Jerky is half way there...

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MrTom

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Here's the first 24 pounds. Ready for the vacuum sealer. Tasty stuff again this year.

CxDHwA6.jpg
 
I should note that this pile is about 24" deep but the depth doesn't show due to the angle of the camera on the jerky in the container. What you see here is about 20" across. I've got this much if not more yet to do.
 
You better kill it before It gets away!! :eek: Joking aside, it looks DELICIOUS!! What are you using to keep the Color like that? I have had some REALLY good Jerky that looked just like that. The stuff i use (Hi-Mountain) Makes the Strips a Deeper Dark Color
 
I put the meat into a lug a layer at a time and sprinkle the seasonings/cure on each layer. The lug gets a layer of seasoning/cure before any meat is laid in it. I keep building a layer at a time until I have all the meat treated as such. The red comes from the meat layers that do not get air exposure after the cure /spices go on the meat, where meat meets meat so to speak. The cure will protect the meat from the air's oxidation if no air is available right after the cure is applied. It doesn't mean anything as far as meat quality, and it doesn't improve taste any. The smoke has gone thru all of the meat pretty much equally and the pieces that have had more air exposure while the cure is working get browner with the smoking process. All of this jerky has been heated to 200 degrees so its fully cooked/dried. It still just a bit chewy but doesn't crumble like that ground, pressed jerky.

Another way to handle jerky meat that doesn't seem to get much attention anymore is hard tack. Years ago they'd grind the seasoned jerky meat coarsely then stuff into casings about 32 mm. This would get smoked until it reached 160-170 degrees, then left to hang in a cold area until the meat was just about solid. The link would get sliced into pieces about as thick as a fifty cent piece. This was carried in a small sack and when one wanted to little pick me up he'd pop a slice of two in his mouth and he'd have to treat it about like a life saver candy, suck on it for a while until the meat softened enough to chew it. Darned tasty alternative to jerky but essentially the same product only ground and stuffed and dried. I have some trim that got seasoned and cure added that came from the jerky meat. I didn't want to toss it so I bagged it. I'll grind it at the end of a sausage grind then stuff it into stick casings and make sticks from it. This will be just like hard tack only not dried hard.
 
I put the meat into a lug a layer at a time and sprinkle the seasonings/cure on each layer. The lug gets a layer of seasoning/cure before any meat is laid in it. I keep building a layer at a time until I have all the meat treated as such. The red comes from the meat layers that do not get air exposure after the cure /spices go on the meat, where meat meets meat so to speak. The cure will protect the meat from the air's oxidation if no air is available right after the cure is applied. It doesn't mean anything as far as meat quality, and it doesn't improve taste any. The smoke has gone thru all of the meat pretty much equally and the pieces that have had more air exposure while the cure is working get browner with the smoking process. All of this jerky has been heated to 200 degrees so its fully cooked/dried. It still just a bit chewy but doesn't crumble like that ground, pressed jerky.

Another way to handle jerky meat that doesn't seem to get much attention anymore is hard tack. Years ago they'd grind the seasoned jerky meat coarsely then stuff into casings about 32 mm. This would get smoked until it reached 160-170 degrees, then left to hang in a cold area until the meat was just about solid. The link would get sliced into pieces about as thick as a fifty cent piece. This was carried in a small sack and when one wanted to little pick me up he'd pop a slice of two in his mouth and he'd have to treat it about like a life saver candy, suck on it for a while until the meat softened enough to chew it. Darned tasty alternative to jerky but essentially the same product only ground and stuffed and dried. I have some trim that got seasoned and cure added that came from the jerky meat. I didn't want to toss it so I bagged it. I'll grind it at the end of a sausage grind then stuff it into stick casings and make sticks from it. This will be just like hard tack only not dried hard.

That last Sounds like Landjaeger? When i lived on the Wa Coast i use to have Landjaeger Made when i harvested my Deer, It was EXPENSIVE and I quit doing it, along with Pepper Sticks after i found out that they used EVERYONES Deer Meat Combined together, I couldn’t take not knowing how others Cared for their Venison? I was METICULOUS With mine

When i moved here to Idaho I purchased a nice Grinder (Hobart 4812) Sausage Stuffer, About everything you can imagine for doing your Own stuff, I couldn’t imagine any other way now :lewis:
 
I have a local German Butcher shop that makes Landjaeger and they stuff it in a casing but somehow make the sticks square, probably pressed in a mold before smoking, but end product is more chewy than their Snack Sticks. The old guys call the snack sticks "Beer Sticks", so I asked him if I was supposed to eat those while drinking a beer and he just grinned and winked.:D
 
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I have a local German Butcher shop that makes Landjaeger and they stuff it in a casing but somehow make the sticks square, probably pressed in a mold before smoking, but end product is more chewy than their Snack Sticks. The old guys call the snack sticks "Beer Sticks", so I asked him if I was supposed to eat those while drinking a beer and he just grinned and winked.:D

Them Old Boys know what’s up ;)
 
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