Needing A Little Help

I use flank steak to make jerky. Temp 140º is what my dehydrator runs. Some of them run @ 160º

I use Worcestershire and soy sauce, garlic cloves and a touch of Italian dressing for marinade.
Shake on some sald ground pepper.
I don't brine beef.



Use the same thing for fajitas but I add some red pepper and adobo.

Well, IMO, jerky NEEDS to be cured. Not necc. brined, but cured, altho the terms are used interchangeably , if not incorrectly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_curing

Cured jerky is a much safer and longer lived product. You may get by just marinading beef, but I'd caution you against trying venison or poultry jerky in that fashion.

It was my understanding the method of dehydration is the curing or preservation process.The marinade being the flavoring aspect.

But on the other hand, In the old days they salted the meat and hung it out to dry in the sun. The sun light didn't reach the temps that some of use to make jerky today. Early day cow boys would carry it in their sadle bags, To have a nonperishable food source.

Native americans made whale jerkey.

I guess in this day and age our marinades take place of the salting. Hence the curing.

Just thinking with fingers I guess.

I agree with Rich on the cure-unless your gonna cook it hot & fast(which won't be good jerky)I add cure with my soak,where the sky is the limit.I let mine soak 48 hrs & dry in the smoker with low heat.Stay away from meat that has much fat in it,for it will rancid on you quick.theres alot of good recipes out there(try a google search) good luck.and don't foget a sprinkle with coarse pepper on some,gives a good taste.

I just made some deer jerky not too long ago. Heres what I used.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
red pepper flakes; optional

Cut into thin strips. Mix everything else together to make marinade. Place the strips of meat into marinade and let soak for about 24 hours. Remove from marinade and allow to air dry for at least one hour. Place in smoker and smoke at 160 until jerky is how you like it.

Heres a link to some pics.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ght=deer+jerky

Good afternoon,

I was once the proprietor of Smokestacks Almighty Beef Jerky here in Wilmington, DE. We made some of the best Jerky imaginable, which I still make for my family and friends however Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve retired from the business aspect of the product – Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m a cook, a glutton but not a businessman.

Soy and Worchester sauces are key ingredients along w/plenty of salt, black pepper, garlic (I personally use the jarred minced variety vs. powders) and believe it or not a touch of dark beer helps. When I use beer, I opt for Sam Adams Triple Bock. This isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t like steaming clams or your usual “cooking with beer†routine. In other words, you donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t get extra points for using the most blue collar beer you can find. You need ingredients with STRONG flavors. For a sweeter flavor try incorporating honey and/or brown sugar.

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m in agreement with the folks that soak the meat. I too soak the meat for 24+ hours prior to drying to 160 degrees. Top Round London broils are probably your best cuts to use, easy to cut into strips, low fat and cheap (especially when on sale). I would often go to a cash and carry meat wholesaler and buy whole, denuded, cap-off top rounds which were some of the best pieces to work with and usually under $2.00/lb. – boxes contained 70-90 lbs. of meat though…

Good luck!

I agree with Jeff,I also use London Broil, not to much fat and easy to cut. Lot's of garlic, soy, worchester, and salt. I add a lkittle red pepper flakes for a kick. I think I smoke it a little longer the a lot of people. I like it kinda dry so when it sits in my mouth it gets juicey again. MMMmmmmmm good!

The london broils actually have more marbled fat than flank.
But they are cheaper!

Good afternoon,

Yeah, I don't dispute the fat ratio between flank steak and Top Round. It's just that I've had pretty good success with Top Round.

Good luck!

Jeff

Yea it does work pretty good though. I've used it too. heck I've used all kinds of meat.

Thanks for the comment Jeff.

My first experience with Jerky on my brinkmann electric was not favorable. I have done several hundred pounds of jerky in my dehydrator, but, my brink electric does not have a temp control and it always runs at 220F+. So, I basically cooked my jerky like well done steak. It was not the best. So, I have bagged the idea of smoking my Jerky until I can control my temp. It surely needs about 140F or so. My dehydrator runs at 140F constantly and produces an excellent product. So, control your temp and you will produce an excellent product.

You can use many cuts and types of meats, I use top round London broil, nice and easy to cut into strips. I marinade the strips for 36 hours, but put a cure such, as tender quick in the marinade just to be safe. Also, make more than you think you'll need....this stuff goes quick. I hang the jerky with toothpicks, takes time but you can get a lot on the smoker.

I doo jerky quite often and have had great success with London Broil, Eye of Round, Flank Steak - The London broil I cut along the grain so it holds up better - The jerky is chewy but delicious. The eye of round is a lot more expensive and I cut it across the grain to make delicious shingles that will almost melt in your mouth.

Flank steak is great too but, as mentioned earlier in the thread fairly expensive for making jerky.

I have several recipes for marinades that are very close to a lot already posted so I'll just say soy, worchestershire, garlic and black pepper, sometimes a bit of liquid smoke and honey ( I do mine in a dehydrator because of the temperature control abilities, as also pointed out by some of the previous posters) I'm currently running a good size Excalibur Stainless dehydrator and it works like a dream.

A relatively cheap ($100.00) Waring Pro household meat slicer is an indespensible gadget as it slices pecisely and is adjustable for a great range of thicknesses. Partially freezing the meat is a must before slicing as it allows very precise, neat cuts which are not only easier to handle but also prevent Slicer injuries to the operator so common with trying to thin-slice a big wobbly hunk of thawed meat.

A favorite of mine tho is very simple and available in most supermarkets - Allegro Hot and Spicy Marinade - slice em' and soak em for 2-3 days, pat dry in layers of paper towels and go for it. My favorite part is the red pepper seeds that are in the marinade - after I finish the jerky there's always a pile of em in the bottom of the bag - I eat them like half popped kernerls of pocorn - delicious!

I've also had great results with venison - I don't hunt anymore - the older I get the less I feel like killing anything - but I'm fortunate to know some good ol' boys here in North Carolina who are willing to share their kills with me for a bit of jerky and fresh venison sausage. The trick with deer meat I've found is to remove as much of the slimy membrane and fat, gristle, shotgun pellets, etc. as humanly possible before marinating. It takes some time but it's worth it. Deer fat seems to have a strong off-flavor when dried and I think this is what puts people off to deer meat, jerky in particular and can be confused with "Gamey Flavor" - The only time I've ever had Gamey venison was when the hunter confessed that it had been a clumsy kill - a mortal wound that allowed the animal to run for a good distance which I assumed infused the muscles with adrenaline, coupled with the fact that I think the hunter knicked a scent gland when skinning or cleaning, thus ruining the meat.

Poultry and pork I have no experience with so cannot comment - not that it's bad, it just doesn't interest me.

Last I totally agree with an earlier comment that you should make a lot - you'll have friends you never know existed once one person samples your homemade jerky. Dottie and I wait for Wednsday's paper ( When the supermarket flyers announce their sales for the week) and inevitably somebody will have london broils on sale, Buy One, Get One Free, and we stock up - a regular batch is 5-7 broils which yields 3-4 lbs of meat which I sell at work at the rate of 3 ounces for 10 bucks - "Dimebag Dumb-*ss" is what they call me, but I always sell out immediately. And when I have venison Jerky I have to make a list - it's always sold before I make it.

Hope you enjoy making your jerky as much as I do!

I've done jerky a number of times now. I have never brined, I dry cured. I use HiMountain jerky cures, they have a number of different flavors. The jerky has always come out excellent. I have smoke dried and dehydrater dried. The dehydrator was more consistent and I think I tasted the cure more, but the smoke dried...man...just a great taste, certainly not store bought taste. I've had a few people tell me that it was the best jerky they have ever had!

I believe I used a bottom round or eye roast, what ever is on sale and the least bit of marbling!! BTW, when I smoke dried, I used hickory once, but have used cherry and apple since.

what bob said............

i just starting smoking my jerky.....but since i can't control the temps well........i give em some smoke.........and finish up in the dehydrator......i got pics of it here in jerky somewhere...........turns out well..........and never enuff.......

flank steak, back when i started doing jerky, back in using the oven days, bout 30 years ago........was cheap........the meat of choice.......BUT......since more and more people found out bout doing their OWN jerky.........flank is out the roof................(i am scared they will find out about the .99/lb pork butt sales, and run the price up)...................so i have use the cheapest piece of meat that is in the store............and i always have GREAT jerky..........some of the stores will even slice it for you (i do 1/4 thick slices).........i used to do that.....till one time they sliced WITH the grain.......i always go across the grain.......if i want dental floss, i will buy it.....its cheaper.........eheheheh
to me........with the grain........is gets dental floss like..........but tjm2cw

i also used to kill deer and make jerky with it.......but also like Bob........i can't kill anymore........i even have a hard time with fish.........but not like a mammal............

a episode of A.B. (alton brown).........he only used a box fan with furnace filters...(the paper kind.......NOT fiberglass)...........turn out great........but he may of added a cure......(tried to find his reipce, before i responded here.....oh well).................

whew...........after this long post.......basically is what i am saying bout jerky.......you can do it in the oven.......with good results........box fan.........smoker.........dehydrator.........or smoker/dehydrator.........
like one member mentioned..........do a google........or just go thru the posts under jerky.........LOTS a recipes out there............

hope this didn't CORN-fuse the situation


d88de

Sorry to hear of your illness/injury...heal up soon!
as far as the tems go, you are after more of a dehydration than a cook. I keep my smoker around 110-150, and smoke in light smoke for maybe 3 hours. I then finish in my oven... thusly:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...11695#poststop

I've made jerky for a number of years now. The only thing I can say is if you don't use a cure then take it to just over 140, keep it in the frigde, and eat it quickly. I personally use a cure, usually a store bought one that I doctor with other spices, usually sugar, cayanne pepper, and whatever else I feel like trying that day. I usually start with the basic cure, and then make smaller batches experimenting to find what I and others like. right now I have a good handle on a slightly sweet/spicy mix that I like and others do to. My thought is and don't take me the wrong way here, is that if it isn't cured, its not jerky. Its some sort of flavored beef, but its not jerky. I see "jerky" sold in the stores all the time that I look at and think thats not jerky, its flavored beef, but the consumer will still buy it. Not to say theres anything wrong with the flavored beef product, its just that the word jerky gets used all the time for the wrong product. Just my $.02 worth.

Chris