This is what the wife does too. She's the app queen, so she waits until London broil goes on sale. The house smells great and I can eat it rare, straight from the dehydrator. Nothing like fresh, warm jerky.
Perfect timing to bump this thread back up. Gotta make a Costco run tonight after work so now I'll pick up some eye of round roasts and make some more jerky.
Yup. Most all of every deer I get, gets ground up and goes for Raw dog food for my Cooper. I usually keep the backstraps and a couple roasts, then as the next season approaches, I make whatever is still around, into jerky. We dont eat very much venison at our house because the wife hates it. So if I occasionally grill a backstrap, the kid will eat some, or my dad eats it if they are over for dinner.
I make sausage out of almost all my deer, but will keep a couple roasts, and the tenderloin/backstrap just for grilling. While I'm sure backstrap jerky would great, in my house it never even makes it to the freezer. This fall I'm going to try making pepperettes, never done them before.
I made some deer loin jerky a couple weeks ago and it was awesome. I'd share the recipe, but I used the "keep adding stuff that seems like a good idea" method. Some sweet/hot store bought jerky cure, soy sauce and OJ mostly. Smoked on the pellet grill at 170 until it looked done (one of the few things the pellet grill does well)
A few of my posts from this thread http://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/smokers-traeger.355309/ lots of good stuff in that thread... I have a cheap knockoff pellet grill/smoker (they should really call them pellet cookers as they aren't great at grilling or smoking), Big Horn brand from Rural King. I've had to replace the temp probe and another part and have found that pretty much every electronic and moving part has a generic replacement on EBAY, including an entire new control panel for like $60. The unit was only $300 and is big as the largest name brand ones I've seen. The steel body is very heavy and the racks are nice. As I've said before in multiple grill/smoker threads, if you want a do it all outdoor cooking device- get the Akorn Kamado. $300 and works just as good as a $1000 ceramic kamado, just know that it will rust out in 3-4 seasons. With a pellet pooper you'll spend more than that in pellets over that time. For an offset type smoker a ton of fuel is used, but for a kamado type it's nothing compared to how much a pellet grill goes thru. I have/had them all...
Last night when this beeb was down, I started some research on making jerky. One thing I could not decide on was slicing with or against the grain. Opinions? I plan to use Lean Eye of Round, with excess fat removed. I hope to find a meat shop that will slice it for me. Another Q: before I buy a dehydrator, will the AB method of a fan w/ air filters really do the job?
I've always understood against the grain is best. Unless you're going to make a ton, I'd not buy anything and make it in your oven on the lowest setting.
I go against the grain. Stick the roast in the freezer for a while before slicing. Makes it WAY easier to slice when it's firm. Try the oven method first if you want, but dehydrators are stupid cheap, it's worth it to buy one in the long run IMO. We use it for way more than just jerky.
It's just a standard stackable horizontal tray dehydrator, can't remember the brand, but I'm pretty sure I paid less than $50 for it about 12-13 years ago. We use it for everything, jerky, peppers, fruit, tomatoes, berries, kale probably other shit I've forgot. I haven't made fruit leather yet though.
This guy seems to like a Nesco model. $60 at Amazon. https://www.jerkyholic.com/best-dehydrator-making-beef-jerky/
