Made me some Jerky

[Grathr]

I made a small batch of lamb jerky today. Nothing fancy, just salted slices of meat from a leg of lamb. It turned out surprisingly well, very tasty.
Ill definitly take some with me on my next hike.


In a glass just after drying.


Vacuum packed for later use.



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[Higgins617]

Would you mind telling a noob how you went about drying it? Dehydrator or other methods? I want to try this as well

[Grathr]

I used a cheap $40 dehydrator made for drying fruit. Its thermostat goes to 70 degrees celcius though, so it dries meat just as well.


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[MadPlumbarian]

  where's the forums batch?
JR

[Grathr]

where's the forums batch?
JR

I sacrifised it to the forum gods throug my stomack


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[ducttapetech]

Good man!

Nate

[Grathr]

Would you mind telling a noob how you went about drying it? Dehydrator or other methods? I want to try this as well

I used a cheap $40 dehydrator made for drying fruit. Its thermostat goes to 70 degrees celcius though, so it dries meat just as well.


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I might have answered that one a bit too quick. The whole process was like this:

1. Take one piece of meat, in this case a leg of lamb.
2.Cut away bones and as much fat as possible. (Fat does not dry well) I used all the fat meat to make lamb stew. And cooked stock from the bones. Waste nothing.
3. Slice the meat in thin slices with a sharp knife. (Its easier to cut even slices if the meat is half frozen. I did not do that this time.)
4. Marinade the slices in layers with seasoning between the layers in a box with lid over night in the fridge. This time I only used salt.
5. Put the meat in the dryer at 68 degrees celcius for roughly 6 hours. Shuffle the racks every now and then to make the drying more even. When the meat is hard and not soft, its done. Be careful not to dry too long thoug. I usually check all the pieces 4 times an hour at the end,  removing the finished pieces as soon as their done.
You can also dry it in the oven using a spatula to hold the door open. I have had bad experiences with this thoug, as my ovens thermostat is not very reliable at such low temperatures. ( it got cooked and dried, in stead of just dried, making it very tough and dry to eat)

I use latex gloves throughout the process to avoid contamination of the meat.



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[Crow]

Sounds good. Ever used it in cooking outdoors?

[Grathr]

Sounds good. Ever used it in cooking outdoors?

Not yet, but I have used it in some experimental recipies at home. Boiled with rice, beef stock and some vegetables it tastes great.
Its also excellent as a snack.
I plan to use it on one of my next trips.


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[Crow]

Sounds good. Ever used it in cooking outdoors?

Not yet, but I have used it in some experimental recipies at home. Boiled with rice, beef stock and some vegetables it tastes great.
Its also excellent as a snack.
I plan to use it on one of my next trips.


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You still carry that dry bread with you? What was it called

I once bought reindeer jerky. So good with bread, and oh man how good soup i made of it.

[Grathr]

Sounds good. Ever used it in cooking outdoors?

Not yet, but I have used it in some experimental recipies at home. Boiled with rice, beef stock and some vegetables it tastes great.
Its also excellent as a snack.
I plan to use it on one of my next trips.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

You still carry that dry bread with you? What was it called

I once bought reindeer jerky. So good with bread, and oh man how good soup i made of it.

Hardtack?
I still have some left.
I want to try to make jerky from reindeer, but its hard to find some quality reindeermeat here.


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[Crow]

Sounds good. Ever used it in cooking outdoors?

Not yet, but I have used it in some experimental recipies at home. Boiled with rice, beef stock and some vegetables it tastes great.
Its also excellent as a snack.
I plan to use it on one of my next trips.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

You still carry that dry bread with you? What was it called

I once bought reindeer jerky. So good with bread, and oh man how good soup i made of it.

Hardtack?
I still have some left.
I want to try to make jerky from reindeer, but its hard to find some quality reindeermeat here.


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It has its own taste, very low fat. Any butchers around there? Usually they can order some for you, if you ask them...

Sound funny, but mine came from trunk of a car It was someone whom makes batch of everything and drives around customers asking whom wants what.

[Grathr]

Sounds good. Ever used it in cooking outdoors?

Not yet, but I have used it in some experimental recipies at home. Boiled with rice, beef stock and some vegetables it tastes great.
Its also excellent as a snack.
I plan to use it on one of my next trips.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

You still carry that dry bread with you? What was it called

I once bought reindeer jerky. So good with bread, and oh man how good soup i made of it.

Hardtack?
I still have some left.
I want to try to make jerky from reindeer, but its hard to find some quality reindeermeat here.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

It has its own taste, very low fat. Any butchers around there? Usually they can order some for you, if you ask them...

Sound funny, but mine came from trunk of a car It was someone whom makes batch of everything and drives around customers asking whom wants what.

Sadly, there are hardly any small butchers left here. Only big ones owned by the large food chains. Its ridiculus how 4 large chains control almost all of the grozery market. But this is becoming political, so Im leaving it at that.

I need to find me a trunk guy, like you. When I was little we bought all our vegetables from a local farmer selling his produce out of the trunk of his Nissan. It was top quality vegetables that lasted a long time, not like the ones we get in the shop today that is ruined after less than a week in storage.


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[MadPlumbarian]

I just had some leftover pizza with pepperoni, but right now I can really go for some jerky,,
JR

[Crow]

Sounds good. Ever used it in cooking outdoors?

Not yet, but I have used it in some experimental recipies at home. Boiled with rice, beef stock and some vegetables it tastes great.
Its also excellent as a snack.
I plan to use it on one of my next trips.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

You still carry that dry bread with you? What was it called

I once bought reindeer jerky. So good with bread, and oh man how good soup i made of it.

Hardtack?
I still have some left.
I want to try to make jerky from reindeer, but its hard to find some quality reindeermeat here.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

It has its own taste, very low fat. Any butchers around there? Usually they can order some for you, if you ask them...

Sound funny, but mine came from trunk of a car It was someone whom makes batch of everything and drives around customers asking whom wants what.

Sadly, there are hardly any small butchers left here. Only big ones owned by the large food chains. Its ridiculus how 4 large chains control almost all of the grozery market. But this is becoming political, so Im leaving it at that.

I need to find me a trunk guy, like you. When I was little we bought all our vegetables from a local farmer selling his produce out of the trunk of his Nissan. It was top quality vegetables that lasted a long time, not like the ones we get in the shop today that is ruined after less than a week in storage.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

It is same here. But local food is coming. I am sure those vedgetables tasted so different than these nowday massproduced ones.

We have some entrepreneurs still, that make different meat products. It was not long ago, that i got to taste canned soup made of bear meat. Damn that was good.

I can't see you on the map. Where do you live?

[Grathr]

Sounds good. Ever used it in cooking outdoors?

Not yet, but I have used it in some experimental recipies at home. Boiled with rice, beef stock and some vegetables it tastes great.
Its also excellent as a snack.
I plan to use it on one of my next trips.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

You still carry that dry bread with you? What was it called

I once bought reindeer jerky. So good with bread, and oh man how good soup i made of it.

Hardtack?
I still have some left.
I want to try to make jerky from reindeer, but its hard to find some quality reindeermeat here.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

It has its own taste, very low fat. Any butchers around there? Usually they can order some for you, if you ask them...

Sound funny, but mine came from trunk of a car It was someone whom makes batch of everything and drives around customers asking whom wants what.

Sadly, there are hardly any small butchers left here. Only big ones owned by the large food chains. Its ridiculus how 4 large chains control almost all of the grozery market. But this is becoming political, so Im leaving it at that.

I need to find me a trunk guy, like you. When I was little we bought all our vegetables from a local farmer selling his produce out of the trunk of his Nissan. It was top quality vegetables that lasted a long time, not like the ones we get in the shop today that is ruined after less than a week in storage.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

It is same here. But local food is coming. I am sure those vedgetables tasted so different than these nowday massproduced ones.

We have some entrepreneurs still, that make different meat products. It was not long ago, that i got to taste canned soup made of bear meat. Damn that was good.

I can't see you on the map. Where do you live?

Not too far away from you, in Norway


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[shark_za]

I must give you a recipe and instructions for biltong....

[hugos]

I must give you a recipe and instructions for biltong....

Shark, once he has tasted biltong, Jerky will be like eating cardboard!!

Of n lekker stukkie droewors!!


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[Grathr]

Please do! 


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[shark_za]

I will make some this weekend and "document" the process to share. I'll have to make the spice mix manually instead of just buying a pre-made pack but that the fun of it.

[Grathr]

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[Humppa]

Yumm Yumm... Looking great! It would also make a great snack while sitting in front the laptop and writting here or while at work or... whereever anyone could think about...   

[Gareth]

[zoidberg]

 

[shark_za]

Basics done, time to marinade a little overnight.
Will hang and write tomorrow.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Hi

Biltong making is an art, and I believe some of the finer details might be lost already...

Do you sweat your biltong at all? 

We have a family recipe, and only one cousin that still uses it.

Having said that, the best "droeewors" I've ever tasted is dried in a big Big stainless steel machine in the butchery of Spar Oranjemund....of all places.

[shark_za]

It is an art but with some experimentation you can enjoy it your way.
I don't know what sweating it means?   
Follows is the most basic recipe with some pointers on where you can change and some things to look out for.

[shark_za]

Ingredients. (Basic biltong my way)

Some meat, making less than 1-2Kg is a waste of time.  Beef or game. Topside or Silverside beef is the best for me if I don't have game.
Coriander seeds - the main spice so about a cup or more crushed
Course rock salt - the enemy and friend in one, 1 cup
Black Pepper - crushed 1 table spoon
Bicarbonate of Soda. - 1 table spoon
Brown Sugar - 2 table spoon
Vinegar - about a cup or two of any vinegar, white, brown, whatever, play to change the taste.  Optional Worcestershire sauce to mix with vinegar. 

I have broken it into these sections because the hardest part is getting the salt right. This way does the salt as a separate process and gives consistent results. Other ways involve washing the spice off to remove salt

Meat Prep
Salting
Curing and spicing
Drying

First you cut the meat.
Strips about finger thickness generally with the grain. Long strips about 6 inches are good but depends on the cut of meat you have.
Cut out sinews, they suck when dried, leave the fat its good for you (low carb high fat for the win)


Salting.
Take the meat and liberally salt all over, lay in a dish and let it stand for an hour or two.


Next you make the spices, I grind the coriander, black pepper, bicarb , sugar in a pestle and mortar.



Now you need to "cure" the meat with the spices and vinegar.
Remove as much salt as you can without washing the meat. scrape it off with a knife or even use your hands. I do the salting separate to control this, others may make a vinegar and water mix (5:1)and dip the meat to remove excess salt that is added to the main spice mix before hanging.
Now brush vinegar all over the meat and coat in spices. See the consistency I am doing here, this is where a feel may come in. Lay in the glass or plastic container. Anything metal reacts to salt and vinegar and should not be used. Other spices and flavoured vinegars can be tried here, apple vinegars, chillis, anything you feel like experimenting with,.


Leave overnight in the fridge.
The next morning you should start to see a slight curing of the meat it will be very pink where there is not enough vinegar but this is fine.


Hanging
Simply hang in a dry ventilated area, if you need to force dry and add ventilation its cool. Our climate is ideal about now, going into dry winter.
Some have purpose made boxes with lights and fans, I simply use my garage with paper clips as hooks.  I used to have wire strung across my garage but for this I improvised.


To make sure this dries properly note the following
Make sure no piece touches another, the bicarbonate of soda stops mould on the surface but if it stays wet you are heading to trouble.
A fan directly on the meat is good if there is enough dry air.

When to remove:
After a few days, 2-3 or even up to a week if you like it very dry.
When the meat has visibly darkened and the surface is properly sealed and dry.  You can take some at this stage and freeze in vacuum bags. this lasts for months like this. When you need some, take out and defrost and let it hang for another day or two.
After a day you can already taste, see when you like it, dark on the edges with the slightest pink tinge in the middle is about ideal. If your pieces are too thick this will be quite pronounced and some like the contrast of dry and wet.  For me, I like the consistent dryness with no real pink, some like it rock hard.

The only real way to mess it up is to add too much salt or to let it stay wet for too long.
My way above controls the salt better, keep it ventilated with a good overnight vinegar cure and it should not have issues.

I'll post the one day hanging pictures tonight.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Hi Shark

Basically spice the same as what your doing, left 12-24 hours depending on the temperature, then the meat is stirred and left a bit more.  This part is dependent on the time of year and what you can get away with without the meat going off.
Next it gets hung out, preferably in the evening, and then left for about 36 hours until the meat seals and form a skin.....if you catch my drift.
During the day the biltong is taken off, put in container and covered with a cloth to sweat, hung out in the evening again.
It then depends on how dry you want your biltong, but obviously at some point the biltong just stays up - 3 or 4 sweats max depending on thickness.

I believe, stand to be corrected, that this process gives you flaky biltong that when dry enough you don't even need a knife.....the way I like my game biltong.

Keep in mind this recipe was used in the Gobabis area, and a good guess is you have more humidity in KZN on it's driest than Gobabis has during a thunderstorm!

[shark_za]

Interesting method that probably dries it out evenly.

So the meat has its "skin" and starting to dry very well now.  Only 24 hours of hanging, I could take it off now for freezing if I wanted to.

I will leave it up for a day or two more, then take off.

Store it in a ziplock bag to stop it drying out more, in a paper bag if you want it to continue hardening along.

It can get too hard but then its time to grind up and use as a seasoning of its own.