100 pounds of meat (coarse grind – 75 pounds; fine grind – 25 pounds)
2 pounds (3 cups) salt
3 ounces (3/4 cup) cardamom
2 ounces (3/4 cup) marjoram
3 ounces commercial cure (6%) – determined by container weight (optional)
5 ounces mono sodium glutamate (MSG) determined by container weight (optional)
3 ounces (3/4 cup) cayenne pepper (If you like less spice, cut amount of peppers)
7 ounces (1-3/4 cups) black pepper
1/2 cup liquid smoke
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Mix ground meat, salt, cardamom, marjoram, garlic powder, cure, MSG and peppers together until very tacky. Press into loaf pans lined with foil or cellophane wrap. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature. Put into cooler until firm or slightly frozen to make slicing easier. Slice into strips 1/6 inch thick, 1 inch wide. Combine liquid smoke and water. Spray on both sides of strips.
Place in oven at 170 F for drying. Dry 2 hours to produce a chewy jerky or 3 hours for a hard, dry product.