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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 10:31 am
by Louisa Gidney
Those of you in Wales and the S.W. may be interested in a chap who is trying to expand his meat jerky business. This might be a new product line for those of you with farm shops or famers' market stands.
Website is http://martinsjerkedmeat.com or email martinsjerkedmeat@hotmail.com
Martin is also looking to source some cattle to bring on so he can promote the meat as home reared. A chance for someone to make contact & sell some Dexters before he ends up with Welsh Blacks, for example.
I know of him through the living history side of Rent A Peasant, as Martin is a prolific self publicist on several living history fora (spot the pedant!) and will be appearing on Dragons Den. I suggest someone should get him mentioning Dexter beef as a bit of product placement marketing. I've never met him but I understand he is a flamboyant character with a pink Mohican & a kilt. He does have an interesting take on the English language when posting on fora.
If I was closer to S. Wales, I would certainly be thinking of a tie-in with my herd but some else in that area might like to make contact.
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:58 am
by John C
Martin AKA the Jerkymeister is a great bloke. His very varied jerkey products are absolutely spot on.
Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:56 pm
by Rob R
And he's currently top of the Welsh region UKTV Food Local Hero 2007: http://uktv.co.uk/index.cfm/uktv/direct ... l/oid/7792
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:19 am
by Louisa Gidney
Just to bump this up again, Martin is still looking to source new suppliers of beef. He only needs the cheaper cuts e.g. shin and brisket, but the latter must be trimmed of all fat etc. If anyone has a surplus, having sold all the prime steak etc, please contact him.
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:36 am
by Broomcroft
How do you make jerky?
Would jerky made from well-hung Dexter be special?
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 3:09 pm
by Broomcroft
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:34 pm
by Sylvia
This sounded like a perfect solution for us but try as a might it isn't working out.
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:06 am
by Louisa Gidney
Sylvia, Martin has just been in touch with me. His supplier, whom you phoned while having a crisis with vet and horse, lost your number and has been hoping you will call back. Martin who makes the jerky has a supplier, I think also called Martin, who is looking to source locally from small holders to supply jerky making Martin. So, please try again.
Broomcroft, since jerky uses the stewing cuts the meat is thoroughly marinaded first so Martin does not think a specific breed flavour would necessarily come through. Apparently "plain" jerky is comparatively salty and lacking in flavour, but that just might be the commercial beef. Martin is willing to trial a plain breed specific jerky, if you would like to make contact.
Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 3:44 pm
by Sylvia
Phones out at the moment Louisa, I'm praying they come back soon so I can sort everything out.
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 3:42 pm
by Sylvia
Could any of you make this work for £4 per kg for fully trimmed of all fat meat? Delivered almost right across Wales (W to E). My butcher estimates only about 15 -20 kg of fat free meat from fore quarters of under-age Dexters. And £60 extra on the £155 processing costs to trim all fat.
If any of you can produce more satisfactory figures I'd like to know, please. 
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:16 am
by Louisa Gidney
Sylvia, I do apologise. I had not expected such a miserable offer to be made to you. £4/kg untrimmed & collected might be feasible, if you have a good outlet for the prime cuts. Otherwise tell them to whistle.
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:19 pm
by Broomcroft
I haven't read all this closely, but what I have picked up is that the beef doesn't have to be special...so why use Dexter? Just use whatever cheap beef he can get. But what was also said, here or elsewhere was that he hadn't tried a breed specific version. Just maybe jerky made from a tasty bit of Dexter might be special and if so, that would be another uplift for the beef. However, as all fat has to be trimmed, I would have thought it was just a waste of good beef! Maybe fatty Dexter, hung for six weeks, then trimmed, may make jerky to die for?
Edited By Broomcroft on 1205158868
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:13 pm
by Jim Taylor
What a terrible shame to turn shin and brisket into ""plain" jerky is comparatively salty and lacking in flavour" when it can make the most delicious stew. My particular favorite is goulash which rivals if not beats the flavour of the sirloin. I can understand drying the meat in a primitive environment, but to process meat to make it less palatable is, I think, a waste of resource. Having said that, I've never tasted jerky!
Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:59 pm
by Louisa Gidney
This all started when Martin had a crisis of supply with the last F&M outbreak and a couple of people were posting on here that they were having problems shifting their beef. It seemed like a good idea at the time to put both parties in contact. The meat for jerky is normally marinaded, that's why "plain" might seem comparatively lacking in flavour. Red wine & black pepper jerky is reputed to be especially moreish.