Elk jerky recipes wanted.

[fishin62]

Could any of you hunters share your favorite jerkey recipes with me please? I just bought a new little chief smoker today, so i can do something different with some of my elk! Thank You much.

[Small Fry]

Any Any commercial recipe is good. The trick to smoking elk is cool and slow.

My favorite way is to use ground meat about 2 lbs elk burger, which is mixed with about 6% pork belly. Then I take about 3 lbs of elk steak and grind it like ground chuck. Mix all of your favorite spices and meat mix well. I use soy sauce instead of salt. Garlic, Onion, Cajun spice, lemon pepper, and about a T spoon of liquid smoke,

Roll into thin ¼ inch flat patties, cut strips about 1 ½ wide place on foil on your smoker rack. Let smoke about 4 hours at 150 degrees then check every 30 minutes. Time depends on outside temp and humidity.

You can do the same thing by cutting thin strips let them soak at least 24 hours.

Place these stripes directly on racks. Smoke about the same time.

Adjust the spices to your own taste.

[SR1 5]

I used to buy spices and make my own seasoning but I found it is easier and cheaper to buy seasoning packages. www.alliedkenco.com is a great place to get seasoning. I have used both "Leggs" and "Eldons" with good success.

[TheRogue]

Using a large mixing-type bowl, put in layers of meat cut in strips. Cover each layer with a little paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. When you get the bowl about 3/4 full, stop there. Now fill almost to the top with Soy Sauce. Go ahead and mix up the layers with your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. After 24 hours, take a couple pieces out and fry them up without adding any seasoning. If they taste good, and salty enough, you're ready to smoke. Otherwise, add whatever's needed and let it go another 12 hrs.

You really don't need to add extra salt, as the soy sauce supplies all the salt you need. It helps speed the smoking/drying process if you pat the meat dry before you put it in the smoker.

By frying a piece up before you smoke the whole thing, it allows you to experiment some without ruining the whole batch.

Have fun!!

kyle

[ 05-28-2002, 07:13 AM: Message edited by: TheRogue ]

[Myles]

here's a web site with lots of jerky recipes

http://home.att.net/~g.m.fowler/frame/Jerky.htm

I do mine in the oven, you can control the temp alot better.

myles

[fishuntr2]

fishin62, Just use the basic brine recipe in the book that came with your smoker. I cut my elk into similar size pieces and make sure to pat, then air dry while the smoker is heating. I usually swap the top and bottom racks half way thru the process as the bottom gets hotter/cooks faster. Depending on ambient air temp, the smoking time can vary quite a bit so look at the smoker contents after about 6 hours, you will see how far along the jerky is and whether the racks need to be swapped. I have had jerky turn out in 12 hours and once it took over 24 hours due to cold weather. You can cover the smoker with a box, that will speed up the process but I seem to have better results with longer smoking times. I use alder that I cut myself into cookies that fit the smoking pan.

[fishin62]

Thanks for all the good info! i will be making about 15lbs in the morning.