Beef or Venison Jerky

[Dan]

After years of struggling to make good jerky in a dehydrator, it decided to give my 1400 a whirl.

Take 10# of beef roasts (or venison roasts). Use your favorite marinade overnight in refrigerator. For this batch I used Cabela's Cracked Pepper Jerky seasonong, which also has a cure packet.

Then place the meat on the racks and smoke with a small 4 oz hickory chunk at 175F for two hours. Then carefully remove the hickory and install the air dryer fan unit atop the smoker. Continue for about three hours at 175F to dry the meat out. This procedure definitely gets the internal meat temperature up high enough, but leaves you with an easily chewable jerky, not to dry or tough.

The 10# load of Jerky took two smoker loads in order to spread it out flat to dry well. No problem, it is well worth the effort!

I am very pleased with this recipe for the smoker. Never did I get jerky this good out of a dehydrator!

[smokin-tnpete]

After years of struggling to make good jerky in a dehydrator, it decided to give my 1400 a whirl.

Take 10# of beef roasts (or venison roasts). Use your favorite marinade overnight in refrigerator. For this batch I used Cabela's Cracked Pepper Jerky seasonong, which also has a cure packet.

Then place the meat on the racks and smoke with a small 4 oz hickory chunk at 175F for two hours. Then carefully remove the hickory and install the air dryer fan unit atop the smoker. Continue for about three hours at 175F to dry the meat out. This procedure definitely gets the internal meat temperature up high enough, but leaves you with an easily chewable jerky, not to dry or tough.

The 10# load of Jerky took two smoker loads in order to spread it out flat to dry well. No problem, it is well worth the effort!

I am very pleased with this recipe for the smoker. Never did I get jerky this good out of a dehydrator!

I may check into a air dryer fan. But the last few years on my 1500. I just prop the door open and always turns out great. But if there's a better way I sure will look into it.
thanks
Pete

[Beagle Boy]

I have made jerky in a number of different smokers with varying success, but recently purchased the fan because it was on sell. Finished a batch two weeks ago in about 6 hours and it was great.

On trick on space is to use skewers across the rack to hang meat down through grill and I got 6# on just over one rack. I cut my meat about 4 inches long so I could use 3 racks in the 1400.

[Doc]

Great tip!!

[Smoked]

I just bought my 1400 today. One of the reasons I bought it was to make venison jerky. If I don't buy the jerky drier, how long do I leave the jerky in the smoker?

[bigwalleye]

I don't have a drying fan either, but I've found it's something of a matter of thickness and texture. When the jerky "cracks" when you bend it, and you see the little white connecting tissue, you're there. YMMV, and some pieces may be done sooner or later depending also on thickness.

[Smoked]

Thanks walleye. I bought a meat slicer so I can get some consistency in every piece. The last jerky I made was goose breast. I cut that at 1/4 inch, and thought it was a little too thick. I have two venison sirloins out thawing right now, aka the football looking hunk off the hind leg. I will cut those at 3/16", and see how it goes. Is 175° a good temp for making jerky?

[bigwalleye]

I think that'd be fine. Too much more, you start to cook vs dehydrate.

[Smoked]

Thought I would give my results. The flavor of the jerky is outstanding with the smokey taste and marinade. I had 3 racks of jerky in the smoker. I set the smoker to 160° for 4 hours, checked on it after that. Jerky was still very moist, especially the top racks. I turned it up to 180 or so, let it go for another 4 hours, removed the jerky. Bottom rack was perfect, dried out real nice. Top two racks, not so much. I used my oven to finish drying the top racks, which was no big deal. I may just get the jerky drier made for the 1400 for the next batch, we'll see. I may decrease the thickness next batch also, shoot for 1/8" next time.

[Greg S]

amazon has a computer fan thats 115 volt AC and 25 cfm for about 20 bucks
get a piece of 2x6 of similar....drill a hole the size of the fan and mount fan on top.
drill small hole in side of block to put in remote temperature probe....
set on top of smokintex vent hole and plug it in......I dry at about 135 degrees......
works great!