Idaho – -(AmmoLand.com)- Now and then I test a product and go wow! This is cool. That was my words when I tested out the CHARD Pro-Former Electric Jerky Gun.
It is the coolest invention since sliced bread. I’ve made my fair share of jerky and eaten more than my fair share so let me explain why I think that it is so cool.
Making jerky the traditional way is time-consuming. You have to take your time slicing it and making sure that it is of a uniform thickness so it all dries out at the same rate of speed. Then you need to mix your spices, mix in with water and then put the meat and the liquid marinate in a plastic bag and let the meat absorb it. Periodically you have to turn/massage the bag to make sure the meat gets an equal application of the spices.
CHARD Pro-Former Electric Jerky Gun
Enter Metal Ware Corporation’s CHARD Pro-Former Electric Jerky Gun. The aforementioned jerky process is all simplified when using the CHARD Pro-Former Electric Jerky Gun.
To prepare the meat you will need to grind it. I use a 1/8” grind on all of my meat. If you don’t have any wild game don’t panic, you can just run to the store and grab some ground beef. I’ve never liked making jerky out of pork or bears due to smoking my jerky at low temps that will not kill Trichinosis. But I wondered if you use a Hi Mountain Seasoning mix if the Nitrates wouldn’t kill it along with all of the other bacteria. So I contacted Hans at Hi Mountains Seasoning. He said to hit the proper internal temp and you’ll be ok. (The USDA recommends hitting an internal temp of 137 to kill Trichinosis).
To operate the CHARD Pro-Former Electric Jerky Gun is simple. Since it came from the factory, I’d recommend a thorough cleaning out of the box. To assemble it, screw on the tube and pull the top trigger and pull back the plunger rod. Next, we’ll load the tube with meat. They say to slightly wet the meat to make it easier to work with but it worked fine for me without doing so. Roll the meat into balls and drop it down the tube. Since I didn’t wet it, I figured it’d stick but it didn’t. Fill the tube and then use the meat pusher to push the balls down. Fill to within ½” of the top of the tube.
They advise using the loading funnel to aid in loading but I didn’t need it. Now apply the gasket and screw on whichever attachment you desire. You can put on a horn and make single sticks or use casing or it also has a unique double-stick attachment. Or it has a large strip attachment or a smaller double strip horn.
Next, plug it in. I shot my strips onto baking sheets and pans and then laid them on my smoker. Otherwise, you’d be trying to finagle with sticky raw jerky strips which I envisioned being like trying to wrestle with Saran Wrap in a hurricane.
I smoked mine for a couple of hours on my smoker and then finished it off in the oven. But let’s back up and finish talking about forming the strips. Plug it in and pull the bottom trigger. Be ready to rumble. When it hits the tip it comes out pretty fast. Hold the tip against the pan surface and move it along as it expels. If you go too slow it will thicken the strip or make it like a ribbon, up & down. If you go too fast you will either pull it in half or make thin spots in the strip. So expect to have some false starts and if you mess up you can always reload your mistakes and “shoot” them out again.
Don’t worry about my above cautions. Run one strip and you’ll see what I mean and thereafter make the necessary speed adjustments on your movements. It is super easy to run.
Everyone panics about hitting 165 degrees. I won’t list the whole chart but the USDA has a Compliance Guidelines chart for meeting Lethality Stds. For certain Meat and Poultry Products. 160 is instantaneous, 155 for 23 seconds, 145 for 4 minutes, and 135 for 37 minutes. It is a descending chart. I just posted a few random times. So if you cook it to 165 it will be way too dried out.
If you don’t have your own family jerky recipe don’t worry. Anymore I use Hi Mountain Seasons jerky blends. They are all awesome with their Hickory Blend or Cracked Pepper and Garlic blend.
The MSRP on the CHARD Pro Former Electric Jerky Gun is $135.00 but you should be able to find one for under $130.00. Happy eating.
CHARD Pro-Former Electric Jerky Gun KEY FEATURES
- Motorized jerky gun with built-in power cord
- Powerful motor and gears provide 300 lbs. of force
- 15-inch aluminum tube holds up to 1.5 lbs. of meat
- 4 stainless steel jerky-making attachments for strips and sticks
- Loading funnel, meat pusher, and two cleaning brushes
- Includes hard-shell case for convenient, organized storage
Read more at CHARD Pro-Former Electric Jerky Gun website found here.
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoor writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening #ad for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
