I don’t make a lot of ground meat jerky. It isn’t that it doesn’t taste great but it just doesn’t have the great chew of jerky from sliced meat. It is just softer and less chewy.
However, I was asked how to make ground beef jerky and I haven’t made any for some time. So, here is how I make it.
I start with 1 kg of extra lean ground beef. The less fat the better. You can grind your own beef but use a very lean cut.
I added the following to the beef:
- 90 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) Soy Sauce
- 50 ml (1/4 cup) Pineapple Juice
- 40 ml (3 tbsp) Sherry
- 5 ml (1 tsp) Sesame Oil
- 5 ml (1 tsp) Sriracha Sauce
- 35 ml (2 tbsp + 2 tsp) Brown Sugar
- 10 ml (2 tsp) Ground Ginger
- 8 ml (1 ½ tsp) Garlic Powder
- 5 ml (1 tsp) Onion Powder
- 4 ml (3/4 tsp) Black Pepper
- 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp/2.6 gr) Prague Powder #1
For those of you who haven’t used the curing salt Prague Powder #1 before, it is also known as Pinks Salt #1, Instacure #1, and a host of other commercial names. Read the label on your curing salt and make sure that it 93.75 % salt and 6.25 % sodium nitrite. If those are the content, you can use the curing salt in this recipe.
A word of warning, too much sodium nitrite is bad for you. Make sure you use the exact amount the recipe calls for and don’t use Prague Powder in place of salt, only use it for meat curing.
Mix the beef thoroughly for at least five minutes. It should be tacky and sticky.
Put 1/2 the meat between two pieces of wax paper and gently roll to 1/4 inch thick.
Remove the top sheet and cut the beef into strips. Cut the strips to the length you like and put it on the smoking tray. Repeat with the second 1/2 of the meat.
I preheated my Bradley smoker to 200 F. I like to go for 20 minutes without smoke but you can start smoking right away but it will be a much stronger smoke hit.
You can also do this in a rack in a 200 F oven.
Start checking at 1 1/2 hours. However, I find it usually takes 2 hours to cook. Test by bending a piece. There should be some splintering at the surface.
Put the jerky on a paper towel lined plate and blot with a second paper towel to remove as much fat as possible.
Let cool before serving.
I did a video of this project:
The Verdict
This is a very tasty jerky. It is not spicy but has a nice sweet/salty taste with a pineapple/soy taste that I really like.
It has a decent chew but if you are looking for a nice piece of jerky that requires some chewing to eat. This isn’t it.
The Old Fat Guy
Hawaiian Hamburger Jerky
Ingredients
- 1 kg extra lean ground beef 2.2 pounds
- 90 ml soy sauce 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp
- 50 ml pineapple juice ¼ cup
- 40 ml sherry 3 tbsp
- 5 ml sesame oil 1 tsp
- 5 ml Sriracha Sauce 1 tsp
- 35 ml brown sugar 2 tbsp + 2 tsp
- 10 ml ground ginger 2 tsp
- 8 ml garlic powder 1 ½ tsp
- 5 ml onion powder 1 tsp
- 4 ml black pepper ¾ tsp
- 2.6 grams Prague Powder #1 2.5 ml (½ tsp)
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together for at least 5 minutes. The meat should be pasty and sticky.
- Preheat your smoker to 200 F. Can be done on a rack in a 200 F oven.
- Roll ½ of the meat to ¼ inch thick between two pieces of wax paper. Cut to desired width and length and put the pieces on the smoking rack.
- Smoke or cook for 2 hours or until the surface cracks on bending. It will be a soft jerky. Let cool before serving.
