More work than others, but much better tasting
5 lbs jerky meat
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1/3 cup Tender Quick
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup A1 Steak sauce or Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp beef rub ( your choice )
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 - 5 cups Water
Mix everything together and add the meat.
Notes on marinade: Tender Quick is a cure and is designed to keep all the unwanted "bugs" away. When cooking at these low temps, the Tender Quick will insure all the bacteria is killed off. It also means there is no need to refrigerate after making the jerky. If you cannot find Tender Quick, simply skip it, but you should cook at a little higher temp and it will need to be refrigerated when finished.
Tip: Do you have enough salt? This is one of the marks of great jerky...the salt content. Test this by placing an egg in your marinade. When it floats you have enough salt. Of course, if you follow the above recipe, that is already done for you!
Tip: To dissolve your spices, "powderize" them in a grinder or mortar and pestle. Then, heat some of the water (about 2 cups worth) and add your spices to it...they won't all dissolve, but most will. This ensures a more uniform disbursement of the spices. Be sure to cool this mixture with the remaining water. You don't want to add hot water to the meat!
I use a homemade beef rub, but any spices you normally use for beef will work. The hot sauce/powder is your personal preference. I have found that it is not unusual for me to use several Tbsps of cayenne pepper to flavor 5 lbs. of jerky. I have also used bottled habanero hot sauces and found you need less to flavor.
This doesn't qualify as a secret, but is a big convenience..use a good strong 1 gallon Freezer Ziploc bag to marinade. Squeeze out the excess air and you will not have to turn the bag over when marinating.
Meat: By far the most popular cut of meat for jerky is Top Round or Bottom Round. Top Round is much better, but tends to be a bit pricey. This meat will eventually yield a mere 40% of what you started with. The thickness doesn't really matter, it is a personal preference. I know friends who like it thick and those who prefer it thin. I am somewhere in the middle (about ¼ inch).
You MUST trim ALL fat from whatever cut you are using. Other cuts of beef to consider are flank steak and brisket (flat only). You want a nice lean piece of meat with not much fat.
Tip: Place in marinade for AT LEAST 24 hours. I find if I marinade for 2 days, the flavor is even better. Be sure to drain your meat prior to smoking it. Hang the strips with toothpicks between the grates of your smoker. This is a HUGE pain in the ass!!!! However, you can usually get 10 times as much meat on your smoker by hanging it. You can also use large skewers to string several pieces at a time. I like to smoke the jerky for 8 hours at temps between 160 -175º. Be careful with the wood you use to smoke with, these thin strips will absorb lots of smoke! I usually only apply smoke for the first hour. Watch closely so it doesn't cook too much. Just taste until you like!!
5 lbs jerky meat
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1/3 cup Tender Quick
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup A1 Steak sauce or Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp beef rub ( your choice )
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 - 5 cups Water
Mix everything together and add the meat.
Notes on marinade: Tender Quick is a cure and is designed to keep all the unwanted "bugs" away. When cooking at these low temps, the Tender Quick will insure all the bacteria is killed off. It also means there is no need to refrigerate after making the jerky. If you cannot find Tender Quick, simply skip it, but you should cook at a little higher temp and it will need to be refrigerated when finished.
Tip: Do you have enough salt? This is one of the marks of great jerky...the salt content. Test this by placing an egg in your marinade. When it floats you have enough salt. Of course, if you follow the above recipe, that is already done for you!
Tip: To dissolve your spices, "powderize" them in a grinder or mortar and pestle. Then, heat some of the water (about 2 cups worth) and add your spices to it...they won't all dissolve, but most will. This ensures a more uniform disbursement of the spices. Be sure to cool this mixture with the remaining water. You don't want to add hot water to the meat!
I use a homemade beef rub, but any spices you normally use for beef will work. The hot sauce/powder is your personal preference. I have found that it is not unusual for me to use several Tbsps of cayenne pepper to flavor 5 lbs. of jerky. I have also used bottled habanero hot sauces and found you need less to flavor.
This doesn't qualify as a secret, but is a big convenience..use a good strong 1 gallon Freezer Ziploc bag to marinade. Squeeze out the excess air and you will not have to turn the bag over when marinating.
Meat: By far the most popular cut of meat for jerky is Top Round or Bottom Round. Top Round is much better, but tends to be a bit pricey. This meat will eventually yield a mere 40% of what you started with. The thickness doesn't really matter, it is a personal preference. I know friends who like it thick and those who prefer it thin. I am somewhere in the middle (about ¼ inch).
You MUST trim ALL fat from whatever cut you are using. Other cuts of beef to consider are flank steak and brisket (flat only). You want a nice lean piece of meat with not much fat.
Tip: Place in marinade for AT LEAST 24 hours. I find if I marinade for 2 days, the flavor is even better. Be sure to drain your meat prior to smoking it. Hang the strips with toothpicks between the grates of your smoker. This is a HUGE pain in the ass!!!! However, you can usually get 10 times as much meat on your smoker by hanging it. You can also use large skewers to string several pieces at a time. I like to smoke the jerky for 8 hours at temps between 160 -175º. Be careful with the wood you use to smoke with, these thin strips will absorb lots of smoke! I usually only apply smoke for the first hour. Watch closely so it doesn't cook too much. Just taste until you like!!