Bought a whole loin, cut the front off to cure for a small ham, cut 3 chops out of it to make reubenray's chantilly taters. Don't ask about those. Sliced the rest of it across grain close 3/8" thick for jerky. had just under 5 pound once sliced.

0.25% Cure 1
2.5% Sea Salt
Eyeball Black Pepper. Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Chipotle Powder.

Dust and layer and then redust as i layered it in my container for the fridge, until all of my spice/cure mix was used.

4 days in the fridge.

In the Pit Boss Copperhead 7 with the Pellet Pro controller set on smoke. (It ran 150 to the highest I saw was 168) it was in for a little over 9 hours.

Taste is good, probably for a lot 2% salt would be good, I like the slightly salty taste. I usually add another layer of flavor once laid out on the rack but I tried a small piece as I was laying it out and thought it was good the way it was. It turned out good, could have had more heat but as you chew it makes itself known.

I enjoyed the last time I made pork jerky with a loin too

Nicely done Dave!!!.

I bought a CampChef vertical smoker (6 shelves like yours) primarily for Jerky and Cheese, and as a backup, or in addition to, the Memphis.
Just did the smoked Cheese yesterday, so now I will have to get started on the Jerky.
Normally have done just pork, but will have to add Chicken and Pork (from your other post).

Thanks for sharing...

Nicely done Dave!!!.

I bought a CampChef vertical smoker (6 shelves like yours) primarily for Jerky and Cheese, and as a backup, or in addition to, the Memphis.
Just did the smoked Cheese yesterday, so now I will have to get started on the Jerky.
Normally have done just pork, but will have to add Chicken and Pork (from your other post).

Thanks for sharing...

Chicken is great just don't over dry it as it is gets very this and hard. Plus be sure to use Cure 1 or tenderquick in it.

Nicely done Dave!!!.

I bought a CampChef vertical smoker (6 shelves like yours) primarily for Jerky and Cheese, and as a backup, or in addition to, the Memphis.
Just did the smoked Cheese yesterday, so now I will have to get started on the Jerky.
Normally have done just pork, but will have to add Chicken and Pork (from your other post).

Thanks for sharing...

Chicken is great just don't over dry it as it is gets very this and hard. Plus be sure to use Cure 1 or tenderquick in it.

Thanks for tip.
I do use cure #1 in jerky.

Any particular reason why you are using cure in your jerky?

Doesn't always get eaten right away. Better safe than sorry.

A note about it from Sausagemaker:

"Curing meat prevents botulism poisoning (common food poisoning). This process also helps to safely and effectively preserve the meat while imparting more robust flavors and colors"

OK.  I thought that was why.

I quit using it.  I usually vac seal it and put it in the fridge and/or freezer within a day or so of making it because we usually make 25#-50# of meat at a time.  I don't find any difference in taste, texture, or color without it.  And, apparently, it is not good for folks who have had colon cancer.

I do same, vacuum seal and freeze.
But sometimes when we open one we forget about it, or it gets buried behind something and don't see it..
Yeah, not sure about the color/taste either.

Any particular reason why you are using cure in your jerky?

A couple reasons for me.

I usually leave mine set out on the counter in a container. I do package some and freeze or if I give it away.
I don't dry mine as much as it probably should be.
I also don't mind if it has fat in it, I actually like some streaks of fat through it. with out cure it would go rancid and or mold quickly probably even in the fridge.
I make out of Chicken and Turkey. When I started using poultry, I just decided to use it in all of it. I didn't used to when I did just beef. But then I also only made maybe 3 or 4 pound of meat at a time. Now most of the time I do 10# min. Did 11 pounds of chicken about 4 weeks ago, only used the dehydrator for it. There is still maybe 10 pieces left in a plastic container on the counter, it still has some moisture to it. No mold or any thing on it.


My first go at poultry was when I bought my cabelas dehydrator. The recipe I used, I think came from the manual was for turkey, it said to cook it in the oven until it hit 160. What a mess at low temps it collected water probably from the injection, and then had to dry it. I went years with out ever trying it again. I had started using some jerky kits all had cure in them, and one day I thought I would try turkey again with out precooking it. Bought a breast and gave it a shot, I didn't die, it tasted much better than the first time and it had shelf life.  I probably have not made jerky or snack stick without cure for 30 years. I know a lot of people that don't use cure, but then they only do maybe 5 pound of meat at a time and they keep it in the fridge or their family eats it with in a few days.  I am the only person here that eats it so it lasts me a while even with giving some to a few others at times.

Haha, I tried making chicken jerky using the Cabella's use the oven method and threw it out.  I may have to give it another shot smoking and then dehydrating instead of using the oven like their recipe.

And yes, the first time I made it about 10 years ago, mine turned moldy on the fat relatively quickly as I didn't know any better then.  I am slightly smarter now.  Didn't have a vac sealer then as I didn't feel I needed one.  I was wrong about that too.

Haha, I tried making chicken jerky using the Cabella's use the oven method and threw it out.  I may have to give it another shot smoking and then dehydrating instead of using the oven like their recipe.

And yes, the first time I made it about 10 years ago, mine turned moldy on the fat relatively quickly as I didn't know any better then.  I am slightly smarter now.  Didn't have a vac sealer then as I didn't feel I needed one.  I was wrong about that too.

Glad to hear I wasn't the only one dumb enough to try their recipe.

 I guess we all do what works best for us. I like some of the concoctions you soak yours in. I used to wet soak all the time usually just water or beef stock and the cure and seasoning. I saw someone on here, I want to think it was Yorkdude that just dry cured and I gave that a shot. I think the thing I like the most about the dry way is that all of the pieces are nice and flat not bends and twisted or folded in half like they get when I wet soak. So much easier to lay out of the racks. I think it was you that mentioned one time about adding more seasoning once you lay it out so I gave that a try and it works great also.

I marinade mine (beef) overnight.
Pork and chicken will be a new ballgame.

Bought a whole loin, cut the front off to cure for a small ham, cut 3 chops out of it to make reubenray's chantilly taters. Don't ask about those. Sliced the rest of it across grain close 3/8" thick for jerky. had just under 5 pound once sliced.

0.25% Cure 1
2.5% Sea Salt
Eyeball Black Pepper. Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Chipotle Powder.

Dust and layer and then redust as i layered it in my container for the fridge, until all of my spice/cure mix was used.

4 days in the fridge.

In the Pit Boss Copperhead 7 with the Pellet Pro controller set on smoke. (It ran 150 to the highest I saw was 168) it was in for a little over 9 hours.

Taste is good, probably for a lot 2% salt would be good, I like the slightly salty taste. I usually add another layer of flavor once laid out on the rack but I tried a small piece as I was laying it out and thought it was good the way it was. It turned out good, could have had more heat but as you chew it makes itself known.

I have to ask what happened with the chantilly potatoes?

Bought a whole loin, cut the front off to cure for a small ham, cut 3 chops out of it to make reubenray's chantilly taters. Don't ask about those. Sliced the rest of it across grain close 3/8" thick for jerky. had just under 5 pound once sliced.

0.25% Cure 1
2.5% Sea Salt
Eyeball Black Pepper. Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Chipotle Powder.

Dust and layer and then redust as i layered it in my container for the fridge, until all of my spice/cure mix was used.

4 days in the fridge.

In the Pit Boss Copperhead 7 with the Pellet Pro controller set on smoke. (It ran 150 to the highest I saw was 168) it was in for a little over 9 hours.

Taste is good, probably for a lot 2% salt would be good, I like the slightly salty taste. I usually add another layer of flavor once laid out on the rack but I tried a small piece as I was laying it out and thought it was good the way it was. It turned out good, could have had more heat but as you chew it makes itself known.

I have to ask what happened with the chantilly potatoes?

I started with 3 chops maybe an inch thick. Decided I was going to use a 1/4 steam pan. (Loaf pan size.) I put a layer of potatoes in and the chops discovered a 2.5" pan would not work. Could not find my 4 or 6" pans, so went to a 1/2 steam pan potatoes on bottom chops on one side layered with cheese in between to get 3 layers of potatoes. A pint of heavy cream. I did them in the counter top oven at 350 I covered with foil which may have helped lead to my issue. Uncovered for a while at the end. They came out very soupy/liquidy. So not sure what happened, maybe not enough evaporation in the beginning, I know there was probably more cheese than it called for. Next time I will use the 4 or 6" deep pan and will cut back the butter and the cream naturally because of the size of the pan, but maybe even a bit more. There were pools of grease (butter). The GF thought it was great and says I can make it again.

had a great week, 2 new dishes made and I got the go ahead to make them both again, the potatoes and chicken flautas. I had planned on taking a picture of the potatoes but decided not to.