BEEF JERKY - FIRST ATTEMPT.

[da toad]

Took my first shot at beef jerky on the smoker the past two days.

Went to our local butcher shop and purchased 3 lbs of top round sliced 3/16" thick. Everything I am reading says that the beef will lose 2/3 of its weight and volume so I'm thinking the final jerky will be under 1/8" thick when all is said and done

For the marinade I used soy sauce, molasses, bourbon whiskey, powdered ginger, Kansas City style tomato base BBQ sauce, garlic and onion salt and kosher salt.

The beef strips marinated in the refrigerator over night.

This morning the slices hit the REC TEC at 180*. I didn't set on heavy smoke or use a supplemental smoke tube. The grill seemed to be doing just fine with lots of smoke at the lowest temp setting.

Left them in at 180* for three hours and then bumped the temp to 200 for an hour and then to 220 for an hour to make sure I hit the FDA safe guide line of 165*. Tough to check on such thin slices but I know I did. After 5 hours and 220* for an hour and out they came.

Some of the pieces, from around the grill edges were a little too done and crispy but the other pieces are just fine. Flavor is great. I will be doing these again without the bump up to 220* and maybe be able to go for a longer cook than 5 hours and still be safe @180 *

For planning I started with 3 lbs of top round cut 3/16" thick. This gave me 27 2" X 8" long slices to put in the smoker. What I wound up with was 1lb 4oz of great jerky about 6" X 1.5". Paid $6.99/ per for the top round yesterday so that's $21.00. Got 20oz of jerky for my trouble. That works out to a tad of $1.00 per oz. I'm thinking with the marinade ingredients, pellets and elecricity to run the smoker I'm at around $1.25 an ounce for jerky. I think this is still cheaper that you can buy it for in the stores.

CUT INTO 2'" WIDE STRIPS.

3/16" THICK

MEAT INTO THE MARINADE FOR AN OVERNIGHT NAP....LOOKS KIND OF LIKE ENTRAILS....DANG!

What they looked like this morning before going into the smoker. Two trays full.

The start. Managed to get them all on the mail grill without using the additional rack.

SMOKIN!!!!

FINISHED.

 

[Rings Я Us]

Man oh man.. Very cool. I would buy that [emoji]128521[/emoji] so you have to keep that in the fridge? Eat it up or freeze it in a couple days?

 

[tallbm]

Nice job!  Hows it taste?

As for checking the temp you may want to cut a little chunk or cube of meat and put a probe in it and that will give you an idea of hitting the 165F temp.  I also think an infrared temp thermometer/gun would let you know if the flat jerky has hit 165F.  

Keep it up! :)

 

[da toad]

 
Nice job!  Hows it taste?

As for checking the temp you may want to cut a little chunk or cube of meat and put a probe in it and that will give you an idea of hitting the 165F temp.  I also think an infrared temp thermometer/gun would let you know if the flat jerky has hit 165F.  

Keep it up! :)

Dang...I have one of those infra-red temp guns.  Didn't even think about it and that is one of the things I got it for! 

Tastes delicious.   I will be doing it again maybe with a brown sugar based marinade. 

 

[tallbm]

 
Dang...I have one of those infra-red temp guns.  Didn't even think about it and that is one of the things I got it for! 

Tastes delicious.   I will be doing it again maybe with a brown sugar based marinade. 

Awesome!

I wouldn't suggest using it for a real piece of meat BUT for flat thin little things like jerky or little chunks of meat like maybe meatballs I would have no qualms relying on it.

Let us know how the temp gun works out on your next run or feel free to do ribs and compare with a prob vs the gun to get an idea of how far off it is on something thinner like ribs :)

 

[Rings Я Us]

Didn't hear mention of cure being added.

I don't know... I use the kits that come with all that

 

[da toad]

Didn't hear mention of cure being added.

I don't know... I use the kits that come with all that

Cure?  Kits?  Not sure what you are talking about but very interested in finding out more.  I have used Nesco flavor and cure packets for when I do jerky with hamburger and a jerky gun.

 

[da toad]

 
Awesome!

I wouldn't suggest using it for a real piece of meat BUT for flat thin little things like jerky or little chunks of meat like maybe meatballs I would have no qualms relying on it.

Let us know how the temp gun works out on your next run or feel free to do ribs and compare with a prob vs the gun to get an idea of how far off it is on something thinner like ribs :)

I wold not think of using it on large pieces but your idea for those thin pieces should do just fine and very close anyway.