# Black Pepper Jerky



## ryan y (Jan 20, 2016)

I used to make jerky in a dehydrator when I was a kid. I learned some simple lessons:
The worse the cut of meat is pre-jerky, the better the jerky.
Thanks to marinading, you can get by with lower priced ingredients (spices, etc.)
A little tenderquick goes a long way.
Liquid smoke tastes foul by itself!

I was at the local Grant's super market and they had beef shoulder roasts on sale for 2.30/lb. It's a little sinewy for a roast (jerky's supposed to be chewy anyway), but not much fat.  A little marbling, but that makes it taste better IMO. 

Found a recipe online and heavily modified it to my tastes:
For 3 lbs, sliced around 1/4", some thicker that I will cut into strips before smoking. I didn't pound or tenderize, just upped the marinade time and added tenderizer.
3/4 cup worchestershire
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup red wine (on sale at 75% off)
1 tbsp frank's original
1 1/2 tbsp minced onion
5 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1/4 tbsp cayenne
1/4 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp Tony Chachere's creole seasoning (amazing on eggs)
1 tbsp meat tenderizer
Enough water to cover meat (I used 1 1/2 cups)













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__ ryan y
__ Jan 20, 2016





Ingredients













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__ ryan y
__ Jan 20, 2016





At the 24 hr mark


Will marinade for close to 48 hrs, stirring every 8 hrs. Starting smoke tomorrow morning in the Little Chief with Jack Daniels Old No. 7 (oak) whiskey barrel chips.












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__ ryan y
__ Jan 20, 2016





Little Chief wrapped with Reflectix. I also put a vented cardboard box over top













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__ ryan y
__ Jan 20, 2016





Smell amazing even in the bag


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## SmokinAl (Jan 20, 2016)

Looks like a great start!

Al


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## tjmitche (Jan 20, 2016)

Can't wait for the final Q's


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## ryan y (Jan 21, 2016)

It's 4am and time to get the jerky started. Decided to start a couple hrs early simce I have to be at work in 15 hrs. Better safe than sorrry. Temp is 21*F and should be in the mid-30s by this afternoon. Light snowfall turns this into a perfect jerky-smoking day!













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__ ryan y
__ Jan 21, 2016





Pre-pepper. 38 hrs total marinade time. Next time I'll make sure to slice into strips before marinating. Firmy pressed between paper towels to dry













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__ ryan y
__ Jan 21, 2016





Post pepper. Only sneezed about a dozen times!













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__ ryan y
__ Jan 21, 2016





All racked up and ready to go. And another small gripe about the chief-the racks are slightly smaller on one side, so I couldn't alternate the direction the layers were oriented. May not make a difference, who knows. But the top-loading racks will make a nice stand-alone pellicle stand! Started the little chief about 40 mins ago so another 20 and it should be puffing away.

54 pieces total. Just under 2.75 lbs trimmed. So for anyone wondering, 3lbs of jerky is the limit for the chief, more if you use skewers (which I may try next time, if I don't pepper). Glad I did a half-batch. No way 5 lbs would have fit!

Still dark out and outside lighting isn't great so pics of loaded smoker once daylight gets here.


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## ryan y (Jan 21, 2016)

5 1/2 hrs in the smoker, three heaping pans of chips (two just JD barrel, last one JD barrel and hickory mix), and 2 1/2 hrs in the oven at 170. 













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__ ryan y
__ Jan 21, 2016





A little heavier on the smoke than I would like, so I think next time just three normal size pans of hickory. Also plan on simplifying recipe to soy, worschty, cayenne, black pepper, and a nice dark beer. Oven time was a bit too long, lowest I could go was 170 so it rendered more fat than I would have liked. Will do for less time and prop door open further. 

All things considered not a bad first batch. Taking some to work for second opinions.


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## driedstick (Jan 21, 2016)

Looks good to me,,,Second opinion?? Ya send me some!!

A full smoker is a happy smoker 

DS


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## gary s (Jan 22, 2016)

Mighty fine looking Jerky   
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Gary


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## dukeburger (Jan 22, 2016)

Great looking jerky, good to see that new Little Chief up and running!

Congrats on making the carousel also!


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## pignut hickory (Jan 22, 2016)

Well it looks good 

I have tried my hand at jerky one time it did not come out good..well anyway this kid that went to school with my youngest son 35 years ago made the best jerky I ever have eaten..I talked to him years later to get his recipe..and he said he used salt black pepper and garlic on sirloin ..for smoke he used hickory and whole hickory nuts with out hulls ..has anyone heard of using hickory nuts for smoking ???


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## tropics (Jan 22, 2016)

I could even gum some of that looks great.

Richie


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## ryan y (Jan 22, 2016)

Thanks everyone for looking. The bag I took to work didn't last long, everyone enjoyed it. Went to the store and picked up another 12 lbs of the roast. I have 4 lbs marinating in a different recipe now, will probably do up another thread on it once the "snowpocalypse" is over.

Don't think I'll be using the JD chips anymore for jerky, the flavor is just too strong for such small pieces. Would be interesting to try on something more substantial though.

Pignut: I've heard of people using pistachio and pecan hulls, but never nuts.  I'd think the hickory nuts would have to be really dry to prevent a creosote taste though.


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## themeatyone (Jan 23, 2016)

Looks great, I made some venison jerky today too! We use the same basic ingredients.... Only I substitute water for apple juice. Your JD chips are probably fine just shorten the length of time you are making smoke.


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## redheelerdog (Jan 23, 2016)

Looks great, I like the marinating jerky recipes. The Little Chief is a great smoker isn't it? I've smoked a ton in mine.


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## scottyboy-texas (Jan 24, 2016)

Ryan Y said:


> Thanks everyone for looking. The bag I took to work didn't last long, everyone enjoyed it. Went to the store and picked up another 12 lbs of the roast. I have 4 lbs marinating in a different recipe now, will probably do up another thread on it once the "snowpocalypse" is over.
> 
> Don't think I'll be using the JD chips anymore for jerky, the flavor is just too strong for such small pieces. Would be interesting to try on something more substantial though.
> 
> Pignut: I've heard of people using pistachio and pecan hulls, but never nuts.  I'd think the hickory nuts would have to be really dry to prevent a creosote taste though.



We pick up the leftover hickory nuts in the fall, remove the hulls and bust em up. Whenever they are needed, soak em in water an hour or so and toss em on the fire like regular chips...


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## ryan y (Jan 24, 2016)

scottyboy-texas said:


> We pick up the leftover hickory nuts in the fall, remove the hulls and bust em up. Whenever they are needed, soak em in water an hour or so and toss em on the fire like regular chips...



Now I know. How does the flavor compare to hickory chips? Loads of hickory trees around here, may give it a try.


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## scottyboy-texas (Jan 24, 2016)

Ryan Y said:


> Now I know. How does the flavor compare to hickory chips? Loads of hickory trees around here, may give it a try.



To me its a lighter smoke flavor, soaked they seem to smoke abit longer....just make sure to weed out the bad hulls.


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## disco (Jan 24, 2016)

This jerky recipe sounds great. Thanks so much for posting the recipe, Ryan.

Points for another thing to try.

Disco


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## ryan y (Jan 26, 2016)

scottyboy-texas said:


> To me its a lighter smoke flavor, soaked they seem to smoke abit longer....just make sure to weed out the bad hulls.


I'll have to try them out sometime, should be fun!



Disco said:


> This jerky recipe sounds great. Thanks so much for posting the recipe, Ryan.
> 
> Points for another thing to try.
> 
> Disco


Thanks Disco, I liked my second try more but all my friends that don't snjoy the spicier things in life liked this batch.


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## pignut hickory (Jan 27, 2016)

The neighbor kid that used hickory nuts ..did not crack them but used them whole..and they do take a long time to burn whole..


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## pinebarrensbbq (Jan 29, 2016)

Good job man. I sell my jerky online and locally along with other BBQ and do some catering. A one man show but it's taken off like wildfire. I'm in NJ and have orders coming in from North Pole and Kodiak Alaska. I use eye of round personally and I sell anywhere from 25-35 dollars a lb depending on the flavor, items needed for the brine and custom orders. I've seen people on here who say it's impossible to smoke jerky. That's not true. I've had nothing but 5 star reviews and people say it's the best they've ever had. I cut with the grain to give it a nice chew. My most recent brine recipe is a honey bourbon and had someone order 5 lbs. I'm a one man operation with 3 smokers and I stay busy. It's almost 3 am and I'm babysitting 2 smokers at once. From a combat injury I can't work, but I can be self employed. I truly love everything about it. It's very satisfying to butcher a 15 lb slab of beef and turn it into something that people love and repeatedly order. Great job and keep it up!


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## mtbken (Jan 29, 2016)

wow PineB! Great story and good for you.  Thank you for your Service!  PM me or do you advertise on this site?  Love to try some! Also,Ryan, great job on your Jerky.  More fantastic ideas and use of smoke!

Ken


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## pinebarrensbbq (Jan 29, 2016)

mtbken said:


> wow PineB! Great story and good for you.  Thank you for your Service!  PM me or do you advertise on this site?  Love to try some! Also,Ryan, great job on your Jerky.  More fantastic ideas and use of smoke!
> 
> Ken


I'll shoot you a PM. And thank you for the support. We all wish we could have done more though. Currently no, I don't advertise here.


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## ryan y (Jan 29, 2016)

PinebarrensBBQ said:


> Good job man. I sell my jerky online and locally along with other BBQ and do some catering. A one man show but it's taken off like wildfire. I'm in NJ and have orders coming in from North Pole and Kodiak Alaska. I use eye of round personally and I sell anywhere from 25-35 dollars a lb depending on the flavor, items needed for the brine and custom orders. I've seen people on here who say it's impossible to smoke jerky. That's not true. I've had nothing but 5 star reviews and people say it's the best they've ever had. I cut with the grain to give it a nice chew. My most recent brine recipe is a honey bourbon and had someone order 5 lbs. I'm a one man operation with 3 smokers and I stay busy. It's almost 3 am and I'm babysitting 2 smokers at once. From a combat injury I can't work, but I can be self employed. I truly love everything about it. It's very satisfying to butcher a 15 lb slab of beef and turn it into something that people love and repeatedly order. Great job and keep it up!


Thank you for your service! Honey bourbon sounds tasty, I plan on doing some with the grain, just gota figure out a way to rig the smoker to get some decent length pieces. I don't know if I would make any profit in your position. I'd eat all the product lol.



mtbken said:


> wow PineB! Great story and good for you.  Thank you for your Service!  PM me or do you advertise on this site?  Love to try some! Also,Ryan, great job on your Jerky.  More fantastic ideas and use of smoke!
> 
> Ken


Thanks! I enjoyed my second batch more but I like everything spicy. Working on some ideas for a sweet and spicy recipe now.


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## pinebarrensbbq (Jan 29, 2016)

I use long skewers and hang all the jerky. It really does make a difference since it's hanging and all sides get the same amount of heat and smoke as well as allowing for more open space. I can fit about 10 lbs of jerky in my MS40 no problem. The honey bourbon came out good but it was tricky. I always try to balance flavor wit the natural taste of the beef. With the honey bourbon, it takes a bit more involvement. The actual taste of the brine is easily overpowered by the smoke so to overcome this, I smoke it about 75% of the way through, remove it from the smoker, toss it back in some brine that I set aside during the prep in a plastic cambro container and just shake it up. Then, it's back on the smoker to finish. It tastes good but it's pretty involved. From a business standpoint it's all about time and material. I have my 3 main flavors and then about once a month or so I run a special batch to get a few lbs. this was one of those flavors. I also do custom orders but my policy is that it's a 3 lb minimum at 30 a lb.


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## pinebarrensbbq (Jan 29, 2016)

Ryan Y said:


> Thank you for your service! Honey bourbon sounds tasty, I plan on doing some with the grain, just gota figure out a way to rig the smoker to get some decent length pieces. I don't know if I would make any profit in your position. I'd eat all the product lol.
> Thanks! I enjoyed my second batch more but I like everything spicy. Working on some ideas for a sweet and spicy recipe now.



Ryan. Feel free to PM me and I'll gladly share my recipe for the Bee Sting. It is by far my most popular jerky. It's just what the name indicates. A nice sweet taste of honey with some heat on the back end that takes a moment to catch up. They two flavors are clearly distinct.


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## osprey2 (Jan 31, 2016)

Looks great jerky gents.

Id be interested in temp and times for these if possible. I have a pro q smoker.

Cheers

Dave


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## pinebarrensbbq (Jan 31, 2016)

Osprey2 said:


> Looks great jerky gents.
> Id be interested in temp and times for these if possible. I have a pro q smoker.
> Cheers
> Dave


For my jerky inset the temp at 135 and depending on the weather, can take anywhere from 4-6 hours. The beef is cut to 1/8 " and the consistency allows it to bend and allows the grain to separate and turn white and doesn't snap in half.


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## ryan y (Feb 1, 2016)

PinebarrensBBQ said:


> Ryan. Feel free to PM me and I'll gladly share my recipe for the Bee Sting. It is by far my most popular jerky. It's just what the name indicates. A nice sweet taste of honey with some heat on the back end that takes a moment to catch up. They two flavors are clearly distinct.


Thanks! That name is unique, i like it. I may take you up on that offer depending on how my experiment turns out.



Osprey2 said:


> Looks great jerky gents.
> Id be interested in temp and times for these if possible. I have a pro q smoker.
> Cheers
> Dave


This batch was in the Little Chief (constant temp at 165 according to manufacturer) for about 5 hrs and then finished in the oven for 2.5 hrs at 170. Really depends on humidity and temps, my last batch was smoked with two feet of snow on the ground and it took longer than when temps were in the mid teens.


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## pinebarrensbbq (Feb 1, 2016)

Ryan Y said:


> Thanks! That name is unique, i like it. I may take you up on that offer depending on how my experiment turns out.
> This batch was in the Little Chief (constant temp at 165 according to manufacturer) for about 5 hrs and then finished in the oven for 2.5 hrs at 170. Really depends on humidity and temps, my last batch was smoked with two feet of snow on the ground and it took longer than when temps were in the mid teens.


Out of curiosity, why do people not smoke jerky the whole way through? That's the only way I do it and I crank out about 20 lbs a week.


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## pinebarrensbbq (Feb 1, 2016)

Ryan, I set my smoker at 130-135, but I forgot to mention that the thermometers I have set inside the smoker read from 140-150. My smokers are insulated and the LCD screen reads the 130-135 but I assume the manufacturer thermostat is off. So, the range inside is about 140-150. Mine holds a solid temp even below zero, just takes more time to heat up. I'm also in the process of building a smoke house to keep the smokers and BBQ in so I'm not freezing my baguettes off while working.












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__ pinebarrensbbq
__ Feb 1, 2016


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## osprey2 (Feb 1, 2016)

PinebarrensBBQ said:


> For my jerky inset the temp at 135 and depending on the weather, can take anywhere from 4-6 hours. The beef is cut to 1/8 " and the consistency allows it to bend and allows the grain to separate and turn white and doesn't snap in half.





Ryan Y said:


> Thanks! That name is unique, i like it. I may take you up on that offer depending on how my experiment turns out.
> This batch was in the Little Chief (constant temp at 165 according to manufacturer) for about 5 hrs and then finished in the oven for 2.5 hrs at 170. Really depends on humidity and temps, my last batch was smoked with two feet of snow on the ground and it took longer than when temps were in the mid teens.


Thank you gentlemen, will have a look at doing some when the rain stops, remains of your snow storm.


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## ryan y (Feb 1, 2016)

PinebarrensBBQ said:


> Out of curiosity, why do people not smoke jerky the whole way through? That's the only way I do it and I crank out about 20 lbs a week.



I do it mainly because at this time of year the temps fluctuate so much with the time of the day it's way too hard to predict how long it will take, and opening the topload every time to check lets 90% of the heat out. Once I upgrade smokers outside temp won't matter near as much. 

I also find that the higher finishing temp in the oven gives me a better end result. The texture is more chewy with no crunch, and I can get by with shoulder roasts instead of rounds because alot of the fat renders in the oven. Dab with paper towels before bagging up and it'll keep indefinitely in the fridge. Should have no problem outside of fridge once I get my hands on some cure #1.


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## pinebarrensbbq (Feb 2, 2016)

Ryan Y said:


> I do it mainly because at this time of year the temps fluctuate so much with the time of the day it's way too hard to predict how long it will take, and opening the topload every time to check lets 90% of the heat out. Once I upgrade smokers outside temp won't matter near as much.
> 
> I also find that the higher finishing temp in the oven gives me a better end result. The texture is more chewy with no crunch, and I can get by with shoulder roasts instead of rounds because alot of the fat renders in the oven. Dab with paper towels before bagging up and it'll keep indefinitely in the fridge. Should have no problem outside of fridge once I get my hands on some cure #1.


If you get your temps and times down to perfection you'll have no problem with the end result. Mine is nice and moist. I'm not knocking you I was just curious.


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## kingmadejerky (Feb 16, 2016)

This does sound great and yes, thank you for your service!  Is there a website?  I would love to check it out also.  Thanks in advance


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## kingmadejerky (Feb 16, 2016)

That looks amazing!


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## kingmadejerky (Feb 16, 2016)

I have tried this in the past with our jerky as well.  Honestly, the best solution we found was to use less smoke chips.  Much less.  Let me know if you give that a try.  Would love to hear the results


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