Beef sticks from hamburger?

[northernflyer]

I am new to making jerky. I was hoping form input on how to make some beef sticks from hamburger. I was thinking of getting 5 lbs of 80/20 and making a test batch. I am wondering what the process is and what are some good recipes. I have an electric smoker and a grinder/stuffer. Thanks for the help.

[efgh]

We do this all the time, Get A jerky shooter and High Mt Seasoning. Mix the seasoning into the Hamberger, Be sure to measure seasoning to get the right amount, eror a little on the lite side, refrigrate for 24 hrs.Load the jerky shooter, squeeze out strips and load the smoker.

[hockeybc69]

80/20 would be just fine for beef sticks.

Do you plan to stuff casings?

Personally I prefer beef sticks in casings, rather than using a jerky shooter to make sticks

[northernflyer]

I was planning on using casings and using my own spices versus the pre mixed spices. I have made a lot of jerky out of cut meat but would like to give sticks a try if I can find some info on making them. Thanks

[reinhard1]

so far good information. go to the cooking and recipe forum. look for the thread on page 2 titled "snack sticks". there is a recipe on there that is easy to follow. also on the first page of the cooking and recipe forum there is the great thread put up by Shack. i think it's the 3rd thread down on the first page "HSO's Smoked, Smoking, and Smoking Library Of Links" there you will find valuable information on meats, jerky, sausage and more. ask as many questions as you like, i or someone here will help you. good luck.

[hockeybc69]

If you havent made stix before, I would suggest just trying a pre packaged mix.

You wont be disappointed.

I have made many batches of homemade mixes, and I prefer the prepackaged stuff now.

I do add my own little twists, but I start with the prepackaged seasonings.

[northernflyer]

I am going to give the beef stick recipe a try that was in the snack stick forum? Should I add water or beer to the mix? I think I am just going to use a gun and not use casings. If I am using a dehydrator what temp and how long? Thanks again

[Xplorer]

Not an authority like many on here, but have done alot of veni sticks in a dehydrator. There is usually a "meat" setting on the temp control. I think mine is set at 145 which is the max temp. The time will depend on a couple things, are you doing this outside/in garage? How big are the sticks? If doing this outside consider finding a box slightly larger than your dehydrator. Put it inside this and cover with an old blanket or beachtowel. I leave a crack in the front of the box (needs to be set on its side. This will lessen the time it takes. Also depends on how you want your sticks to turn out. I rotate trays every hour or so, top to bottom and so on. This way I can tell when they are getting to where I like them. If i use the smaller jerky shooter tube I can figure about 4.5 hours to do 4 trays of sticks.

[reinhard1]

you can use beer or water [not dark beer]. i have been doing mine in the dehydrator. i have a Nesco with 6 trays. i put mine on the highest setting and it gets just under 160 deg. the tube i use on the jerky gun makes sticks 1/2 inch thick. it takes 6 hours of drying when i do the sticks. after they are done i roll them on paper towels to take off the excess moisture. i then let them cool and put them in small zip lock bags for freezing. they dont last long so i usualy dont freezer bags. good luck.

[hockeybc69]

Personally, i am against the idea of using a dehydrator for uncased stix. I'd rather cook them in the oven at a little higher temp, rather than dehydrate the moisture out of them.

You are going to end up with stix of jerky rather than snack stix.

[Xplorer]

You are going to end up with stix of jerky rather than snack stix.

Not if you keep an eye on them. If you "set it and forget it" maybe, but I can keep them to whatever consistency I want by checking. Also, cooking/smoking veni sticks in the house is a no-no as the wifey doesn't like the smell that is left, so no oven drying for me

[reinhard1]

i have done the jerky in the oven--trial and error--in the end turned out fine. i have done and am now doing jerky in the dehydrator and after doing waffer type jerky with the gun everyone seems to like the sticks better. again trial and error, checking, watching, and finaly i got the timing,temp, and texture right so now i can set it and forget it.

what is the ultimate jerky for me? i dont know if i'm ever going to be satisfied. i'm more of a sausage head than a jerky maker being relativly new to it. i think when i get my vertical smoker, i will make some with that also. then as before it will take trial and error before i can be comfortable to get it right.

after you get it down to your satisfaction, it's amazing how easy it is to make. but it takes time, some failures down the way, but very satisfying in the end. we all have our own way of making jerky or sausage and we all can give helpfull ideas on this thread and others.

pre-mixed seasonings like high mountain and nesco for jerky is a great way to start. simple directions with a few flavors to choose from. as Hockey has said, from there you can tweak the reciepe a bit one way or the other. the important thing is to always use a cure with tenderquick being the most common. you can add and subtract seasonings but you must not mess with the cure recomendations. and the cure should be mixed with the water before adding it to the mix of meat and seasonings. high mountain and nesco come with the cure, otherwise you can buy morton tenderquick at most grocery stores. use 1 level tbls per pound of meat.

when i made the waffer style from the jerky gun it took 4 1/2 hours on the max setting in the dehydrator. now that i make the sticks [usualy 3 to 4 inches long] it takes 6 hours. i set it and forget it, and pull the plug when the time is up. then use paper towels to roll the sticks around a little to absorb any excess moisture. it's fun, it's easy, and very yummy. good luck.

[hockeybc69]

One thing to note RH..... this thread is about making beef sticks. For jerky, you are right on though.

Explorer,

I still dont think attempting to make uncased beef sticks in a dehydrator at that low of a temperature is going to produce a satisfactory end product. If in a casing, then I could see it working better though.

In order to get the meat up to proper temp or close to it, you have to leave it on a long time and I believe its going to be too dry and end up as more of a jerky due to the dehydration process vs a higher temp cooking process. Sure you can monitor the meat and pull it off before it dries too much, but have you achieved a proper internal temp by taking it off when you feel texture is correct?

Maybe I am all wet behind the ears. I dont know. LOL

[reinhard1]

casings retain moisture, while not using casings the drying occurs quicker. if i was using casings which i will when i get my smoker, they will be of a larger circumference than the tube i have for the jerky gun, and therefore i will be able to get a meat thermometer in a link by inserting it from the front and center.

beef sticks can be made on the dehydrator and turn out well. i dont use a casing on the dehydrator and dont think it's a good idea at all. yes the thread is about beef sticks but high mountain or nesco jerky seasoning can be used for waffer style in strips or using the tube attachment you can make it in stick form.

the only difference being the shape, and sticks take longer in the dehydrator or in the oven as well. after 6 hours the sticks of course shrink some but are bendable and have a good texture. of course i cant talk about smoking them for i have not done sticks other than the oven or dehydrator. i am looking forward doing them in the smoker with some in casings and some not and see what happens.

as for seasonings i believe there are a variety of things to try which i will do. for example i have a pre-mix thuringer pack that does 25 pounds. it is very excelent. what i'm going to do is to measure out 5 equal parts to make 5 pound batches. also the proper cure amounts. then i will make sticks out of that. mini thuringers. or salami or summer for that matter. it's all about shapes and sizes. seasonings are just that seasonings. then i would add extra garlic or jalapeno dried flakes and experiment. should be fun times ahead. good luck.

[eyeguy 54]

instead of sticks I plan on just making more 1 pound logs and smoke em. Lots easier and then I just slice it and eat it. :>)

[reinhard1]

that's the whole deal, everyone likes it a certain way. i started with the one pound logs and now i do the 3 pound chubs in the fibrous casings. goes to family and friends and neighbors, and i get to keep some too. it's going to be a fun year. should be interesting making the thuringer sticks. good luck.

[Xplorer]

hockeybc,

I guess we'll just agree to disagree on this one then

I've been dehydrating venison in this way with this same machine for 16 years. I dont use hamburger, just pure veni, so maybe that is where we differ in opinion. I sqeeze out the veni in circles around the trays, and get @ #1 per tray. I usually use a Nesco seasoning and add a bit of extra black or red pepper. With moving the trays hourly and using the box and blanket method, I can get the sticks to be firm on the outside and still semi-moist on the inside. No, it is not the consistency of store bought beef sticks, but then again there is little to no fat in these to make it squishy. I estimate that I do about 20# per year, and noone has complained so far, LOL

If we ever get the chance to meet at a gathering, I'd be happy to make up a batch for you to try. There are no bad sticks, as long as the "eater" is happy!!!

[eyeguy 54]

It's closer to my house X, I'll try them and report to Mark. ;>)

[reinhard1]

i use ground beef [80/20] with nesco and now my own seasonings. my sticks turn out the same as you describe. i do it all inside the house in the kitchen. i have a 6 tray Nesco dehydrator. i have never rotated the trays though. i think it has a lot to do with the circumference of the stick [size of tube used], and the length of time in the dehydrator. trial and error until you get it right. good luck.

[reinhard1]

made some jerky sticks today out of ground beef.

3 pounds of 80/20 ground beef

2 tbls plus 1 1/2 tsp of ground garlic/pepper

3 tbls tenderquick

3 tbls minced garlic [from the jar]

1 cup water

take the ground beef and toss in the ground garlic pepper and 3 tbls minced garlic [from the jar][the kind in it's own juices]. put the 3 tbls tenderquick in the 1 cup of water and mix till disolved. pour it in the meat mix. let the mix set overnight. next day use the jerky gun with the tube for sticks attached and make sticks 3 to 4 inches and put in the dehydrator. i put them in for 5 to 6 hours, depending on the size of the tube you have.

used to use the High Mountain [thats where i got the measurements for the spices]. the rest i added for personal taste. now i am going with spices i have at home. good luck.

[vister]

i think the point some people are making on here is that running sticks through a dehydrator, you are not bringing them to a sanitary temperature for meat products. I feel they should be brought to a temp of 165. now jerky on the other hand, just needs to be dried. you dry it so you eliminate all moisture, making it near impossible for bacteria to grow.

I personally believe sticks should be done in an oven or smoker, for the simple fact dehydrators rarely get warm enough to thoroughly cook meat.

and the sole purpose for adding cure, is because you are cooking/smoking meat at lower temperatures. you are not curing meat, you are protecting the meat while it very slowly cooks. thats why if you make fresh brats, you dont need to add cure. because they will likely the boiled, fryed, or grilled on a 350 degree grill, and take a few minutes vs a few hours

[KEN W]

I agree.....I don't put my sticks in the dehydrator either.Even if I don't smoke them,like pepperoni....they still go in the smoker until done.

[reinhard1]

the whole idea of using a dehydrator is it's function. it is to dry foods. dehydrating is a method of food preservation in which moisture is removed from the food. if the jerkey or sticks are pliable and leathery they are usualy done. it is about how long the product is in the dehydrator. just as some smoked products are longer in the smoker than others.

when my sticks are done they are the size of a pencil in circumference. not much bigger when out of the tube from the jerky gun. i do not use a casing. ground beef for example is safe from 155 to 160 [160 being serving temp] and this is without using cure. when i do wafer style jerky in the dehydrator it normaly takes 4 1/2 hours. when using the small tube for sticks they are about 4 inches long and a little thicker than a pencil from the start. that's 5 trays set on the highest temp which does reach 160 for me when it is not opened or touched until testing at the end.

for me i have found this proper time is 6 hours. there is no way i would dry anything thicker, however it would be possible to do it, but surely take longer. it's about length of time and temperature. when one followes direction and uses fresh products it will be safe to eat. tenderquick is a cure. this is why you leave the product like a meat mix overnight to cure or at least 24 hrs.

in the end it all comes down to personal preference. i make small batches of sticks or wafer style jerky with ground meat [about 3 pounds]. the dehydrator works just fine for this and done properly is perfectly safe. good luck.

[vister]

plain and simple, cure, which is sodium nitrate, "strong salt", destroys and inhibits bacterial spores to develop into toxins. thats why it works best when in the fridge, cause bacteria is less likely to grow in cool/cold temps, and the cure acts as a binder. it makes food on a shelf items last longer by absorbing moisture, attacking bacteria, not mummifying the meat

quick thought. toast a piece of bread. place toast and an untoasted slice of bread in a dark, warm, place for a week. which one will have mold growing?? simply because the toast is dried out, so no moisture for bacteria to thrive off

[vister]

and yes, you can make small diameter sticks in a dehydrator. however, most sticks are 1/2" in diameter, so by the time they are heated to their specific temp internally, externally they are dry as a bone!

and when i make sticks, i stuff immediately after adding seasonings and the cure. then let sticks sit overnight in fridge. gives the casing a chance to bond with meat mix, and the cure rids excess moisture. thats why there is condensation on the sticks when i take them out of the fridge