Cuts for Beef jerky

[smokeamotive]

What are good cuts for making Beef jerky? I usually make mine from venison but several people at work have asked what cut of beef to use.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I've used Bottom Round recently, which needs the fat cap trimmed away, but it has a pretty lean interior, which is what you really want. Eye of Round would be among the best cuts for jerky, IMO, with low interior fat, and next to nothing for connective tissues once it's trimmed-up.

Eric

 

[TulsaJeff]

Eye of round is the only thing I use.. it has a thin layer of fat on one side usually but the rest of it is mean and lean and makes some of the best jerky I've ever tasted. I try to watch for it to come on sale then buy a bundle of it for freezing.

 

[rosiepug]

A good lean London Broil works for Me..:biggrin:

 

[smokeamotive]

Thanks guys. And Jeff, with it coming from the master, I know I'm getting the best info!!!!

 

[baboy]

Eye of round is the only thing I use.. it has a thin layer of fat on one side usually but the rest of it is mean and lean and makes some of the best jerky I've ever tasted. I try to watch for it to come on sale then buy a bundle of it for freezing.

Jeff,

Do you slice your eye of round with or against the grain for jerkey.

 

[tjohnson]

Flank steak is good, but expensive compared to eye of the round.  I also wait for round to go on sale and load up.

I slice across the grain

TJ

 

[bodey29]

I pick up Pectoral Meat at our Cash n Carry for 2.39-2.69 per lb and slice it across the grain.  Not a lot of fat to trim usually.  Pretty tasty...

 

[TulsaJeff]

Eye of round is the only thing I use.. it has a thin layer of fat on one side usually but the rest of it is mean and lean and makes some of the best jerky I've ever tasted. I try to watch for it to come on sale then buy a bundle of it for freezing.

Jeff,

Do you slice your eye of round with or against the grain for jerkey.

I slice across the grain normally.. you can slice with the grain if you want it to be a little more chewy.

I love to make it and my girls can go through about 7 lbs of the stuff in just a few days (little monsters) I have to hide the stuff or I won't get any!

I usually have my butcher slice it for me while I'm at the store and it saves a ton of time.

 

[bobby fontaine]

How thin do you have them slice it?

 

[tjkoko]

A good lean London Broil works for Me..

London Broil is just a slice off of the bottom round cut.

Otherwise I use either top or bottom round or rump roast, always slicing parallel with the grain.

 

[scooby]

Brisket flats cut 1/4" thick. Kroger here has them pretty cheap and the butcher will slice it for you at no cost. I just trim the fat cap off the pieces when I get home. Use a needle tenderizer, cure,smoke and done. Doing some this morning myself. Four pounds after trim cost me about $12.00. Can't get a pound of jerky here for less than $14.00 so not bad.

 

[reinhard]

Eye of round or bottom round is probably the best in my opinion.  Bottom round is the cheapest of the two unless eye's are on sale.  look for buy one get one sales.  Beef prices are up right now.  Top round [otherwise known as "London Broil" in some parts] is another good cut, however this is normaly more in cost that the bottom round or eye of round in general.  When I was still in the meat buisness we probably sold more bottom round that we sliced for beef jerky than any other cut. Pick out the leanest ones and have the butcher slice them for you.  Whole eye of rounds will be on sale at times and do have a outer layer of thin fat on top just as bottom round has.  That of course has to be trimmed off.  The internal leaness of the eye of round  is very lean in general.  Bottom round at times has some marbling internally in some but very little in others, so while lean in general, eyeball the cut and pick out the one that appeals to you the most.  Reinhard

 

[wyobraska]

I literally just started making jerky on my smoker two weeks ago, so take any and all advice from me with a huge grain of salt. I have no idea what I'm doing.

I have been using thin cut sirloin tip steaks. I found some on sale and packaged in two pound packages at my local grocer, so I picked some up. Bring it home, trim a little fat, then slice it into strips. Make the prep time super quick and simple.

Here's the recipe I use for the marinade.

1 cup your favorite chili sauce
1/3 cup beer or water (I have only used water)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Morton Tender Quick[emoji]174[/emoji] curing salt (optional)
1 tablespoon minced pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)

I mix everything together in my blender/food processor, then turn it on for a few pulses to get it ready to rock. Then put my beef strips in a zip-lock bag and pour the contents of the blender/food processor over that. Let it sit overnight to marinate, and then smoke it in the morning at about 180 - 200 degrees until it's still firm, but doesn't break when you bend it. I've been using hickory for the wood.

I've made about 10 lbs of this stuff in the last two weeks and have been sharing with all of my friends. Everyone loves it.
 

 

[mcfarljo]

Jeff...how thick do you have your butcher slice the meat for jerky. Thanks in advance. Do you have a good original style recipe?

 

[shrekastac]

I cut my flank to 1/4"

 

[kamguy]

As thick as a good, thick cut bacon works pretty well.  If you can get the butcher to do it on a machine, it makes it easier and the meat drys uniformly and consistently.

 

[smokingpole69]

Jeff, you are the based god of beef jerky and smoked meats.

 

[rob gebby]

getting the butcher to cut is the best way.  if however you find yourself needing to do the cutting, i might make a suggestion i leaned based on buying prime rib roasts from costco and cutting my own steaks.  i tried a couple times and literally "butchered" up the steaks.  i finally found a way to get even cuts on line.  put the meat in the freezer just until it starts to firm up, not freeze solid, then you can cut nice even steaks (or slices for jerky) with a sharp butcher knife.

has anyone tried using prime rib?  it's my favorite cut of meat.  i know you would have to trim the fat but, wouldnt a little fat make a chewy goodness??

 

[rosiepug]

Unless you refrigerate and use within a week to 10 days the fat could go rancid if you keep in the pantry??:icon_eek: