To Thick ?

So First I was dealing with Migraines

Then a few weeks ago I was turned into a Pincushion
As I got the every 3 months Botox shots
Also took a trip to the the Doctor that implanted the Spinal Stimulator for a control Program adjustment / upgrade

Then I FELT A LOT BETTER
So I helped my Niece & her Husband , my Lady and 4 of her Grand Kids to harvest deer with the crossbows
As the rut was on and deer were moving
No huge bucks , but several decent basket 8 point bucks

Long story short they all got at least 1 deer
So we made sausage , burger , steaks , Back Straps and Tenderloins

But now I am helping them make Jerky
Also a BUNCH for me

My question
This afternoon I cut a rear leg thigh into 1/2" thick slices and removed the bone
I made up a Sweet & Hot jerky brine and have the meat soaking in the brine

Did I mess up cutting the meat in 1/2" slices ?
If not , how long would you soak the meat before smoking and dehydrating it ?

Thanks
John

When I brine meat before smoking, I usually let sit in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours to dry a bit and let the salt into the meat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johnch

So First I was dealing with Migraines

Then a few weeks ago I was turned into a Pincushion
As I got the every 3 months Botox shots
Also took a trip to the the Doctor that implanted the Spinal Stimulator for a control Program adjustment / upgrade

Then I FELT A LOT BETTER
So I helped my Niece & her Husband , my Lady and 4 of her Grand Kids to harvest deer with the crossbows
As the rut was on and deer were moving
No huge bucks , but several decent basket 8 point bucks

Long story short they all got at least 1 deer
So we made sausage , burger , steaks , Back Straps and Tenderloins

But now I am helping them make Jerky
Also a BUNCH for me

My question
This afternoon I cut a rear leg thigh into 1/2" thick slices and removed the bone
I made up a Sweet & Hot jerky brine and have the meat soaking in the brine

Did I mess up cutting the meat in 1/2" slices ?
If not , how long would you soak the meat before smoking and dehydrating it ?

Thanks
John

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Rule of thumb is any cure penetrates the meat 1/4 inch every 24 hours, I always tack on an extra day just to make sure. That thick will give more of a steak like jerky... not the hard and brittle traditional style I make from 1/4 inch thick slices.

A neighbor/coworker of mine (who was much older than me and passed away in 2002), had smoked/cured all kinds of stuff his whole life...and he would always offer tips, hints, and tricks. When brining fish, always freeze it first, it breaks down the cell structure to allow the brine work it's way in. I do this with Jerky also. But the bigger advantage to freezing venison or Beef for jerky, before brining, is that it's easier to slice (when it's partly froze-partly thawed), I like the 1/4" thick, like Mary suggests.

These are the things my neighbor would share with me, if I asked a question like Johnch did.
Good Luck

I slice 1/8" to approximately 3/16" using a meat slicer on partially thawed cuts. Most of my family prefer the jerky to be dry and slightly brittle.

I don't use a seasoning kit with preservatives, so prefer the jerky to be thinner and completely dry. The flavor profile does change a bit after a week or so.

<1/4" is what I used to cut. Much easier to grind, season and form

Just to be safe
I ground it up this afternoon
I figure I will let it soak in the brine for 24 more hours and then make strips out of the ground

I guess I need to do a little less experimenting

John

If I cut the strips too thick I then cut the strips into bars and smoke. For example if I slice 1/2" thick x 1 in wide x 6 inches long. The bar becomes 1/2" thick x 1/3" wide x 6" long. Or I'll smoke it first the cut into bars.

If you cut the meat a little too thick ... I let my teeth be my guide ...
just before dehydrating , pound the meat thinner with a tenderizing hammer , you can also cut the pieces into smaller sections at this time ... the added "tenderizing" just before drying helps us oldsters chew the stuff ... my teeth ain't as young as they used to be .

John ,
Great to hear you are getting some relief from the migraines !
I know it's been a long hard road .

We just got to Keep On Keeping On :drinks:!
God Bless ,
Gary

John, sure hope the meds and stimulator help with the pain. Haven't talked with you since Ted had his gun shop on Woodville Rd. As far as the meat thickness, one thing that might make the difference is, are you using a regular wood/chip smoker, or a dehydrator. If your just using a dehydrator, might be to thick. If using a smoker, I'd say let it smoke longer. I'm sure 150 years ago, when the Indians were smoking meat for the winter, they didn't have slicers, and some pieces were thicker than others. Hope you get the pain under control!!

14 " thick slices cut across the grain.
Brined overnight in your favorite brine.
Patted dry between 2 paper towels.
Sprinkled with black pepper and garlic powder as it`s glazing before placing in the smoker.