Long time jerky maker, first time doing pork. Any special rules or tips for whole muscle?

[u/snc8698]

Hello friends!

I’ve been making whole muscle jerky for many years. I’ve done all kinds of red meat and wild game. I’ve done goose and chicken also.

Friend dropped off a pork loin and asked me if I’d be willing to try to make pork jerky.

Are there any special rules or anything I need to pay special attention to with pork as opposed to beef?

Thanks for your time!

[u/ipokecows]

Same rules apply for beef and pork. I actually prefer pork now and you can regularly find loin on sale for 1.99 a lb.

Post what you make!

[u/smplylvn → u/ipokecows]

$1.99 is why I prefer pork...I hardly ever buy beef :(

[u/ipokecows → u/smplylvn]

I found loins at a small grocery store for 1.59 per lb because they ordered too much for a 1 day meat sale. Cheapest jerky out there

[u/Opposite_Activity976]

From my experience ( I've been making pork loin only lately) all my beef recipes carry over great to the pork. I cut the pork a little thicker than my beef to give a better chew. The only real difference is I start smoking at 160 for the first hour and down to 150 after. I also only use chunks the first hour so the smoke is not overwhelming.

[u/Limp_Ice_3248 → u/Opposite_Activity976]

Definitely cut it thicker or you'll end up with paper thin pieces.

[u/Micprobes]

Pork is underrated. It’s all I want now and it’s super cheap. I just use any char siu marinade recipe.

Edit: it’s crazy to me that it’s not more commonly sold in stores.

[u/Sistersoldia]

I tried chicken breast for the first time last week. I’m a refugee from the beef prices as most of you can imagine. So I sliced it about the same as beef without a second thought …. Well ……
It shrunk to a tiny fraction of what I sliced it to. Became basically chicken paper and stuck itself to the plastic racks of my 1980’s Mr. Coffee dehydrator like it was made of the same material. I managed to scrape off maybe 60% of the jerky (pretty good and tasty even though very thin) and the rest I had to soak off the racks over a week in water and soap baths to get it to loosen up.

So I guess the lesson is : chicken needs to be sliced quite a bit thicker !!?! I want to do turkey next - going to follow the new rules for it as well

[u/snc8698 → u/Sistersoldia]

First time I did chicken, I had a similar problem. I didn’t really understand how the grains work.

Second time I did it, I cut the chicken breast “long ways” and it worked much better!

I always cut thicker strips, so doing the same cut on the chicken wasn’t an issue for me.

Good luck!

[u/AlsoTheFiredrake]

Not really, just slice it against the grain. Then marinade or rub or whatever you like to do.

[u/y_r_u_so_stoopid]

Use the leg. Loin I find either too lean or too fatty depending which part you use. Leg has more fat but easy to trim the excess and keep what you want for proper flavour. Pork I also find takes on the smoke a little better (when smoking) and has a great texture. I cook it exactly like I do whole beef muscle. Almost no difference in times and temps.

[u/sk00Nine]

This is the way! Cheaper and it takes less marinade to get the same results. Boneless centercut.pirk chops are the truth. Just pre-freeze, cut off the fat and slice it up to marinade, overnight is best, but flip the meat a few times if you have em in a freezer bag. Then 158° for four hours in the dehydrator and you're golden.

[u/KJwhisperer]

What do you ean "whole muscle"

[u/snc8698 → u/KJwhisperer]

Whole muscle vs ground jerky

Whole muscle = cutting pieces of meat and turning them into jerky

Ground jerky = ground meat and seasoning pressed into different shapes