get me ventile:goodnight:

[pilsbury]

I always use rump for my Jerky and slice with the grain to make it a bit more chewy, after all its better if it lasts a while or I eat far to much of it.

[Madpuppy]

I'm with pilsbury, I use Rump Roast and cut with. I mix my jerky seasoning in with a 1/2 liter water and pour over 8 pounds of sliced meat, toss well then smoke in the propane smoker with mesquite wood chips for 4-6 hours, mmmmm good!

[Revsharky]

If i can add a few peneth worth....
Having spent 3 months on South Africa 2yrs ago...
You can't beat beef "billtong"
It even stopped my teething daughter's screaming.
Now available from a number of SA shops in this country!

[badgeringtim]

Cool thanks all,
I have some brisket im about to play with.

Wonder how the heart went..anyone who tried it...?
Sounds like it would be close gained and therefore more chewy maybe but i no nothing about jerky so only a thought :-)

[Toddy]

Pretty much in agreement with British Red and Rik_uk3.
When we first bought the dehydrators (my brother's is used for meat, mine isn't) I tried jerkying every kind of meat I could get hold of.
Good beef they loved; venison, the salmon cut,and the bit from just in front of the hips that can be eaten raw, )can't remember the name at the moment :o) they guzzled.
Pork medallions worked very well indeed and so did Turkey breast.
However, knowing of the salmonella issue with birds, the turkey breast was sliced into fine steaks and then it was blanched in boiling water before it was marinated.
It too went down all too quickly.

Meat jerky's an expensive business I found :rolleyes:

:D

cheers,
Toddy

[pilsbury]

I Just made liver Jerky and passed it round for tasting and it was a thumbs up, only if you really like liver though as the taste is strong,
heart would probably be a bit fatty unless its cleaned really well i would of thought.
I dont think a slow cooker would do it as it normally requires air movement to dry it properly, in the oven there is normally a fan or if not the door open a crack works with the warm moist air comes out the top and cool dryer air in the bottom providing the way of carrying off the water, in a slow cooker there will be almost no air flow.

and making meat jerky is certainly not a cheap past time but hand made jerky is certainly worth it in my opinion.

[Front Room Woodlander]

See! Liver Jerky IS the way forward.

[wabbiter]

best beef jerky i ever made was from skirt my butcher recomended............mack

[pilsbury]

Skirt is geat for Jerky as it is very low fat and has long tough muscle fibers, its also normally about a inch thich and so can be cut into slices following the grain giving long thin strips perfect for drying, unfortunatly is quite hard to get in large quantitys normally which is why I stick to rump mostly.

[Toddy]

May I ask ? Why do you follow the grain with it ?
I don't eat meat, so I don't know this from personal experience, but I'd have thought that long grain would have ended up fibrous and stuck between your teeth......if you could bite it off in the first place that is :dunno:

cheers,
Toddy

[Jericho]

It's something to do with shrinkage (i think).

[pilsbury]

May I ask ? Why do you follow the grain with it ?
I don't eat meat, so I don't know this from personal experience, but I'd have thought that long grain would have ended up fibrous and stuck between your teeth......if you could bite it off in the first place that is :dunno:

cheers,
Toddy
yes thats it, the idea of jerky is it's a tough snack to eat so you can chew and chew it forever, its a way of passing the time as well as getting nutrition.
I sometimes describe it to people who havent eaten it as meat chewing gum you can swallow, if done correctly the flavour is locked in the fibers, its doesnt really taste of much when it first goes in but the more you chew it the more taste and flavour you can get out, the supermarket stuff tends to have srpay on flavour so it tastes great going in but after a minute or so its just a flavourless tough but of meat you still have to chew to swallow and that seems to put most people off in the future, shame really as done right its a great high protien low fat snack.

[Front Room Woodlander]

Having lost a few teeth through ducking when I should have dived I'd go across the grain and probably use milk veal.

[badgeringtim]

Ok so i have my meat sliced and seasoned and ready to go. having it the fan oven, i suspect may be an issue since i cant get the oven to turn on at all without the door being fully closed and then i can only get it to be to warm... any ideas?
At the moment i am switching it on for a minute or 2 to warm up and build up warm air a bit and then leave it for an unspecified amount of time...........and repeate
Could be a bit tricky over night though.

HEELLLPP?!?!?

[pilsbury]

why cant you get the oven to come on with the door open? is it a case of there is a sensor on the door and oven frame that must be touching or is it a gas cut off? most oven s can have the door opened during cooking a crack or even fully opened so you can put stuff in and out so i am not sure why yours wont warm up with the door held open a crack with a spoon or sometheng.
i

[IanM]

I use finely ground, very low fat (<5%), quality, beef mince. I mix with sodium nitrite cure and spices etc. then roll out very thin and cut into strips 1" wide 12" long with scissors. The excess mince is then rerolled and cut until all processed.

This dries quite fast in the dehydrator, is a standard size which packs well into polythene ziplocks and seemingly keeps forever (easily a couple of years in the 'fridge). Chewable, tearable and the texture is fine.

[badgeringtim]

Well i managed by turing it on and off for two days when i was there.
It seems to have worked - i have strips of dark dry meat - one spicy and one chineasy.
be interesting to try other peoples to compare - i like nibbling on it but its not changed my world yet.
My lass was very amused by it all.... O:-)

[Front Room Woodlander]

What temperature for the oven to dry aberdeen angus fillet jerky?