Made some pork jerky on Saturday.  Cut a 4.5# trimmed pork loin into 1/4 inch strips.  Used a Cabela's hickory seasoning for 24 hours.  Put on MAK 2 Star in smoke mode for 4 hours.

Never even crossed my mind...I do not know why, but I cant even picture the taste.  Does it accept the marinade as well as the beef?  Man, sure would be cheaper then Beef!  Loin you say, about half the cost of beef round...any chance you will ever try shoulder?

I think a shoulder has too much fat.  From what I read, you want a lean meat.  It was not as brittle as the beef knuckle I did a month or so ago.  Yes, it was really cheap to make.  Probably about $4/lb net jerky weight for the pork loin at $1.88/# for the raw meat.  It was probably $6-$7/# for the beef.  I think the beef had more shrinkage and the raw meat was about $2.75/#.

Looks Nice, great job on the Jersey.

I have made pork loin jerky 3 times now.  It's MUCH cheaper and tastes just the same if not better.

I buy mix from Mad Hunky for 5lbs.  I add, I like heat.  I buy full loins from Costco and trim them.  I make chops and a small roast and the rest is trimmed for 5lbs of lean pork. 

I have done eye of round $$$$ many times, it is a bit more lean trimmed properly, but we all know fat is where the flavor is at and pork is CHEAP AND TASTES THE SAME for jerky.  My pork cut has a bit more fat once trimmed.  I slice at 1/4" or so.  I marinate (my marinade does have cure)  I'm safe like that and it's not sooo salty.


I smoke at 105f or so for 4 hours then move to the normal inside dehydrator.  I pull bits off as done throughout the day when done.  Once all done, about 8 PM I put it all in a big 2 gallon freezer bag and into the fridge overnight. The cold temps and in the same bag causes the pieces to equalize humidity levels.  Next day when I get to it I'll vacupack about 3 bags, throw them into the freezer, and the leftovers into the fridge in bags.

Sometimes when I open a bag from the freezer (and that's 7 months later) and move to basic sealable fridge bags, I get a bit of fat slime on the inside of the bag.  I know those bits had a bit of fat on it, not much, and it tastes WONDERFUL.   

Soo, in summary, pork jerky is cheaper and much better And wow you won't know till you try it... 

Looks great,

make pork jerky all the time, whole boneless loins are cheap and I found I can get them at Gordons Food and they have the small side trimmed off. I don't mind a bit of fat on it, I do use cure in mine. mostly the kits from cabelas also. the fat is just a tasty little treat, but it will mold even with the cure in it.

It doesn't mold at all when vacupacked and frozen.  It doesn't mold when tossed in a sandwich bag kept in the fridge for MONTHS.  You might be seeing a bit of fat in the bag.  Heck I have vacupached loin jerky for 8 months and then in a bag in the fridge for 3 months.  It's got the same taste as beef and so much cheaper.

I use Mad Hunky mix and add a bit more spice to it.  I like it 75% hot with cold beer.

Well, I just bought a pork loin for $0.99/# a few weeks ago.  I cut it up into some pork chops and cryovact it.  I can see some of it becoming jerky.

I have found the best jerky has been soaked overnight and then had some sort of dry rub seasoning sprinkled on it before putting on the smoker to cook.

I just cant believe pork could even get close to beef taste...but I will try not to live up to my signature and try this 1st.  So what is the recommended pork cut?

the only thing I have used have been whole boneless loins and if I find a good price on tenderloins.

Yep, I used country style ribs (which I think were pork loin not shoulder but that was the name the grocery put on the package), but would probably use pork loin next time.

From the above pictures, it appears that the loin is cut into long strips. Why not cross cut?

Country style ribs are from the shoulder, are you saying that your market sold country style, but they were actually loin?

Country style ribs are from the shoulder, are you saying that your market sold country style, but they were actually loin?

yes

OK, will look for loin next time...