Beef/Deer/Buffalo Jerky

[Ohio1777]

My daughter recently has gone on a low sodium diet. So I was thinking about smoking my own Jerky. If I do smoke it, will the smoking effect add any more salt to it, if I omit the salt? Crazy question, but thought I would ask it.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Smoking does not add salt. You can jerk meat and add nothing to it if you wish. Perhaps one of the salt substitutes (seasonings) would be worth trying.

 

[rafterob]

Smoking cures by nitrates produced by the burning of wood. Moisture will facilitate the transfer of these nitrates and that's why you put a pan of water in with stuff yer BBQing. When curing meats or other "Potentially Hazardous Foods" the idea is to create an inhospitable environment for the growth of bacteria. Reducing moisture by drying or smoking and adding salts or acids are a couple ways to do this. :yakyak: Anyway reduced sodium diets can usually use Potassium or other "salts" with no ill effects. So go to it.I'm a food-science-dietetics major and appreciate the opportunity to spew out my degree :barf: If you happen to come up with some extra Venison jerky send it my way. Haven't had any since I moved out of Minnesota-20years.

 

[Black Hand]

Try adding a little spice to your jerky as well as the smoke. The spicy/smoky flavor will wake it up without having to add salt.

I make mine with salt, black pepper and red pepper sprinkled on the surface. Quick and easy.

 

[Ohio1777]

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions and answers. It is time to get the smoker out and try jerking some meat.

 

[JCW]

I to have to watch my salt intake. I also eat a lot of home made "jerky". This is my quick and dirty method. I make my jerky in the oven set at 180 deg. I slice my meat about 3/16" thick. It helps if it is partialy frozen. I lay the meat out on cake cooling racks set in a cookie sheet after I have squirted a mix of water, apple juice and liquid smoke on both sides with a squirt bottle set on mist. The meat cooks this way then dries out without burning and without adding salt and chemicals. If you want to make peppered jerkey use coarse ground pepper pressed into meat before putting on racks to cook/dry. We also use this recipe for turkey jerky. If we want to add other spices like hot peppers, oragano, sprinkle on when jerkey is about half done and then lightly spray with water and apple juice ommiting the liquid smoke. We like our jerky very dry and not chewy like a lot of commercial products. We vaccume pack and put into freezer. Jeff.

 

[bucktales]

When I started to make jerky, it was all trial and error with the salt until I got the right amount dialed in. IMO, the brine is what makes the jerky. Sometimes I'll experiment and make a kitchen sink brine, i.e., everything in the spice shelf and then some will go in. Sometimes not good, but other times ,WOW. Half the fun of making different jerky is experimenting with the brine contents and types of smoking woods.
The nice part is, if it walks, swims or flies, it goes in the smoker..

 

[gmww]

They sell a low sodium soy now. I do a very easy jerky. Yoshida's teriyaki sauce as a marinate over night on 1/4" thick stips. Smoke it or dehydrate it. Taste great. A little hot sauce with the mix is also good. I freeze what I'm not going to eat right away.

 

[shmrck1]

Ohio1777,
This is just a thought....But rather than smoke
it,dehydrate it. No matter what you are using either to smoke or dehydrate,cut away all the fatty tissue that you can. When smoking,that is
about all there is to it. However when dehydrating I suggest soaking the thinly sliced
meat(whatever the kind) in your favorite
marinade which should include some liquid smoke.
Do not,I repeat do not use to much,liquid smoke
when dehydrating. It becomes very bitter if used
to extreme. Maybe 1/2tsp per pound in you favorite[url] marinade.Marinade[/url] at least overnite
prior to the dehydration process.
snake-eyes