I love beef jerky but it costs a fortune here in the UK.

For a tiny pack with about 15 bits it costs nearly two quid so how do I make my own?
I have seen smokers advertised and has anyone used them?.
Also I wouldn't mind smoking some fish so has anyone got any tips on what smoker, what meat and how to do it?.
Cheers in advance.

reply to post by boymonkey74


I went to a festival a couple of years a go, and our tent neighbours had tons of homemade PERI-PERI beef jerky! We traded for their homemade food with some of our homegrown stuff (hehe)

oh BeautifulDays... It was an amazing festival until kids on MDMA got their claws into it...

Anyway!

Point being that it is quite possible, I think you just need to marinade and dry the meat out, hey presto! Jerky!

(I think)

Beef Jerky is LUSH lol
But yeah, just not huge in the UK and pretty expensive for not a lot.

I bought some from a site a couple of years ago, something like British beef jerky or something, was good but expensive.
have also had a few lots sent over from America over the last few years.
Shame it hasn't caught on here as much as it is in the US


ETA:

Found the site, I'm sure this was it

britishbeefjerky.co.uk...

You can use a dehydrator or an oven.....pick your type of meat and slice fairly thin, but not too,thin. If you have a commercial meat slicer that's awesome, if not ....frozen meat will slice easier too....once sliced ( and thawed) marinate in your marinade in an air tight container or zip lock bag...what ever flavor you choose....about 6-8 hours in fridge. Then take out and pat dry. Place in dehydrator...or if using your oven ,you will need to put on tin foil, single layer , oven on 150 and bake for about 6-8 hours until dried ...turn once about 3 hours into it.

reply to post by boymonkey74


I use a Luhr Jensen Little Chief Home Electric smoker.

I did some deer meat with a store bought brine and it was good. But, I have a recipe for smoke salmon that is AWESOME.
3/4 cup salt, and 3/4 cup sugar mixed with warm water in a big baking pan. Cut salmon (or any fish) into chunks and let soak for 24 hours (covered). Then smoke with Alder wood chips for about 9 hours. You will have to change the wood chip pan about every 1.5 hours. So you can do this while you do other things, just remember to keep checking the chips.

Vacuum seal the portions you aren't ready to eat right then. Be sure to eat with good lager beer. I am not sure of that pairing is correct, but is sure seems to taste good when I do it.

Good luck.

reply to post by boymonkey74


I always just pick up a few bags of the stuff at ASDA and accidently forget to empty said jerky from the trolley before paying since a 150g bag of the stuff is about £2.50. This may seem morally ambiguous and technically theft but then again so is the £180-£200 quid a fortnite that i shell out to said supermarket for the rest of our food, I do the same with expensive cheese!

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can use your oven to make jerky.
If you don't have a smoker, use this.....

Liquid Smoke

Here is a link for you that is UK friendly... (oh my, I just noticed that this link also advertises 'Stubbs Butt Rub' seasoning!)

reply to post by butcherguy


I don't know why it does, but liquidised smoke is making my mouth water lol

iRoyalty
reply to post by butcherguy

 

I don't know why it does, but liquidised smoke is making my mouth water lol

It is like the sweetest part of bacon in a bottle...
But there is no beating bacon.

Hi Mountain Seasoningreply to post by boymonkey74


Buy thinly sliced meat, such as sandwich steaks or swiss steaks, season with Hi Mountain Seasoning (one package makes a bunch of batches), put in food dehydrator for 8 to 12 hours. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Haven't bought jerky from the store in 15 years, this stuff is good! They have many different seasoning flavors too! I like to mix Hickory and Cajun flavors together.

reply to post by boymonkey74



pretty simple really

most important ingredient - the meat - got to be LEAN , all fat trimmed off

next - jerky " marinade " I say marinade cos some are dry rub mixes of spices - to your taste - google it and select the reciepe that suits your pallet

next dryer - you can by domestic / comericial food dryers - but I made mine out of a free standing dehumidifier - I kist built a steel fram and used polycarbonate sheet to create a box that went over the top of the unit - - a baking tray acted as drip catcher - and it had 3 removable shelves that I did jerky on - just resting on a sheet of tinfoil

I could also do fish , cheese and other stuff too - hanging from welding rods

if you are making beef jerky - its a good idea to have a stew or similar dish for supper that evening - so you can throw all the cuttings in that

other meats work too - venison esp - but again you need a game pie to put all the leftovers in

bacon works - to a degree - use smoked bacon [ all fat removed ] and cook it first

pork most definitely doesn't work

have fun

Nothing beats a good bear jerky.
Be careful with the liquid smoke, a little goes a very long ways. A friend turned me onto that in 2005 or '06 and let me tell you: That @#$% is strong!!!

reply to post by boymonkey74


Hi boymonkey.

I purchased a dehydrator. It has seven trays. I use 2 kilos of rump sliced at about 3 to 4 mill thickness. These slices are placed into containers with a mixer of anything from chilli, worsteshire sauce, garlic. curry etc marinates. Left overnight in fridge then placed into dehydrator trays, run dehydrator for about 6 to 8 hours.

Jerky can be soft or hard depending on thickness or cooking time. I like hard, chewy jerky and spicy chilli hot. Great with beer. Kids also take it for school lunches.

Buy a dehydrator and make your own to flavour. Cheaper in the long run,

Regards'

Bally

boymonkey74
For a tiny pack with about 15 bits it costs nearly two quid so how do I make my own?

by bits I assume you mean bitcoins?

Thats about 10 grand man.

If you can afford 10 grand, just but a decent pig and some candles. Once you get the pig started, it will burn for years.

They are slow cookers, look into Spontaneous Human Combustion, to see how it's done.

I don't advise smoking a pig tho. Or a candle. Maybe something you grow from the pig poo, using the candle to ignite it, but otherwise, yea, it will stink. Pigs may taste good, but flaming whoppers burn one, the singed hair alone you just cant smoke it.

Also I wouldn't mind smoking some fish so has anyone got any tips on what smoker, what meat and how to do it?.
Cheers in advance.

Are you sure you're just not drunk? who smokes a fish? you EAT fish. like, I have a tank full of gold ones, and they make great sarnies. Who the hell puts one in his pipe?

Wierd.

*nudge nudge wink wink bunk no more*

Cheers all for the tips.
I will buy a smoker with my next pay check
Oh and that liquid smoke looks lovely.
Oh and the salmon tips make my mouth water
Cheers all you are wonderful people

reply to post by sn0rch


Generally speaking, a 'bit' usually refers to 25 cents, or a quarter. That's primarily Canadian and American speak though. Just thought I might interject that real quick.
en.wikipedia.org...
Sorry for the short post, I'm needed at work.

reply to post by boymonkey74

Cheers all you are wonderful people

We are freakin great, aren't we?

reply to post by butcherguy


Didn't mean you though

Nah only messing you are fantastic

reply to post by boymonkey74


Don't spend your cash on a dehydrator. You have the internet, use it. In a short few minutes you can find numerous ways to create your own dehydrator. You may even have all the elements you need laying around your house. I'm sure Youtube has hundreds of vids on this topic. Dry fruit as well. I dry apples slices each summer in the open air, by the light of the sun.Makes the best fried apple pies you ever ate. Make your own unit and make that jerky taste much better cause it's way cheaper. I have numerous recipes for jerky and the how too's of drying fruit. U2U me if you want some of them. I'll be happy to send them to you. Peace.OYM1262

reply to post by openyourmind1262

I actually saw one made from cardboard, a box fan and hot plates....
Not saying I would trust that, but you are right, there are all sorts of home made versions out there and easy to put together!