Beef Jerky Recipe?

[skfullgun]

I recently bought a Big Chief Smoker and have been trying my hand at beef jerky.

I have been using eye of round, which I slice on a meat slicer.

So far, the three or four recipes I’ve used all call for soy sauce and Worcestershire and various spices - I’m pretty heavy on the black pepper. I smoke it about 2 hours and then put it in the dehydrator for about 2.5 hrs. Then I vacuum seal it with an oxygen absorber in each packet of about 5 ounces of finished product.

I have come to the conclusion I don’t like a strong soy flavor, so I’ve cut back to only 1/4 cup of soy, a splash of Worcestershire, and 1/4 cup of water for an overnight soak - still too much of a soy flavor for me.

Anybody tried the dry/cure seasoning at Academy or Amazon?

Any recipes you might care to share? Anybody tried a marinade using Apple juice or other juices in place of soy sauce?

Any suggestions you could offer based on your experience would be appreciated.

 

[baboon]

Back when I was making it I used soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, coarse black pepper and brown sugar. Eye of round is a great choice, it’s easy to trim the fat off & there is no doubt which way the grain runs.

I did mine in the inside using the oven. Turn the temperature to the lowest setting. I would skewer one end on a bamboo skewer, hanging the meat in between the rungs of the racks. Put foil down to catch any dripping, then put something to keep the oven door cracked open. Usually it went 48 hours, depending on actual heat and humidity.

I had a customer who son was a jarhead over in Iraq and I would do a whole top round for him. He used the same marinade but added Chinese 5 Spice in his marinade. And always hooked me up with some for my suggestion on the top round. I would lean it out and grind anything that I deemed not good for jerky.

 

[skfullgun]

Thank you for the reply from a man who knows his meat!

That sounds pretty much like the recipe I’m using.

I forgot to mention I’ve been smoking it with pecan. Perhaps I need to change to a different wood for a lighter smoke?

HEB runs the whole, eye of rounds for about $3.49 per pound every few months and I buy the limit- two.

I try to buy them in the 6-7 lb range and I lose an average of a lb by the time I trim the fat and the silver-skin.

Josie is happy with the trimmings.

 

[baboon]

Thank you for the reply from a man who knows his meat!

That sounds pretty much like the recipe I’m using.

I forgot to mention I’ve been smoking it with pecan. Perhaps I need to change to a different wood for a lighter smoke?

HEB runs the whole, eye of rounds for about $3.49 per pound every few months and I buy the limit- two.

I try to buy them in the 6-7 lb range and I lose an average of a lb by the time I trim the fat and the silver-skin.

Josie is happy with the trimmings.

Not to mess with Josie's good thing, take the trim and knife cut it into small pieces. then throw it into a skillets and brown it off really good, to that season it and some beef base & water & simmer it down. It's great for tacos, sloppy joes, poor man's stroganoff, spaghetti sauce, shit on a shingle you name it.

There really is no silver skin on the eye of round. What you are seeing is just the seams between the muscle groups. There should only be fat truly on the one side that face outwards.
The more of them that you trim the better you will get. I would suggest you invest in a Forschner 6" semi flex boning knife & a medium sharpening steel if you don't have one.

 

[Rhino]

I'm no expert, but I can tell you that the best tasting jerky I've ever had was a Dr Pepper Jerky...

dr pepper jerky - Google Search

 

[no2gates]

I'm no expert, but I can tell you that the best tasting jerky I've ever had was a Dr Pepper Jerky...

dr pepper jerky - Google Search

That sounds good. I was thinking about making some in the freeze dryer. We already make freeze dried Blue Bell Dr. Pepper ice cream, and will definitely have to try that.

 

[baboon]

When I cure bacon I add Bourbon or Dark Rum. My Canadian Bacon had gin in it.