Jerky with Flank Steak and Joes Marinade...

[Jerz]

This was the first time I EVER made jerky and I have to say that I'm not sure if I'll do anything much different.  After researching around I settled on Flank Steak suggested by one of Alton Brown's recipes, I copied the marinade from a post by Joe on another thread except I ommited the pineapple juice since I didn't have any, cooking temp and times were gotten from the same thread as the marinade, AND I also referred to the instuctions that came with the Smokin-it Jerky fan as well as instructions on the bbqguru website.  I think that covers everyone.... Thanks guys without those posts this would have been a whole lot more trial and error.

Marinade:  Joe's Marinade less the pineapple juice...  For 2lbs I only marinaded for about 14 hours with the help of the marinade feature of the Foodsaver.   I initially put 2lbs of meat at a time in the marinade bowl,  let it run a full cycle,  left it in the fridge overnight and then ran it through the Foodsaver marinater before putting 2lbs in the smoker.   The other 2lbs is still in the fridge going on 36 hours...  I want to see if there is a significant difference and if the foodsaver actually helps in the marinade process.

Meat:  OK... so I got the Flank Steak at Cosco since it looked so good and it came in a 4lb package.  I actually only smoked HALF for the first go since I was unsure how it would come out; the other half will go on after I do my pulled chicken thighs and ribs...

Wood:  4oz Mesquite Wood

Dial Setting for first 2hours without Jerky Dryer:  175
Dial Setting for next 7 hours WITH Jerky Dryer:  162.5  (halfway between 150 and 175)
Smoke Stat Time:  10:45am
Smoke End Time:  7:30PM

[to be continued]

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[Smokster]

Hey Jerz,

That jerky looks good!  Can you provide some details such as temperature settings, wood type and amount, when did you start using the fan, etc.  I'm sure the guys on this forum would find it useful, including myself.  Thanks for posting the pics.

[Jerz]

Thanks Smokster!  I certainly will... it'll be and several edits since the gf is here, gotta walk the dog, gotta brine the chicken thigh, get the ribs on, make the breakfast skillet, potato salad, and then watch football...

Pictures don't do it justice... you need to try it and I have to say.... the Flank Steak is a winner for my teeth and taste buts... chewy and not too tough and you can bend it fully without it breaking.  The shape worked out just like that based on the way the meat was that I bought...

Edit:  Almost forgot, I'm making BRUNSWICK STEW to go with those ribs and potato salad too!  I'll be using some foodsaved Texas "Rock" Brisket and Pork BBQ (made in Weber Smoke Mountain Cooker), AND the chicken thighs that I'll be smoking this morning.... should be yummy but it's the first time I've made this before too....

[Smokster]

Jerz,

Sounds like you have have a busy day, but once your prep is done, you can relax to enjoy watching football.

Thanks for the detailed info.  My first attempt turned out great, but I do want to try different things based on different experiences by members of this forum.  Some have suggested thicker slices but that is also based on personal preferences which I will try next time.  I have also seen chicken jerky at the local Walmart which I am thinking of trying.

[Jerz]

Personally I like this shape of jerky.... It's a little wider than it is thick so it seems to have cooked extremely well.  I'm curious to see how much stronger the jerky will be atfer 36+ hours because after 14 hours and two trips to the foodsaver seemed to do the trick.

[DivotMaker]

Looks awesome, Jerz!  How thick did you slice the flank steak?  Looks pretty thick on the finished pictures - just the way I like it!     Feel free to ship me a bag for evaluation purposes. 

[UWFSAE]

The jerky looks like a success, Jerz.  I'm curious to hear your take on the two different prep processes you used ...

[Jerz]

Ha... First batch is GONE!  My brother loved it and so did I.. I've been nibbling on it all day long and just put the other two pound batch in about an hour ago so I'm going to go to bed after I adjust the temp and putting the jerky fan on.  I plan on taking it off the smoker in the morning before going to the office.

[Jerz]

Looks awesome, Jerz!  How thick did you slice the flank steak?  Looks pretty thick on the finished pictures - just the way I like it!     Feel free to ship me a bag for evaluation purposes. 

Well... I pulled it out of the freezer and put it in water to defrost slightly and while it was still hard I just used one of my knives and sliced it up (it's the knife in the very first pic) to about a quarter of an inch each... The Flank Steak was already a little thin so I slice it up very easily.

[Jerz]

Batch two is not done yet but I think my mistake was I didn't start at 175 for the first two hours... which after I think about it, is where I had the first batch set to.  Second batch was put in about 9:30 last night and I got tired so I only left it for an hour and a half at about 166...  It's coming along nicely though but I opened the door twice... once at 5:30am and once at 7am so I'm thinking it'll be down about 8-8:30.  I did sample a piece and it is definitely a much stronger flavor too so I'm not sure if marinading for a longer period of time had anything to do with the longer coking time.

[Smokster]

Hi Jerz,

I don't think that having a lower temperature would hurt the final product other than increasing slightly the amount of time in the smoker.  Definately anything 180 or over will start to cook the meat which is what you want to avoid.  The foodsaver will definately help in reducing the amount of time you have to let it sit in the marinade which may be why you have a stronger taste during the second batch. 

Besides, as DivotMaker suggested, you could always send samples and we will be more than happy to give you a second opinion.

[DivotMaker]

Hey Jerz, if you plan to do a lot of jerky, you might consider getting an electric meat slicer.  If I'm slicing a lot of meat that I want consistently sliced, I definitely get mine out.  I have used sirloin tip roasts for jerky because you can get big pieces that are very lean.  Trim the fat off the outside well, pre-freeze for an hour or so to firm-up the meat, then run it through the electric slicer.  You may be able to really dial-in your cook times if you get all your cuts really consistent on thickness.   Just my 2-cents...

[Jerz]

Thanks for the suggestion... I just remember that I didn't report back on the second batch. 

Well... it was a mixed bag.  The flavor was much stronger BUT I ended up cooking too long and the jerky turned out just a *little* too brittle so overall my FIRST batch was much better.

[Jerz]

Well... my brother swears it was better than what I bought from http://www.saltlicksausage.com/ so..... I'll take his word for it.  Seems there is a fine line of when it's done.... the second batch was just a hair to brittle...