Hi Mountain spices on jerky

I spice both sides.

Yes to both sides. I think the mixing after seasoning also is important. I have never found Hi Mountain spices to be too strong. Just follow the instructions, and if you do not like the result, make a change.

+ What Pags and Dirty Herman said.

However, the question of which way is best is tough to answer as it's subjective and driven by an individual's personal tastes, likes, dislikes, etc. What's too powerful for one person will be bland and boring to another. At the end of the day you're the only one who can answer for yourself as to whats best. Experiment - split a batch in half and try it each way. Find what you like best, and maybe even continue to adjust from that point. I'm sure you'll have takers who'll love the portion you don't care for.

I spice both sides and pretty much follow the Hi Mountain directions and it always turns out great!

If you dont spice both sides one side will not get the cure on it.

I have now tested two of their flavors, mandarins teriyaki and original. The teriyaki mixed exactly to directions was not strong at all. The original flavor was a tiny bit salty to me, but not to any of my family members or friends. The kits come with the cure and spices separate. You must mix per the instructions, so you can always use less of the seasoning, but the cure must go on both sides of the meat. It penetrates evenly at a rate of 1/4" per 24 hrs. I don't think you will be disappointed. Good luck

Thanks everyone for your feedback. So, today, I smoked using the original Hi Mountain Jerky spice. I used 2 oz of hickory wood in my smokette and smoked at 170 for 2 hours then cranked it up to 180 for 2 more hours. I dumped moisture at the 1.5 hr and 3 hr mark. The jerky was done at 4 hours and 10 minutes. The texture and color were spot on. The flavor was kind of bland. I was surprised because I thought there should have been more flavor. I cured the meat in the fridge for 45 hours. My meat was about 1/4" thick. Should the jerky lack flavor if I followed the directions? Has anyone else had this problem?

Hi Mountain doesn't normally taste bland. But some like more flavor than others. If you like it more spicey, simply add more cayenne, black or red pepper. If you try the garlic, add more garlic. Also, can add more of the Hi Mountain flavoring than called for. Should be an easy fix for you.

did you marinate the meat? i do for 24hrs. then cure for 24 hrs. i use a mixture of worstershire and soy. sometimes i will add red pepper flakes, cayenne, or brown sugar. whatever i feel like..i made peppered, jalapeno, and terriaky..and it turns out great. i sold mine at my Q joint in colorado. over 400 packets 3oz. at $3.25 ea......try a marinate.

Two factors with the hi MTN. 1) How thick is your meat and how long do you let it marinade. I think the instructions says it penetrates at 1/4 inch per day, but I assume this is if you cure both sides. My meat is 1/8th inch thick or less so I only do one side and try to let it set at least two days.

Spicy-Meat, I used your method of cooking for the jerky the other day. I used Hi-Mountain teriaky. I noticed that after the cook I needed to cook it more with the door open because my jerky was not done yet. I did cure longer than usual, probably closer to 36 hours this time because leaving it until the next day allowed me to cook in the am instead of being up till 12:30ish the previous evening. I noticed that I had a lot more juice in the drip pan than with my previous cooks using MainelyDaves/QDogs method and only curing 24 hours. The jerky came out a lot more bland in flavor as well. So I may inadvertently figured out why your Hi-Mountain seasoned jerky is coming out bland. Just my observations, but: I think your method of cooking may have caused the jerky to lose flavor, as I found more juice in the pan (even thought I used the same brand/cut of meat) and I wonder if the longer curing process had anything to do with it?? Just a thought. I hope someone else will chime in as well. Vicki

Viki B - I also experienced the same lack of flavor with a 48 hour cure with Hi Mountain Hickory. So bland I added finely ground Montreal Steak Seasoning and it was better, but the flavor was on the outside not throughout the jerky!

My next try came after reading Chaplain Bill posts. 2lbs 3/16" with the grain slices of Eye of Round, cured 24 hours with added seasoning. Applied the correct amount of Hi Mountain Hickory seasoning. Then added Montreal Steak Seasoning prior to the cure. I used a Traeger for the jerky with Cherry pellets rather than my electric smoker. 2 hrs at 170* and 1hr & 45 minuets at 180*. Used the taste test on the end cut (smaller) pieces first. They were just right with jerky texture and great pepper flavor.