# First Jerky -- wife says thumbs up



## floridasteve (Oct 2, 2015)

I'm not a big jerky fan, but my wife is. So I decided I will give it a try :-) 













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__ floridasteve
__ Oct 2, 2015





 I started off with 11 oz of Eye Of Rib steak, and cut it into 1/8" thick strips.  I had a hard time determining the direction of the grain, so I kind of guessed that I was cutting across the grain.













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__ floridasteve
__ Oct 2, 2015





  I used this recipie for the marinade.
       2 lb Round Steak
     1/2 c  Soy Sauce
       2 tb Worcestershire Sauce
     1/4 c  Honey
       1 ts Garlic Salt
And let it sit in the fridge for about 36 hours, shaking and turning upside down every so often













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__ floridasteve
__ Oct 2, 2015





  Then I laid the strips out on paper towels and dried them  the best I could. 













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__ floridasteve
__ Oct 2, 2015





. Ready to go into the smoker.













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__ floridasteve
__ Oct 2, 2015





. I started  at 130°, then bumped the temperature some each hour until I reach 180. At four hours I tasted it and it was delicious.  I probably should've pulled it then but decided to go another hour because I had read you should finish at 200° in the smoker. So I upped the temperature and wait 













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__ floridasteve
__ Oct 2, 2015





.  When I removed the jerky from the smoker, I was surprised to see that it was greasy on the outside. You can see the sheen in the pictures. So I blotted them dry with paper towels. 













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__ floridasteve
__ Oct 2, 2015





.  Here is a close-up of one of the strips. My wife says they are perfect and she is always correct about everything. However I thought they tasted a little better at the four hour mark. They weren't quite as dry -- but what do I know. Lol

I started with 11.2 ounces of near and ended with 6.2 ounces.  Is that about right?


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## driedstick (Oct 2, 2015)

Looks good from here!! Nice job Steve  

Points for making sure wife was right and nice looking Jerky!!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






A full smoker is a happy smoker

DS


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## bbqbrett (Oct 2, 2015)

I have never made jerky before.  Thanks for sharing what you did.  It looks good!


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## JckDanls 07 (Oct 2, 2015)

Looking good Steve...  myself..  i would have just left temps at 170-180...  As long as the Boss liked it...  :yahoo:


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## chopsaw (Oct 2, 2015)

Agree on the lower temp . I use cure in mine , and dry in the oven .


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## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 3, 2015)

Nice looking jerky! Next time try flank or London broil. Those two cuts don't contain as much fat as your ribeye and won't be as greasy. 

Texture is a big variable and really is a personal preference. If your wife likes it and she's the one eating it then you better remember it! Happy wife equals happy life!

One more note on temp, if you use cure you don't need to go up to 200. The higher temp was another factor that contributed to the greasy surface.


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## sfprankster (Oct 3, 2015)

Lookin' good from here!!!

I would have received a threat of physical violence on my life, to make jerky out of a rib eye. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





My gf *loves* that cut, grilled to medium rare, with the basic spog and nothing else. 

But as you said, your other half enjoyed the jerky, and that is what counts the most...


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## ndwildbill (Oct 3, 2015)

FloridaSteve said:


> I'm not a big jerky fan, but my wife is. So I decided I will give it a try :-)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your jerky looks great...when I smoke a batch of jerky...either ground or muscle meat, I throw it in ice water as soon as I take it out of the smoker.  Not only cools it, but seems to draw out some of the grease.  Wipe it off after taking out of the ice water, then I put in a paper bag in the refrigerator overnight.  Next day I bag/seal and freeze the majority...if I don't, it will all get eaten in about 3 days...that's usually a 5 pound batch.  Keep up the good smoke!


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## floridasteve (Oct 4, 2015)

Thanks to every one for your comments and suggestions!  They are much appreciated.  I have ordered some cure #1, so in the future I'll keep the temp lower.  

As to the meat, I was just looking for something on sale that I could use for a test.  I had read that eye of round roast was a good choice. What I got was an eye of round roast sliced into two steaks about an inch thick.  

Question... Would a well trimmed brisket flat work?

Also, Wild Bill, I like your ice water trick and will give that a try!


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## aprilized (Oct 4, 2015)

looks great!


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## 4pogo7 (Oct 5, 2015)

Good looking jerky! Nicely done on the first try.

Just some thoughts from personal experience. Usually when I make jerky I use Hi Mountain Jerky Kits and just follow their directions. They do have cure but say to set oven or smoker to 200[sup]o[/sup]F, unless your smoker won't reach that, then just leave it in longer. I always set it at 200 and take it out when it is done to my liking, not quite as dry.

I have only ever used venison when making "beef" jerky. It is processed at home and is nearly 100% fat free. I will still get a little shiny look when it is close to done, but is doesn't seem greasy. This could be from the higher temp as mentioned already.

Again, this is just from my experience and won't be for everyone. Just find what works best for you, and the wife, and enjoy the homemade goodness!


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## hitechredneck (Oct 5, 2015)

Looks like some folks mistook your OP in that you said you made the jerky out of 'Eye of Rib' steak.  Most folks would assume that means Ribeye.  You apparently meant 'Eye of Round' steak.  Totally different cut of meat.  Low in fat typically and great for jerky, but as you finished at a high temp (almost required since you didn't use cure), what little fat there was in there rendered out.  Wiping it off was about the only thing you could have done. Still, eating it in a hurry will prevent rancidity.

Purchasing the cure will help you a lot with being able to keep the temp down as well as shelf life post-facto.  Might tweak your recipe for salt content after you make another batch with cure.  

Also, others can chime in, but when using a cure and a liquid marinade, make sure you account for the liquid in the calculations for the cure...  Better safe than sorry!


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## disco (Oct 5, 2015)

Fine looking jerky. However, you say you aren't into jerky. Do you hate Santa Claus too? Everyone loves jerky!

Disco


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## floridasteve (Oct 5, 2015)

4PoGo7 said:


> Good looking jerky! Nicely done on the first try.
> 
> Just some thoughts from personal experience. Usually when I make jerky I use Hi Mountain Jerky Kits and just follow their directions. They do have cure but say to set oven or smoker to 200[SUP]o[/SUP]F, unless your smoker won't reach that, then just leave it in longer. I always set it at 200 and take it out when it is done to my liking, not quite as dry.
> 
> ...



Thanks PoGo, those are good points :-)



HiTechRedNeck said:


> Looks like some folks mistook your OP in that you said you made the jerky out of 'Eye of Rib' steak.  Most folks would assume that means Ribeye.  You apparently meant 'Eye of Round' steak.  Totally different cut of meat.  Low in fat typically and great for jerky, but as you finished at a high temp (almost required since you didn't use cure), what little fat there was in there rendered out.  Wiping it off was about the only thing you could have done. Still, eating it in a hurry will prevent rancidity.
> Purchasing the cure will help you a lot with being able to keep the temp down as well as shelf life post-facto.  Might tweak your recipe for salt content after you make another batch with cure.
> Also, others can chime in, but when using a cure and a liquid marinade, make sure you account for the liquid in the calculations for the cure...  Better safe than sorry!



I thought I said Eye of Round!  That's what I mention to say.  Oh my, I'm going to have to go retread my original post!  I hate it when I screw up!  The last time, back in 1987, it took me a month to get over it!  LOL

I'm looking forward to doing more now that I have some real cure.  And since I really don't have any recipes to convert, I'll be searching for new ones that work well with the cure.  Thanks for your advice!




Disco said:


> Fine looking jerky. However, you say you aren't into jerky. Do you hate Santa Claus too? Everyone loves jerky!
> 
> Disco



No, I don't hate Santa, lol.  It's not that I dislike jerky, it's just something I never buy.  I have eaten quit a bit of what I made, and every one I've let try it wants my to make a batch for them, so it is something I'm going to try to perfect!


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## JckDanls 07 (Oct 5, 2015)

Steve...  Here's a recipe from NEPAS that I/family/friends really like...  since I did it in the smokehouse (while doing snack sticks), I omitted the liquid smoke... 

Here is my hillbilly backwoods jerky.

5 lbs meat strips
2 T salt
1 t cure 1
2 t liquid smoke. This is opt but good if your just going to dehydrate the strips.
2 t chili powder
1 T black pepper  (you can cut the pepper amounts back if you like)
1 T white pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup Worcestershire 
3 cup cold water.

Mix all the above (except meat) in a large glass or plastic container with a cover. Mix well to dissolve the cure and salt (you can mix with the water, easier to look at)
Place the meat into the marinade and place in fridge from 12 to 24 hours, stir the meat a few times during this time to fully marinate the meat strips. Next take the strips from marinade (do not rinse the marinade off) lay on racks and either smoke or dehydrate at temps from 150 to 170. Your looking for the strips to bend not break. Can take from 8-12 hours or depending on how much power your dehydrator has.

Enjoy


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## floridasteve (Oct 6, 2015)

JckDanls 07


Thanks for the recipe, Keith, I've already copied and pasted into my notebook!


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## smokeytherobot (Oct 6, 2015)

Sounds great. Been looking for good jerky recipe. My wife loves it too! I think I'll try some this weekend. I've been in the doghouse too long!


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## thegreatmc (Oct 7, 2015)

Looks good.  I've got some goose jerky sitting in marinade right now until I'm done with my goose pastrami.  I've made a ton of jerky using the oven and the dehydrator, but I have still never smoked any.  Maybe I'll do that next time.  

As far as recipes, get creative.  The best advice on cut of meat is to use lean.  That's why wild game is so good in jerky.  As to what you put in, I currently have a teriyaki and a hopefully spicy batch going at the same time.  I found a basic recipe years ago and then play with it adding whatever seems good.


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