I grew up split between NW Florida and the Hill Country in Texas.  In Texas (and in some other areas, as well), I
remember a type of beef jerky that would normally be found at some gas station miles away from anything.  It
would always be sitting in a big glass jar, about 1/2 inch thick and 1/2 inch wide and maybe 4--5 inch long, with
a string through it holding a price tag.  It always had big chunks of black pepper all over.  This was jerky you could
sit and gnaw on for days.....

Does anyone here know how to make this, either with beef, or, preferably, venison?  In my mind, this is the only
REAL jerky.  :-)   That thin strip stuff just isn't the same.

Thanks,
   --jim

PS:  If anyone knows where I can get some of this type jerky near Fort Walton Beach, FL, I'd love to know that, too.

Jim,

I make it evry year. I make it in the oven by placing the jerky strips directly on the racks with the oven on 150 degrees for about an hour with the door slightly open to speed the drying process. Hope this helps spring some ideas. I have also made it on the gas grill outside in the same way.

Posted By Ken King on 04 Sep 2012 09:03 PM

Jim,

I make it evry year. I make it in the oven by placing the jerky strips directly on the racks with the oven on 150 degrees for about an hour with the door slightly open to speed the drying process. Hope this helps spring some ideas. I have also made it on the gas grill outside in the same way.

How thick do you cut the meat, so that when it's dehydrated, it's still really thick?  Also, which cuts do you use?
And do you marinate it in anything, season it, etc.?  Or do you just place the meat (and I'm guessing black pepper
chunks on the meat) into the oven as is?   And I'm assuming a standard dehydrator is unsafe for this, right?

Thanks,
   --jim

Hi Jim and welcome.

This probably isn't the exact recipe that you're after but I've never had any complaints...

  2        pounds  venison or beef sliced about 1/8-inch  thick
  2        tablespoons  Worcestershire sauce
  2        tablespoons  soy sauce
  1        tablespoon  kosher salt
  1        teaspoon  crushed red pepper
  2        cloves garlic, crushed
  1        cup bourbon or 2 cups red wine (I use the bourbon)
  1        cup water

Marinate overnight in the refrigerator in a zip-lock freezer bag.
Coat with a mixture of 1/2 honey and 1/2 water and hang
on a rack for 8 hours to dry.

Place in a cold smoker for 12 hours.  I suppose you could do it in a very low oven but I've never
tried it.

Very important to remember though that you are *not* trying to cook it. The goal is to dehydrate it without cooking it. I think my cold smoker may get to around 105dF range.

Posted By Steve on 04 Sep 2012 09:21 PM
Hi Jim and welcome.

This probably isn't the exact recipe that you're after but I've never had any complaints...

  2        pounds  venison or beef sliced about 1/8-inch  thick

How thick would you slice it for the 1/4 to 1/2 inch (final result) thick jerky?

Thanks,
   --jim

wow, you want it REALLY thick... that's going to be tough to pull off I think given that thickness. It really doesn't decrease in thickness all that much through out the processing. You'll have to play with parameters that thick. I'd just think that the outer parts being over done and the inside still being moist. The desired result is dry all the way through. Getting that with a 1/2" thick strip is going to be tough. Good luck

Posted By Steve on 04 Sep 2012 09:49 PM
wow, you want it REALLY thick... that's going to be tough to pull off I think given that thickness. It really doesn't decrease in thickness all that much through out the processing. You'll have to play with parameters that thick. I'd just think that the outer parts being over done and the inside still being moist. The desired result is dry all the way through. Getting that with a 1/2" thick strip is going to be tough. Good luck

Like I said, though, this is the only kind of jerky I knew about from the time I was about 6 until I was around 18 years old.
And all I knew was that it was only found in those gas stations on a dark state highway or FM road, out in the middle of
nowhere...always in a glass jar about 5" in diameter and about 4" high, with a string through one end with a paper price
tag on it.  (yes, it really does seem to be that consistent)  :-)    I could gnaw on it for days.....  :-)

So I know it can be done...I just don't know how.  That, plus the typical recipe for that variety, is what I'm really hoping to
get.  I'd love to make some of that type jerky this year.

Thanks,
   --jim

Jim, yes it can be done in a dehydrator...but you have to take some precautions in the prep...I prefer mine done in a smoker but have used the RonCo's several times...you can use just about any standard brine mix or make up your own..however when preserving meat one must be sure that the brine has the proper saline content..not only that when I do Thick 1/4 inch and above I add "pink salt" (quick cure) to my solution...and allow it to brine for 3 days in the fridge...then into the smoker...I test it by bending it...and of course by taste and texture...it needs to dry to the center...depending on the weather it may take long or shorter times that a standard 12, 17, or whatever, hours....the recipe already posted will work for thiner cuts...I would add 1/4 tsp of pink salt to it for thicker cuts..also if you use a dehydrator add a tsp or two of liquid smoke...

once the meat has brined for the length of time.drain it...crush up some peppercorns and press them into the surface of the meat....then off to the smoker...

a bit of info on the strings...space in a smoke house is at a premium..so what was done the meat was threaded on to a long cord, then it was looped over a stick or rod of some sort and hung in the rafters...it was up and out of the way of the rest of the hanging meat...when it was dry they removed the rod and cut the cords and tied them..then they would tie them into a bundle...handy for travel...

Posted By Two Tales on 04 Sep 2012 10:49 PM
Jim, yes it can be done in a dehydrator...but you have to take some precautions in the prep...I prefer mine done in a smoker but have used the RonCo's several times...you can use just about any standard brine mix or make up your own..however when preserving meat one must be sure that the brine has the proper saline content..not only that when I do Thick 1/4 inch and above I add "pink salt" (quick cure) to my solution...and allow it to brine for 3 days in the fridge...then into the smoker...I test it by bending it...and of course by taste and texture...it needs to dry to the center...depending on the weather it may take long or shorter times that a standard 12, 17, or whatever, hours....the recipe already posted will work for thiner cuts...I would add 1/4 tsp of pink salt to it for thicker cuts..also if you use a dehydrator add a tsp or two of liquid smoke...

once the meat has brined for the length of time.drain it...crush up some peppercorns and press them into the surface of the meat....then off to the smoker...

a bit of info on the strings...space in a smoke house is at a premium..so what was done the meat was threaded on to a long cord, then it was looped over a stick or rod of some sort and hung in the rafters...it was up and out of the way of the rest of the hanging meat...when it was dry they removed the rod and cut the cords and tied them..then they would tie them into a bundle...handy for travel...

Great, thanks!  I do, however, still have a few questions/comments.  First, my smoker is an ECB ... no budget here for a proper
smoker (I've been stuck on Social Security Disability since my first cancer ... honestly don't know how much pain I'll be in after
a day's hunting, but I'm not going to let that stop me).  So, I'll either have to use a 150 deg oven as the first response suggested,
or my dehydrator (I'm leaning towards the oven).

Question:  what is "pink salt" and where would I be most likely to find it?

Question #2:  How long/thick is the meat itself normally cut for the big/thick jerky I've been on about?

As for the bit on the strings, one of the three brain tumors from cancer #1 makes it difficult for me to follow some things,
and this is apparently one of them, so I'm going to have to re-read that a few times (or more) before my occipital lobe (which
had the largest of the three tumors, at a whopping 2.5cm, or just 0.96") cooperates by processing what's really on the screen,
instead of garbling it up.....

Many thanks,
   --jim

PS:  Please don't forget the question about the pink salt---I've never even heard of this, and the initial size of the cuts.

sorry Jim,

pink salt is sodium nitrate can be found here:  http://www.home-processor.com/curing

Posted By Two Tales on 05 Sep 2012 04:22 AM
sorry Jim,

pink salt is sodium nitrate can be found here:  http://www.home-processor.com/curing

Thanks.  And what approximate size do I cut the meat strips to for roughly the same size as the stuff you find in those gas
stations (roughly 1/2" x 1/2" x 5") ?

Thanks,
   --jim

PS:  After that, I'll post what I think I've understood the//a recipe to be, to see if I put all of the pieces together the right
       way....

Jim, meat shrinks about 20% when dried as with jerky..I don't normally cut any thicker than 3/8 of an inch by 1 inch wide and about 4 -6 inches long...if you want 1/2 by 1/2 or there abouts just cut it that size...one more thing is to remember to cut with the grain...when making beef jerky I use an eye of round roast..it's fairly lean the grain is pretty consistant, it generally doesn't cost to much and it absorbs the flavors of the marinade very well...makes good jerky...

Ok, here's what I've pieced together. Please let me know if I got any of this wrong (particularly the bits about dehydrating the jerky in a smoker, oven,
or dehydrator.

----------------------------------------

2 pounds venison or beef (eye of round)sliced about probably about
1" wide x 3/8" thick and about 4"--6" long.
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon pink salt (quick cure) see http://www.home-processor.com/curing
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup bourbon or 2 cups red wine
1 cup water

If using an oven or a dehydrator, add a teaspoon or two of liquid smoke.

Allow meat to brine in the fridge for 3--4 days. Then drain it, crush
some peppercorns and press them into the surface of the meat, then off to
the smoker (or 150 deg. oven, or dehydrator).

Smoker: Smoke for around 12--17 hours, or however long it takes. Test
by bending it, and by taste/texture.

Oven: set oven to 150 deg F. Place jerky strips directly on the racks,
leaving the oven door slightly open to speed the drying process. Test as
indicated for using a smoker.

Dehydrator: all I got was that it can be done, but you have to take some
precautions. I don't think I'll be using a dehydrator, anyways....

----------------------------------------

Does that look right? Or did I miss something (or just get something completely wrong)?

Many thanks,
--jim

that's probably as good of a place to start as any. Anytime you're trying to come up with some recipe it involves trial and error. You may not like those seasonings or you may... ya just have to keep trying until you hit what you like. Good luck.

Posted By Steve on 05 Sep 2012 09:41 AM
that's probably as good of a place to start as any. Anytime you're trying to come up with some recipe it involves trial and error. You may not like those seasonings or you may... ya just have to keep trying until you hit what you like. Good luck.

True, any recipe usually starts with trial and error...though it sometimes only takes one minor adjustment, e.g., my homemade
habanero sauce ("Habanero Hellfire Heaven") ... first batch, good; second batch, WOW!  :-)    100% home-grown habaneros,
tabasco peppers, and cayenne peppers (the vast majority being habanero, of course---the others are for flavor).  I can post the
entire recipe if anyone is interested...just let me know.  I use it on everything (and, unlike most of my friends, I do NOT use it
sparingly).

And the spices listed above sound about right, though, as a homebrewer, I'd probably substitute a nice red or brown ale instead
of the bourbon or red wine.  Perhaps a pint of my Red Lightning.  Or maybe a pint of my Munich Helles (recipe from a pro brewer
friend), called Midnight Viper.  That would really work nicely.

Thanks, everyone, for the great help with this.  I've been asking in different forums for a LONG time how to do this, and the
only response I got before now was along the lines of, "You can't make jerky that thick---it won't get done all the way through,
and will be toxic."  Of course, I KNEW it could be done, as I'd had enough of it throughout my life.....  Now I finally have the
real answers.

Thanks,
   --jim

do as you like but the bourbon really works well...

Posted By Steve on 05 Sep 2012 10:11 AM
do as you like but the bourbon really works well...

I've never really cared for the taste of bourbon, to be honest.  I prefer, but can't afford, single-malt scotch (#1 favorite is the
21 year old Balvenie PortWood, close second is the 12 year old Balvenie DoubleWood).

I've used homebrew in various recipes for marinade, etc., before, and always like the results.

EDIT:  Now that I think about it, a nice black rum sounds good for it, too.  :-)

Later,
   --jim

PS:  Just found out from the same pro-brewer friend that gave me the recipe for Midnight Viper that Isaac is back, and
hanging around in the Gulf, just south of us.  Sigh.

Sounds good, Jim! You'll have to let us all know how it turned out.

Posted By slaymaker on 12 Sep 2012 09:32 PM
Sounds good, Jim! You'll have to let us all know how it turned out.

I have to get a deer first.  :-)   And based on last year's season, that'll start around late November (with the rut in the
January--February time frame).  But yes, I will definitely be making some big, thick venison jerky.  It would be really
nice to have in my improvised ground blind while I'm hunting.  :-)

Later,
   --jim