Chef I agree that would be really great for people trying to cut back on salt.

spicemama Yup like Tex_77 says, just cut them. You can twist them first but it isn’t going to hold them closed on the end, they are going to open back up.

processhead You are right on target. I have a Weber kettle and am using a Slow 'N Sear from SnS grills. A found a rotisserie setup which includes a ring about 6 inches high. I have mounted the grate on top of that which gives me a little more height and if I use the “snake” method in the Slow N Sear, actually doesn’t do too bad, but with this setup you can only refine so far. Hard to seal the smoke in. Anyway, given that my setup is a little primitive and with input from patient people like you and the others, I get along OK. Thanks again for your input, I really appreciate your time.

hi Jonathon and everyone! I want to give my intake and updates regarding the experiments that I made during the weekend. This is my recipe and every batch will be using this recipe as a base plus glycerine or brown sugar. Please note that every batch i make is only 330 gram (bear with me as Indonesia use metric quantities). I am already using tenderloin cut (no marbling inside and a little line of fat only) and cut into 1/4" thickness

Here is the base recipe
70 gram oyster sauce
35 gram soy sauce
50 gram honey
6 gram ground garlic
2 tsp white sugar
1/3 tsp basil
1/3 tsp oregano
1/3 tbsp papain
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp smoke liquid

and here are my experiment list

Batch 1 - recipe + glycerine 18% + direct dehydrator
Batch 2 - recipe + 18% glycerine + 20% water + vacuum tumbling 40 mins + direct dehydrator
Batch 3 - recipe + 18% brown sugar + 20% water + vacuum tumbling 40 mins + direct dehydrator
Batch 4 - recipe + 18% glycerine + 20% water + vacuum tumbling 40 mins + 24 hour marinade + dehydrator
Batch 5 (control) - recipe + 24 hour marinade + dehydrator
Batch 6 - recipe + 18% brown sugar + 18% low sodium soy sauce + 1.2% rice wine vinegar + 0.6% lemon juice + vacuum tumbling 40 mins + 24 hour marinade + dehydrator

And here is my result :
Taste : Batch 1 is too sweet as there is no water and 18% of the glycerine definitely makes it way into the meat. Batch 2 and 4 doesnt show much difference in the taste. batch 6 and batch 3 is a little too sweet, but unlike glycerine batches, these batches gives better aroma from brown sugar and doesnt have aftertaste as the glycerine batches. However, this is supposedly salty recipes but all experiments comes out sweet!
Texture : Best Texture comes from batch 6 and 4, followed by batch 3, then batch 2, then batch 1, then batch 5 which is the most dry. I can see how glycerine and sugar does make the jerky much juicier but it doesnt really improve jerky tenderness leap and bound.

I want to point out 2 possible problems though, then I will straight to my question. 1. My vacuum tumbling is turning slowly as they dont give any barrier or blocker inside the tumbler and the meat just stay bottom of the tumblr. The vacuum does work though. 2. I forgot to put the batches into oven first for 160F internal meat temperature.

so my question is :

If i want to make salty tender jerky, should i still use glycerine? Will reducing the glycerine better or is it better to use phosphate for salty batches? If i use phosphate together with glycerine, will it make it tender? anyone ever tried using both? I am concerned about aftertaste if i use both Any other flaws can you take notes from my procedures? I want to know to make it better

I post my result photos as well. But as far as I know, I cant see any noticeable difference in appearance

Thank you!

glen
Interesting, something to think about trying next time.
Thanks!

Deli Meats Deli Meat: 202 Additives For Homemade Deli Meats

Attend this Intermediate-level class from Meatgistics University by watching the video, reading the article and post any questions you have!

Cold Phosphate Binders Sodium Lactate Phosphates

In Deli Meats 103 we went over some common additives that are used in commercially processed Deli Meats, most of them are harmless and are aimed at increasing the freshness of the meat, the shelf life, taste and appearance. However, most of these items are not things you are going to have in your home, or have easy access to. However, there are a few additives that are easily available and will give you a nice reformed deli meat that can be sliced almost as thin as a true deli.

It doesn’t matter if you are making homemade deli meats or buying it from the store, some sort of phosphates will almost certainly be present. The phosphates raise the pH of the meat and allow it to hold more water. Commercial processors do this because a) water is much cheaper than meat and b) consumers want cuts of meat that are juicier. We recommend you use Cold Phosphate as this will dissolve easier in cold water than some other types. An important note on phosphates is that if you are injecting it you need to mix this in first so it can suspend in the water. I’d recommend you add phosphates to any deli meat you are making but it is especially important when making low fat deli cuts.

Binders

Binders, especially in low fat cuts, are going to be very key here when making a reformed cut of deli meat. Without it you will have a hard time getting everything to stick together tight enough to let you slice it deli thin without it crumbling. Carrot Fiber isn’t a traditional binder but it holds 26 times it’s weight in water so it can help with a juiciness, if you are going to use carrot fiber, like I do in future videos, is to use it in conjunction with cold phosphate. Super Bind is going to give you carrot fiber and potato starch, so you get the best of the carrot fiber plus the potato starch forms a gel at the same temp as the meat really starts to expel water. The only problem with this is that in a homemade deli you are going to have some voids in your meat. Having no voids with a hand crank stuffer is extremely difficult and those voids will be filled with this gel. It can be very unappealing. Sure Gel or Soy protein blend can also be good choices.

Sodium Lactate

Sodium Lactate is used by commercial processors to extend the shelf-life of meat products. It is sometimes used as a powder but is most often used in its liquid form. It increases the shelf life of meat products by regulating the pH of food and reduces the effects of bacteria spoilage. In its liquid form you would use it at a rate of 1.5% of your meat block, so for a 25 lb batch you would use .375 of a lb. As we sell it in gallons you can see that it would last you a long time.

Sodium Nitrite & Sure Cure

Another option for deli meat can be using sodium nitrite or sure cure. We’ve talked about it exhaustively in the past but using nitrite helps fight botulism spores. Its important to use when smoking meat as you are often creating the perfect environment for the growth of botulism and other bad microorganisms. It can also assist in increasing the shelf life of the meat and preserving the color and flavor.

Watch WaltonsTV: Deli Meat: 202 Additives For Homemade Deli Meats Shop waltonsinc.com for Additives Shop waltonsinc.com for Cold Phosphate - Sodium Phosphate Shop waltonsinc.com for Sodium Lactate

What Are The Safe Internal Temperatures?
For Beef, Pork, Veal and Lamb you want to cook entire pieces like steaks, chops or roasts up to 145° and cook any ground product like hamburger or ground beef up to 160°. The reasoning for this is that the center of something like a steak has been protected from being introduced to harmful bacteria by the meat on the outside, as soon as you grind that up you are potentially exposing all of it to the bacteria.

For Poultry, like chicken and turkey, you want to cook your meat until the internal temperature is 165°. This includes all cuts of poultry including the breast, legs, wings, and ground meat. This is going to kill off a large number of harmful bacteria including E. Coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus amongst other.

For Fish, including shellfish, the safe internal temperature is also 145°. There are obviously some exceptions to this like sushi and sashimi but those are made safe in other ways, mostly freezing it to a temperature that will kill any parasites that are living within the fish.

How Can You Monitor This?
The best way to ensure you are cooking your meat to the correct internal temperature is to use a digital probe thermometer. The Grilleye Pro Plus Thermometer makes monitoring your foods internal temperature easy, with this system you leave the probe in the meat through the cooking process. It communicates the temperature back to the base of the unit that sits outside the smoker or grill and this one will communicate that information back to your smartphone so you don’t even have to be able to see the base unit to monitor the temperature.

Jonathon Thanks, getting ready to process 4 hams for the first time. I didn’t want to ruin everyone’s Easter!

jeb37355 That is a personal preference honestly, I am way happier with sausages of any kind that are made of at least 50% pork, but honestly 100% is more what we do. Pork fat has qualities such as creaminess, appearance, and low taste that beef fat can’t match.

Do you know the box dimensions? Wondering if it will fit in my HHR. It gets better milage than the Suburban.