Jerky with a Open Fire

[pvt_McCracken]

Hello Holders of Knowledge

I was wondering has anyone tired to make Jerky the old fashsion way? I don't mean in an oven, but during an event, over the campfire.

If anyone has done that you you please give me some tips , because I am planning on making some jerky at our next re-enactment, at Michilimackina.

I was figuring it is going to take 8-10 hours, maybe more to do it.I hope thats about right, but I haven't got a clue.

Then I am figuring I need to get some sticks to create a place to hang the meat. What types of sticks should I get, Dry? or Green?

How far should I place the meat from the fire?

How hot of a fire do I want?

Please give me some tips.
Pvt_McCracken

 

[bnail]

Hey Pvt MCraken, I had the rare privelege of watching a group of Solomon Island Natives smoke fish over a fire and they used green twigs and erected a scaffolding over a low fire mostly coals. I'd say would could probably do the same with the jerkey. To promot even drying, I'd lay the strips over a lattice about 2 to 21/5 feet above the fire and keep a good hot bed of coals going underneath. Jack danials sell chipped up oak barrels as smoking chips that would probably work great.
:m2c:
good luck at Michilimackninac, tghat's a great site. I used to attend with LaBaye, but not for many seasons now.

 

[Claude Mathis]

I know that many of the plains tribes did not even use a fire. They simply hung the meat to dry. You'll see this in early drawings of the Native camps.

A couple random thoughts...

I have a friend who uses the oven to make jerky. He sets the oven so high, he is actually "cooking" the meat, not "drying" it. Actually, the pilot light in the oven is enough heat to speed the drying.

Heat generates moisture. If you don't leave the oven door open while drying, you'll have moist, cooked meat.

 

[redwing]

The air dried stuff is still the best. You can use a window fan to air dry. Put the meat{after you have treated it} on a furnace filter cover with another filter. Turn the fan on low and go to bed. Next day you will have air dried Orignal jerky.
+++{{Use the cloth type filters not the fiberglass ones}+

Make sure you do this outside. You can hold the filters on with those bungi cords. I don't know if this works in high humitdy areas but works up here in the dry air. The filters are placed on the fan outlet.

:redthumb:
Redwing

 

[Bountyhunter]

You watch Alton Brown too I see!

 

[gnkanun]

When "air drying". Do you have any trouble with flies?

 

[bnail]

Well, Pvt Mac, I don't know if you're still interested or not, but I just finished a winter weekend up here in the U.P., and we made a nice batch of Jerky over the fire. the meat was cut into strips and skewered on long green sticks which were hung over the fire. we had to play with the height of the sticks as we first started off roasting the strips until we got the elevation right.
The meat was soaked in a store-bought jerky brine overnight (not my idea) and we dried it out over the flames the next morning. turned out very well and, IMO, it would have made quite a descent "show & Tell" at MichiliMackinac.

 

[boar]

If you smoke the meat till dry you won't have flies,they need wet to lay their eggs. Dilly

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I have read many accounts in contemporaneous journals of where journeying parties stopped for a day or so to dry meat over the fire before continuing on.

 

Hey, you can wake the dead!!! Revival of an 8 month old thread. I wonder if the Pvt got his jerk made?

Skagun's origional post was about as right as it will get. I have made jerk for demos many times. 2-3 feet above a low smoky fire. It does not matter what you make the rack from, it will not get that hot. I would not use pine or fur or anything that might give a strong taste with contact to the meat.

Keep the punk wood smoking with only minimal flame and lots of smoke. I usually cut the meat thicker for demos than the comercial jerk. Takes 8-10 hours to dry properly.

I don't soak it in anything. Why would I want to add liquid to what I intend to dry out? Why would I try to flavor what already tases good?

About the time it dries good every trekker in the fort will show up (if the kids didn't already get it all), you just watch!

:hatsoff:

 

[Woods Dweller]

I have dried meat and fish many ways:

The sun; Make a wood frame to sit on the dashboard of your Truck or car, tack wire screen on the top of it. Lay meat out on wire screen, at noon flip meat over and dry other side.
[Do this in summer, lay cloth under dryer, do this in the morning when you go to work]

Make a wood box dryer: with a screen shelf, and a glass cover. Make ½” holes, and cover with screen for ventilation.

I have made this with a heave cardboard box, and lines the inside with tinfoil.

Make a rack using 2, 6’foot 2x4 and 6 or 7, ¼” dowels. Drill ¼” holes in 2x2 starting at top and work down keeping them about 6” or 7” apart.

On a good hot summer day and on the sunny side of your house, put frame together and lean as close to your house as you can get it. Droop meat over dowels and let dry. Your house will work as a reflector oven helping to dry meat.

This worked better when I lived in a trailer. A tepee wall will work as well.
[Watch for dogs, cats, and other critters]

The Oven works well for winter drying and helps keep the house warm.

In most ovens you can get 5 racks in an oven. Over the years I have picked up oven racks all over the place. Place tinfoil on bottom of oven, set oven at 200 [this is the lowest setting on most ovens] place meat on racks and Wait till dry.
takes about 8hr, I do this during a cold winter night.

Elect food Dehydrator can be bought at any store and does a good job.

Smoker is the most commonly used for drying out foods. Here are some good smokers. The Old refrigerator smoker is the best smoker I have ever used.

Old refrigerator smoker
http://www.theingredientstore.com/foodpreservation/refrig_smoker.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_2205241_refrigerator-smoker.html

SIMPLE BOX SMOKER http://www.countrysidemag.com/issues/87/87-3/Curt_M_Butterfield.html

Ask the Meatman http://www.askthemeatman.com/bookmarkbbq.htm

Smoker from a Trash Can http://www.cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html

In my opinion this is the best smoke / dry foods book I have ever seen.

Home Book of Smoke Cooking: Meat, Fish & Game (Paperback) http://www.amazon.com/Home-Book-Smoke-Cooking-Meat/dp/0811721957

Example: Cold smoke fish, between 79 and 85 F [light smoke]

Smoke time.............Keeping time
24hours.......................2 weeks
2 days..........................4 weeks
3 days..........................2 month
4 days..........................4 month
5 days..........................6 month
1 week.........................1 year
2 week.........................3 years

I have smoke fish for 24hr and ate it 6 months latter. [keep in frig]

cut lean beef into ½” cubs dip in A-1 stake sauce and dry in smoker. Dry, without smoke, frozen bag of mix Vegetables. mix dry Vegetables with smoked dry beef.

Have packed this for more than a week and made a very good beef stew.