Basic Brine Recipe for Smokin'

[Mossy]

I was worried about 1.5 cups so I only put 1 cup in. I don't know if pickling salt is different than regular old table salt but the end result was not salty at all. I really was worried about it. I got that recipe off of the food network.com website. Actually someone here posted it and I used it from there. I was surprised at how non-salty it was.
 

Pickling salt dissolves completely in cold water, table salt doesn't, I keep lots of different types of salts around for different projects.

[Mossy]

Oh, gotcha.  Didn't realize you were doing jerky.

[Heartsblood]

Oh, gotcha.  Didn't realize you were doing jerky.

I probably didn't specify...    Sorry.

I haven't gotten the cajones up yet to try smoking a roast or something big prior to cooking it. I forgot  about that aspect of smoking meat. I was just all excited to actually be using the smoker and to have something so tasty come out.

This weeks batch of jerky came out a bit chewy. Not sure why. 

[Heartsblood]

Hey...Mine is 1 cup water, 2 cups soy, 1 cup wine (your choice) and 2 cups brown sugar. brine over night and (the more you brine it the more the salmon absorbs the salt. rinse. let stand in the fridge for another 12 hours till the salmon gets a sheen. Cook on smoker no greater than 140 deg till almost done 6 - 12 hours. last 2 hoursbefore it is done... brush on honey.

I can't wait to try this one! But. When you say, "Your choice", I'm assuming you mean brand rather than red/white. Have you used both red and white? Seems like red wine and honey might clash a bit. Am I wrong?

Sounds tasty. 

[lokidog]

I use this for everything from venison jerky to marinating salmon or shrimp for grilling, or smoking salmon.

50% soy 50% water, about 1/3 c. brown sugar for every 2 cups liquid (more or less as I don't ever measure it), 1 T or so black pepper.

I use less water if I cannot marinate overnight as it gets the job done faster.

I sprinkle garlic and onion powder over the salmon/meat pieces before smoking.  I do not rinse it, just let it stop dripping and glaze a little before putting in the smoker.

I used to make tuna jerky when I worked on commercial tuna boats and would put a can of beer in a large batch of jerky that I simply sun-dried down in the tropics.

[quadrafire]

This weeks batch of jerky came out a bit chewy. Not sure why. 

I thought jerky was supposed to be chewy?