Jerky Time!

OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,684
Location
SE Idaho
You inspired me @robby denning. I just took out a big elk roast. I love jerky, but somehow the wife and kids don’t. Lucky me!

Do it man!

Just took mine out of the smoker. It did take the whole 12 hours and they are delicious!

376510b51d4aa504e21217b29dc4c32f.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,684
Location
SE Idaho
Well, between my son and I we’ve eaten half of our bounty already lol.

Sunday, I put the jerky cannon to work. My goodness this thing does a great job. I’ve never hand formed hamburger jerky, but I can’t imagine it being near as neat and efficient as this thing.

I just mixed in the Backwoods mesquite spice to the burger according to directions, loaded the cannon, and laid out these beautiful 1/8 inch thick strips

552065429914d573957a80d97dc12282.jpg


a540c4f2934888faf13aafad6f237911.jpg



8fc1d6963c584a9e82e43be4945868aa.jpg


What you see in the picture above was about 1.5 pounds, the capacity of the cannon, the Little Chief smoker, and just so happens to be what my butcher gives me per package

Because they were pretty thin and I had started so late in the day, I only ran two trays of smoke over about four hours.

I had to work the next day, so I pulled them after the four hours and finished them in the oven at 200° (the Backwoods said you can do it that way instead of a smoker, or both like I did).

88509762a92f799c3b58b33b41d98b1c.jpg



What a great way to use wild game burger. They were really good and of course an easier chew than the whole muscle. A little more moist too but that would mean they won’t keep as long.

The only thing I’m gonna change next time is one more tray of smoke, and a little more salt to the recipe. The Backwoods was just right for the whole muscle jerky, but was a little lacking for the burger recipe

I’ll also try to start earlier in the day so I can do the entire process in the smoker to see if that makes any difference.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
6,627
need to have a Rokslide roundy with jerky as the main course.

did you marinate or just dry spice (rub, whatever we call it?)

and is the foil on the bottom rack to even out the heat?

Marinade I just toss some stuff together and put it in the fridge for 24-48 hours.

Brown sugar
Teriyaki
Soy sauce
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Saskatchewan seasoning
Red pepper flakes
Paprika

The tinfoil goes at the bottom of the oven. That is for my own well-being. My wife is not impressed when marinade drips onto the bottom of the oven and then burns. 😂

I don’t have a dehydrator so I use the oven. If you use the oven, put it on the lowest temperature and use a ball of foil to crack the door. It dries it more than cooks it and works pretty dang good.
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,684
Location
SE Idaho
Marinade I just toss some stuff together and put it in the fridge for 24-48 hours.

Brown sugar
Teriyaki
Soy sauce
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Saskatchewan seasoning
Red pepper flakes
Paprika

The tinfoil goes at the bottom of the oven. That is for my own well-being. My wife is not impressed when marinade drips onto the bottom of the oven and then burns. 😂

I don’t have a dehydrator so I use the oven. If you use the oven, put it on the lowest temperature and use a ball of foil to crack the door. It dries it more than cooks it and works pretty dang good.
understood. Is Sasketchewan a name brand spice?
 

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
6,627
Two years ago, I was on a backpack archery elk hunt. I packed a giant bag of jerky into camp. I love jerky for backpack trips. Lots of protein almost no weight.

When I came back from hunting the first day a mouse had chewed a hole in my bag of jerky. I tossed the entire bag. I was so pissed off I didn’t even wanna hunt anymore! 😡 😝
 
Joined
Apr 8, 2019
Messages
1,975
20241104_074346.jpg

Just loaded 10lbs on snackin stix in the smoker this morning...Pepperoni flavor and added some high temp cheddar to it...its the kids favorite.


The LEM sweet and spicy is my favorite jerky marinade.
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,684
Location
SE Idaho
Two years ago, I was on a backpack archery elk hunt. I packed a giant bag of jerky into camp. I love jerky for backpack trips. Lots of protein almost no weight.

When I came back from hunting the first day a mouse had chewed a hole in my bag of jerky. I tossed the entire bag. I was so pissed off I didn’t even wanna hunt anymore! 😡 😝
Life’s gotta be hard when you’re afraid of mice 😂😂😂

@Tanya Avery can vouch that I just pullout the bread slice with the mouse hole and eat the rest. And look at me, a pillar of health, strength, & vitality!
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,684
Location
SE Idaho
View attachment 786218

Just loaded 10lbs on snackin stix in the smoker this morning...Pepperoni flavor and added some high temp cheddar to it...its the kids favorite.


The LEM sweet and spicy is my favorite jerky marinade.
OK, this was gonna be the next direction that I took this thread, I noticed in the LEM package saying included a spice pack for making “sticks” but it said that I needed to buy casings and add some pork (20%). What do you do.
 

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
6,627
Life’s gotta be hard when you’re afraid of mice 😂😂😂

@Tanya Avery can vouch that I just pullout the bread slice with the mouse hole and eat the rest. And look at me, a pillar of health, strength, & vitality!
Hahahhaa

We have a danged mouse in our house. My wife is convinced we’re all going to die from the mouse poop. She’s rubbing off on me!

This mouse is the smartest mouse ever. Apparently too smart for me.
 
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
2,507
Well, between my son and I we’ve eaten half of our bounty already lol.

Sunday, I put the jerky cannon to work. My goodness this thing does a great job. I’ve never hand formed hamburger jerky, but I can’t imagine it being near as neat and efficient as this thing.

I just mixed in the Backwoods mesquite spice to the burger according to directions, loaded the cannon, and laid out these beautiful 1/8 inch thick strips

552065429914d573957a80d97dc12282.jpg


a540c4f2934888faf13aafad6f237911.jpg



8fc1d6963c584a9e82e43be4945868aa.jpg


What you see in the picture above was about 1.5 pounds, the capacity of the cannon, the Little Chief smoker, and just so happens to be what my butcher gives me per package

Because they were pretty thin and I had started so late in the day, I only ran two trays of smoke over about four hours.

I had to work the next day, so I pulled them after the four hours and finished them in the oven at 200° (the Backwoods said you can do it that way instead of a smoker, or both like I did).

88509762a92f799c3b58b33b41d98b1c.jpg



What a great way to use wild game burger. They were really good and of course an easier chew than the whole muscle. A little more moist too but that would mean they won’t keep as long.

The only thing I’m gonna change next time is one more tray of smoke, and a little more salt to the recipe. The Backwoods was just right for the whole muscle jerky, but was a little lacking for the burger recipe

I’ll also try to start earlier in the day so I can do the entire process in the smoker to see if that makes any difference.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It’s really hard to beat the jerky gun!

My only advice is to make small batches. Eat it within a couple weeks ideally. I made 30lbs one year, took too long to eat it and it didn’t keep very well even in dehydrated bags.

Fresh jerky is the best 😍
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,684
Location
SE Idaho
It’s really hard to beat the jerky gun!

My only advice is to make small batches. Eat it within a couple weeks ideally. I made 30lbs one year, took too long to eat it and it didn’t keep very well even in dehydrated bags.

Fresh jerky is the best 😍
OK man, thanks, All this goes in fridge or freezer. Does that make any differnece on batch size to you?
 
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Messages
2,507
OK man, thanks, All this goes in fridge or freezer. Does that make any differnece on batch size to you?
I didn’t freeze mine, but wish I had. I used nitrates, packed into vacuum sealed bags. I thought it would be good. After about a month I noticed the taste was not the same. Still edible but slightly off in flavor. A year later some of it had a little mold and was not edible.

Zip lock in the fridge worked well but the fresh stuff didn’t last long enough to see how long it would keep.

Let us know how the freezing works for keeping it fresh..for now I would say don’t hold back on eating a bunch of it because who knows if it will be as tasty as it is now!
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,684
Location
SE Idaho
I didn’t freeze mine, but wish I had. I used nitrates, packed into vacuum sealed bags. I thought it would be good. After about a month I noticed the taste was not the same. Still edible but slightly off in flavor. A year later some of it had a little mold and was not edible.

Zip lock in the fridge worked well but the fresh stuff didn’t last long enough to see how long it would keep.

Let us know how the freezing works for keeping it fresh..for now I would say don’t hold back on eating a bunch of it because who knows if it will be as tasty as it is now!
OK.

I've frozen batches before with no issues but nothing has lasted more than a momth before we ate it. Just can't stay out of it lol.

Thinking if this is always going to be fridge/freezer jerky, might leave the nitrates out.
 
Joined
Apr 8, 2019
Messages
1,975
OK, this was gonna be the next direction that I took this thread, I noticed in the LEM package saying included a spice pack for making “sticks” but it said that I needed to buy casings and add some pork (20%). What do you do.

Get the kit...and some high temp cheese. I add 10% pork belly as my ground already has 10% added.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 8, 2019
Messages
1,975
Let us know how the freezing works for keeping it fresh..for now I would say don’t hold back on eating a bunch of it because who knows if it will be as tasty as it is now!

Had some elk jerky I made this time last year in the stand on Sat. Vac pac and freeze it will last over a year easy.
I do a lb in bag...do the same with summer sausage...works great.
20221215_195140.jpg
 
OP
robby denning

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
15,684
Location
SE Idaho
Top