Beef Jerky?

[protecon]

Had a quick look but couldn't see anything recent - are there any DIY jerky cooks out there?

Bought some tonight because I was fucking curious but even though it's Wagyu, it was $90 a kilo from the butcher :/

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262720_10151263572200675_2124914997_n.jpg

Had an old rep that used to bring in his home brew and I swear it was much better than this.
Pretty keen to discover something awesome for a fraction of the cost.

[confuzion]

how hard did you search? http://antilag.com/forums/showthread.php?55448-Biltong-Beef-jerky-Hookups&highlight=jerky

[Fozzy]

so much fat... I usually use lean beef as I think the fat ruins it

[protecon]

how hard did you search? http://antilag.com/forums/showthread.php?55448-Biltong-Beef-jerky-Hookups&highlight=jerky

Cheers thought I'd seen something before, but I had chucked in "beef jerky".

[heavyduty1340]

so much fat... I usually use lean beef as I think the fat ruins it

Fucking oath - the fat goes rancid

Ive been using the recipe from the other thread for a while now, and it turns out great

[Tsunamix]

Look into Biltong. Soo...Much...Flavour...

And don't discount the fat. The meat needs to be well marbled to retain flavour. It doesn't need big chunks of fat at the edge though.

Wagyu is overrated. Local beef thats well marbled and grass fed kills it.

[Skitzo]

Dude that sits next to me at work makes mine. 55/kg. Decent enough.

[V70R]

Alex, did you chop the fat of before eating it?

[protecon]

Alex, did you chop the fat of before eating it?

Haha no!

Yeah apparently a dehumidifier is the go.
Someone showed me a setup they made using a high wattage bulb and wooden box - depends how "dry" you want your jerky? This Wagyu stuff is pretty soft and oily.

[Autopilot]

don't discount the fat. The meat needs to be well marbled to retain flavour.

This might be the case when cooking Myoglobin rich proteins but not when dehydrating them. Jerky is a preserved meat and the occurrence of Lipids seriously compromise any curing process. On top of that fatty acids have a tendency to absorb sodium during drying so all the salty goodness that gives jerky its flavour is turned into oily residue that our receptors in our mouth don't pick up very well.


Wagyu is overrated.

Wagyu is over priced.

[Torquen]

Little bit fatty is the best IMO

[Squiggs]

There any many ways to dry it, food dehydrator (electric fan type), wooden box with light bulb, wooden box with mesh windows... all depends on how long you want to wait and the result you're after. marinade plays a major part in it though.

I marinate my for 24-48 hours then put in an electric fan type dehydrator for 8-12 hours. Buy my scotch fillets for around $23 a kilo and dice it up. works out to around $26 a kilo when finished.

[Fozzy]

I have been using topside.. 7.99 a kg on special..

Comes out good just dont over dry it I also marinate it for 72 hours to get the flavour in there.

[Risk10k]

Wagyu is over priced.

Really? I'll have that changed!

[bulkos]

There any many ways to dry it, food dehydrator (electric fan type), wooden box with light bulb, wooden box with mesh windows... all depends on how long you want to wait and the result you're after. marinade plays a major part in it though.

I marinate my for 24-48 hours then put in an electric fan type dehydrator for 8-12 hours. Buy my scotch fillets for around $23 a kilo and dice it up. works out to around $26 a kilo when finished.

What he said, been experimenting with different cuts like topside, rump and girello, still trying to make my mind up. As for marinades my last few batches have been

Soy, brown sugar, keens curry powder, cracked pepper, garlic, chilli powder and chilli flakes

What do u guys marinate in?

[heavyduty1340]

I use soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, cumin, coriander, pepper, salt,fresh chilli, chilli powder, garlic, curry paste and marinate for at least 48hrs

Adjust the chilli for heat - I alternate from really hot batches to mild ones so I have a bit of variety

I trim every bit of fat from the outside of the meat but leave any marbling in it

Cant make it quick enough - should never have shared any as my mates always want it!!

[Autopilot]

Don't forget your liquid smoke.

[wormbo2]

Is there a preffered cutting method too? Some of the shelf products are cut into small squarish slices, others are cut in long strips.
Is it just a personal preference, or does the cut affect the drying times, and marination etc?
Wouldn't mind having a go at this some time.

[Squiggs]

A random mix of hers and spice, some get a can of export thrown in.... it's actually not too bad... tried one batch with scotch in, by F*CK it was bad... was like eating fire...

[Torquen]

Glad someone else tested scotch first then as that was next on my to try list.

[Tsunamix]

Biltong is i guess - chemically dried.

'Cured' useing salt, smoke, spices and a little bit of baking soda to prevent mould growing on the outside.

No dehydration by hot air , which is the great thing really. Leaves you with a less 'crisp' jerky. I get mine made by a south african who likes to use wagyu. The only good thing about wagyu is it's well marbled - but the marbleing is lumpy rather than stringy because the wagyu beef doesn't move much, being lot fed.

I much prefer australian beef, with strong stringy marbling, indicates it's been on the hoof and mobile more. You definitley need the marbleing or your jery will be tough rather than chewy.

I also get it made in slabs rather than small pieces - it preserves the muscle fibers more completely, which means the natural oils and fats don't seep out of the pieces anywhere near as much.

Try it and good chomping - will try and take some photos from the gear I get next week.

[mav_vlt]

finaly got around to building my dryer out of a pie warmer and a computer fan. total cost for the entire thing: $0

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l86/vlwagonit/null_zpseb93233b.jpg

should hopefuly have a batch done by the weekend

[MadDocker]

Nice!!!

[reNEGade]

I buy $5.99 Grassfed rump steak in 6kg chunks. Use my $40 dehydrator and make it for a total of $15/kilo

[protecon]

I buy $5.99 Grassfed rump steak in 6kg chunks. Use my $40 dehydrator and make it for a total of $15/kilo

I ended up buying a huge chunk from Avon Valley in Malaga.

Scored one of these for xmas.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqQOKjoE3uwecdNtBOBe42v(C!~~_35.JPG

Made a heap of different marinades since then.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/486940_10151339813030675_798120147_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/148917_10151288170070675_1270534216_n.jpg

Haven't figured out how to dry herbs properly in it yet and the Bak Kwa was a bit average.

[mav_vlt]

Ended up making up some marinade and throwing 2kg of top side in the fridge for the night so il test out my pie warmer / dryer tomorrow :)

[heavyduty1340]

Ended up making up some marinade and throwing 2kg of top side in the fridge for the night so il test out my pie warmer / dryer tomorrow :)

Keep notes of your marinades - we should start a recipe book here for our blends to make it easy for each other to knock out good jerky!

[Fr3d]

Mrs mum gave us a dehydrator for xmas. Should make use of it