Beef Jerky Curing and Smoking Basics

Jerky made from lean fresh meat is low in cholesterol, low in fat and very high in protein, making jerky a wholesome and nutritious snack. The packaged and bulk jerky products sold in stores and at shows are related to real fresh jerky but, they tend to be over processed, over salted and in most cases stale. Fresh jerky is much softer, has more meat flavor, and provides more nutrition. Our recipes are made without added preservatives and since fresh jerky is best, we recommend that you make your jerky in one or two pound batches being sure to weigh meat and measure seasoning and cure mix exactly as the recipe describes. After cooking, store finished jerky in the refrigerator.

Selecting Meats

Jerky can be made from lean beef, chicken or turkey breast, and wild game. Quality meat means quality jerky but you don't have to pay a high price. Watch the sales at your local supermarket and take advantage of them. Beef flank steak is your best buy. There is no waste at all because flank steak is all lean, pure red meat with consistent straight grain making it easy to prepare. Chicken and turkey breast meat are also perfect for making even lower fat, healthier jerky snacks. Wild game like deer and rabbit are well suited to jerky making if the meat has been promptly and properly processed. The curing process used to make jerky will greatly reduce the gamy flavor of wild meats. Prepare deer and rabbit as described for beef. Game birds should be treated like chicken.

Pork should never be used for jerky (The pork version of jerky is bacon which requires a different blend of cure and spices as well as completely different processing)!

Simple Do’s

• Wash hands after each time you handle meat!
• Fluff up seasoning before measuring!
• Weigh and measure ingredients with great care!
• Add your own touch once you know the process!

Simple Don'ts

• Prepare more than one type of meat at a time!
• Use more season and cure than what a recipe calls for!
• Make more jerky than you will eat in a week!
• Pack seasoning or cure mix when measuring!
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Method of Jerky Making

Work Space - Collect all your utensils and wash everything including your hands. Give yourself plenty of works space and have no other food products in the area of the jerky making.

Basic Tools

• Good quality, sharp, 6" to 8" knife
• Large clean cutting board
• Standard measuring tablespoon
• Standard measuring teaspoon
• A fork and stainless steel mixing bowl
• A heavy duty zip lock bag
• Unpainted large tooth picks
• Optional kitchen scale

Cutting the Meat 

• Jerky meat needs to be cut with the grain. If you slice the meat across the grain as you would when carving a roast, your jerky will crumble and fall apart when cooked. Beef and deer jerky strips should be about 1/4 inch thick and 1 inch wide. Jerky made from poultry needs to be 3/8 inch thick. Most meat carving knives have a flat sided handle which is 1/4 inch thick on each side of the blade. The handle can act as a guide for cutting the perfect thickness. Lay the meat out flat on the cutting board with the grain running up and down. Lay your knife flat on the cutting board at the bottom of the meat with the edge facing away from you. 
• Lightly hold the meat in place with one hand and slice the meat while keeping the knife handle flat on the cutting board. Take your time and cut slowly with even strokes. Never cut with your hand in front of the knife. If holding the meat while you cut it seams a little scary, use a coffee cup on top of the meat. Cut all the way through.
• Separate the two pieces of meat and repeat the cutting process with the top section if necessary. If the top piece is less than 1/8 inch to thick, do not cut again. If the meat is to thin, it will not cure and cook evenly.
• Lay the meat out on the board again with the grain running top to bottom. Cut each piece in half and then in half again until you have strips about 1 inch wide. If the strips are very long you should cut them in half across the grain of the meat. The strips need to be short enough so that they will leave a space at least 4 to 5 inches from the bottom of your oven when they are hung for cooking. Try to keep the pieces uniform in size so they cook evenly.

Seasoning the Meat

• Weigh the meat to determine how much seasoning and cure mix is needed. This is critical. Using to much seasoning and cure mix will ruin your jerky. Use no more than the amount recommend on the seasoning package. If you do not have a kitchen scale, member to have the butcher write the weight of the meat on the package when you buy it. If you have any doubt, using a little less is best.
•  Lay your meat strips out on the cutting board. Use a spoon to sprinkle about 1/3 of the mix evenly on to the meat. Turn the meat over and repeat with 1/3 of mix. Scoop up the meat and any seasoning mix which is left on the board by rubbing the meat on the board and against its self. 
• Place the meat in a stainless steel of glass mixing bowl. Work in the remaining seasoning by sprinkling on a little at a time and mashing the meat together. Separate the meat strips after each addition. This will assure that the meat is coated evenly.
• Place the seasoned meat in a large zip lock bag and store in the refrigerator over night. The meat will begin to cure and turn very dark red.

Cooking and Curing the Jerky

Your jerky must be cooked. You can do this in the oven, dehydrator, grill or smoker. The cooking/curing process is done slowly at low heat. Over cooking and over smoking will give an off taste and make your jerky tuff and hard to chew.

Oven: Remove all cooking racks from the oven. Place a large cookie sheet in the bottom of the oven and pre heat oven to 200 degrees. Use tooth picks to provide supports for hanging the jerky on an oven rack. Place rack in the oven and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Sample the jerky for extent of doneness after 1 hour. 

Dehydrator: Follow instructions for preparing meat supplied with the dehydrator.

Smoker and Grill: Cook at 200 degrees for 1 hour with indirect heat. If your grill can not be held at this low temperature, cook for smoke flavor for about 20 minutes and then finish in the oven.

Ground Meat Jerky - Lean ground red meat or turkey can be used to make great jerky.

• Prepare meat by mixing seasoning and cure mix in 1/2 cup of cold water and any other spices you want.
• Place meat into a bowl and add mix.
• Work the seasoning into the meat with your hands until the meat becomes sticky.
• Cover and place in the refrigerator for four hours.
• Place a sheet of wax paper on the counter.
• Roll out the seasoned ground beef into a sheet 3/8 inch thick.
• Cut into strips or use cookie cutters to make shapes (You can also role ground meat into 1/2 inch thick ropes and make snack sticks).
• Lightly spray a cookie sheet with Pam and lay out the prepared jerky on the sheet.
• Bake in a 200 degree oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and carefully pour off any excess grease - Flip the jerky pieces over.(You can reduce the fat content even more by placing the jerky on a baking rack which fits inside the cookie sheet).
• Return to the oven and bake for 35 minutes. 

Storing Jerky after Cooking

Remove the jerky from the oven and immediately pat it dry with paper towels. Place the hot jerky into zip lock bags or a glass jar and allow to cool. This will enhance the flavor. Store finished Jerky for up to one week in the refrigerator. Freezing finished jerky will make it dry and tough.