Making Meat on Peaceful Mountain

[MountainGirl]

There are outstanding threads here in OTP with delicious recipes for making jerky, and smoking meats (&cheese!) and dehydrator reviews and great advice! This thread is not one of those, as will become quickly apparent, lol.

What I want to do, learn to do, through trial & error - is how to preserve, through drying, meat that Tom & I have hunted ourselves. Our freezer has been emptied of all game - so I'll be buying cuts of beef and poultry to learn/practice on this summer - so by next season, I'm good to go. The idea is to be able to provide us with protein for survival, on a year round basis, if/when it ever comes to that.

Starting points.

~ I have stocked up more Salt (non-iodized), Black Pepper, Apple Cider Vinegar and Liquid Smoke than most people would use in a lifetime. These will be all I use for preserving/flavoring.

~ Our solar system provides us with more electricity than we come close to using. Because of that, I (intentionally) bought the cheapest stripped down model round plastic dehydrator made. It doesn't even have an on/off switch. Plug it in, it heats (165F) & blows from the bottom up. I bought extra trays to raise things up from the heat in case I want to try drying some fruit or whatever; I'll spend the summer figuring it out. The reason I didn't choose a much better model was because if the solar system ever goes tits up, or EMP, or whatever - and all I have is a campfire to work with - I don't want to learn about drying using all the digital automated 'advantages'. I'm not dissing anyone's choices & methods here; this is something different.

~ I'll also be experimenting over an open fire - but progress/pics on that I'll put on:

https://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?6994-Venison-jerky-the-old-way

This thread will be used for doing it this way. :)

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[BucketBack]

Looks good

I've been making making the "Mother" in ACV

[hawgrider]

I had one of those.

[Gambit]

I had one of those.

that's what she said after "HIS" operation

[Deebo]

MountainGirl, I will try to find it, but here or at the PF I showed a video of "Deebos Box Fan Jerky".
Nothing but air, moving through the meat on cheap air filters.
1 box fan, no heat. Takes a while, but he flavor of jerky that has never seen any heat, is very very different than any smoker or dehydrator.
As Inor, it is out of this world.
I cant speak of the long Gevity of it, because we never had any left to vac seal, or store.
I have room to make jerky again...

[hawgrider]

You asked about grinders here is mine-

http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q761/hawgrider97/stuff/20151118_144836_zps4wrlvztj.jpg

[MountainGirl]

You asked about grinders here is mine-

http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q761/hawgrider97/stuff/20151118_144836_zps4wrlvztj.jpg

That is nice, Hawg, thanks. You got a great price on it, or you've had it for a while. They're over $300 now but I think that's the one I'll get...especially now. Ran to town this morning to pick up a small roast - hamburger was $7.49 a pound. Cheaper to grind my own. lol. Much cheaper when it's fresh meat. :)

[MountainGirl]

MountainGirl, I will try to find it, but here or at the PF I showed a video of "Deebos Box Fan Jerky".
Nothing but air, moving through the meat on cheap air filters.
1 box fan, no heat. Takes a while, but he flavor of jerky that has never seen any heat, is very very different than any smoker or dehydrator.
As Inor, it is out of this world.
I cant speak of the long Gevity of it, because we never had any left to vac seal, or store.
I have room to make jerky again...

Hey Deebo - yeah I'd love to see that thread if you can find it. I want to explore any/all methods (that dont involve propane) and a box fan would use less juice than a dehyd. And yes, you do indeed have room :) you could set up a whole processing station!

Very cool link & idea!! Thanks!!

[MountainGirl]

Going to keep records here, so I don't lose them lol.
Batch results to be edited in.

First run: June 18
Small (1.66lb) beef bottom round roast, sliced setting 5- about 1/4", left naked.
Used 4 trays; filled 3, bottom one empty to keep it off the close heat.
Set up a small table/station outside the back door.
Fired it up at 10:30, will check every 2 hrs.

Notes:
1. Meat cut at room temp. Slicer gums up some but not bad.
2. Need to sharpen knives.

Taste:
1:30 Tastes good, piece off the top rack, fully cooked but nowhere near dry.
5:00 Tastes good, well done but not burnt.

Before:
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After:
Took it off at 5pm, so 6.5 hrs. Hard but bendy, cracks but doesn't break.
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Now the real test. Will leave it covered loose on the counter w/paper towels between layers & eat it over the next month. If it doesn't kill me then I know it works. :)

[Deebo]

Excellent

[Deebo]

It is bumped up, in the Kill em and Grill Em section, labeled Deebos Red Chile Jerky

[hawgrider]

That is nice, Hawg, thanks. You got a great price on it, or you've had it for a while. They're over $300 now but I think that's the one I'll get...especially now. Ran to town this morning to pick up a small roast - hamburger was $7.49 a pound. Cheaper to grind my own. lol. Much cheaper when it's fresh meat. :)

About 5 or 6 years maybe.

[MountainGirl]

Just to get it on the 1st page of the thread:

Useful links
Deebo's Fan dryer: https://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?747-Deebo-s-red-chile-beef-jerky
Baglady's Hog Kill: https://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?4286-Hog-Kill
Dwight's Fire Drying: https://theoutdoortradingpost.com/showthread.php?6994-Venison-jerky-the-old-way

[MountainGirl]

Other than the propane grill - the only 'fire' we had up here was the big 6' dia x 4' deep firepit which doesn't really work for cooking/grilling. So, today I built this just off the patio, 2'dia inside. Still need to put some brick & crushed granite on the bottom & lay a couple steel bars under the top course to hold a grate. :)

Later, I'll build a suspended or free-standing rack that fits around and over the top of it and try drying/light-smoking some strips over a lazy fire - but first I'll be putting on a kettle of beans that I've been wanting to do for 2 years. :hungry:

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[hawgrider]

You had no fire pit? That's a crime!

[MountainGirl]

You had no fire pit? That's a crime!Freakin felony, yeah. Tom always said he'd modify a side of the big one for me; I got tired of waiting and he's got enough on his plate.

[MountainGirl]

Had the cookingfire built enough (bottom 3 rows) to grill some hamburgers for supper last nite -

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and this morning I finished it with 3 more rows and a small half-circle grate to keep the coffee warm when it's done. :)

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When it's time to start drying - I might rig a tripod over & around it? with crossbars to hang strips from... but I never know how something will be until its done.

[hawgrider]

Nice pit I like it! Great job!

[azrancher]

Had the cookingfire built enough (bottom 3 rows) to grill some hamburgers for supper last nite -

and this morning I finished it with 3 more rows and a small half-circle grate to keep the coffee warm when it's done. :)

When it's time to start drying - I might rig a tripod over & around it? with crossbars to hang strips from... but I never know how something will be until its done.

Dang! ... Do you have a sister?

Rancher

[MountainGirl]

Dang! ... Do you have a sister?

Rancher

Nope, sorry.
Oh wait, that's not quite true.
My 'female genetic contributor' gave birth to 8 girls (I was #2, she had me at 15), gave the first 4 away, kept the last 4, #8 died after a few months, so she raised 3 girls. #5 & #6 are bitchy lesbian twins, #7 is the definition of control-freak. So the answer to your question is: As far as I know, I have 6 surviving half-sisters; none of which I've seen or had anything to do with in over 20 years, and I'm betting you wouldn't want to either. :)


Edit to add: If anybody (gambit) wants to comment on the bitchy lesbian twins - please make your own thread over in Potty Mouth.
Thanks!:biglaugh:

[MountainGirl]

Second run: June 26

Picked up Jerky gun & 4lbs ground beef.
Mixed 2lbs with spices & cure that came with the gun.
Filled 5 trays with the double-thingy.
Used small table/station outside the back door.
Fired it up at 1pm, brought trays in at 2 to blot fat as suggested on directions.
Took it off at 6:30 after tasting, dry enough.

Taste:
I dont like it. Packaged spices sucked. Tom likes it so it's all his LOL

Notes:
Put other 2lbs in the freezer, will try again another day using different spices (my own).
Forgot to take pics.

[hawgrider]

Second run: June 26

Picked up Jerky gun & 4lbs ground beef.
Mixed 2lbs with spices & cure that came with the gun.
Filled 5 trays with the double-thingy.
Used small table/station outside the back door.
Fired it up at 1pm, brought trays in at 2 to blot fat as suggested on directions.
Took it off at 6:30 after tasting, dry enough.

Taste:
I dont like it. Packaged spices sucked. Tom likes it so it's all his LOL

Notes:
Put other 2lbs in the freezer, will try again another day using different spices (my own).
Forgot to take pics.


I use -

Cure- Mortons tender quick.

Spices and Liquids - Whatever I feel like.

[MountainGirl]

I use -

Cure- Mortons tender quick.

Spices and Liquids - Whatever I feel like.
Can I use just salt for the cure aspect?
The two separate packages (cure&spice) was a surprise.
Thanks for your help, hawg.

[hawgrider]

Can I use just salt for the cure aspect?
The two separate packages (cure&spice) was a surprise.
Thanks for your help, hawg.

I wouldn't. Kosher is not really a leave on the counter at room temp curing salt.

Mortons tender quick is available at grocery stores. or you can use the pink curing salt. I like Mortons tender quick better.

[Deebo]

hey, I can post again........YEAH