# Smoked Beef Jerky **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 26, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967 "2013-06-26T16:58:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967/1 "2013-06-26T16:58:34Z")
My kids got me an electric smoker for Father’s day (not the same as the Dad who got a couple of things to smoke from his kid). It is one of those chest style ones. So far I love it but my only complaint is it didn’t come with a recipe book or really anything telling how to use it. I made some wonderful ribs and baked beans, and some way over cooked chicken breasts. Next, I want to try beef jerky. Off to the internet to find recipes… so I start with flank steak… or is it sirloin. Slice it with the grain… or is it across. Smoke it from somewhere between 15 minutes and 12 hours. So, I appeal to you if anyone has any first hand experience. I can control the temp very accurately, and have access to multiple woods. Anyone care to share their spice/marinade blend, favorite cuts, and how long to smoke, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kansas_Beekeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967/2 "2013-06-26T17:23:37Z")
I’ve had surprisingly good luck making jerky out of very lean ground beef. If you Google it, you’ll come up with recipes. Cabelas even sells a gizmo that looks like a caulking gun to make your hamburger jerky strips with: [http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home-Cabin/Food-Processing/Jerky-Making|/pc/104798880/c/104723280/sc/104407380/Cabelas-Jerky-Gun-and-Blaster/733821.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2F\_%2FN-1101297%3FWTz\_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104798880&WTz\_l=SBC%3BMMcat104798880%3Bcat104407380](http://www.cabelas.com/product/Home-Cabin/Food-Processing/Jerky-Making%7C/pc/104798880/c/104723280/sc/104407380/Cabelas-Jerky-Gun-and-Blaster/733821.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2F_%2FN-1101297%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104798880&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104798880%3Bcat104407380) ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967/3 "2013-06-26T19:01:08Z")
I’ve always used eye of round roast to make beef jerky as it doesn’t have that grisly streak down the middle like flank steak does. I’ve also used Alton Brown’s [jerky marinade recipe](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/jerky-recipe/index.html) and it’s pretty good. Beyond that, I can’t really help as I use a dehydrator, not a smoker. ETA: Brisket may work also. ---
**Author:** ![Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kansas\_Beekeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kansas_Beekeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967/4 "2013-06-26T19:55:50Z")
Spud, I see you are from Indiana. I assume summers there are not quite as bad as Kansas but still hot. I’ve never been able to make beef jerky in the summer with my smoker because you smoke jerky at a low enough temperature that the heating element simply does not come on enough to make much smoke in the summer. A food dehydrator works better in the summer for jerky. As far as how long is long enough, all I can say is most of the day. You just have to check it and see if it is dry enough. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967/5 "2013-06-28T14:56:29Z")
Ok, after reading 487 recipes I’ve decided on the following… Top Round, put in freezer for about an hour, then cut with the grain into thin slices. I’m going to use Alton Brown’s marinade less the liquid smoke, and will marinate over night. I’ll set the smoker to about 200 initially to get the smoke going (Hickory) and will hang the slices on the racks and reduce the heat to 150 and let go for somewhere between 9 and 12 hours. I don’t think I’ll add more wood for smoke because I don’t want that to be the only flavor. Hopefully I can do it this weekend… I’ll keep you posted if anyone is interested. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967/6 "2013-06-28T18:10:43Z")
Yes, slice with the grain - against the grain and your finished jerky will simply fall apart into shreds. It is also IME much easier to over-smoke than to under-smoke. If you’ve already got enough smoky flavor but the meat’s not dry enough, finish it in a low-temp oven. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967/7 "2013-06-30T13:36:35Z")
For the thousands who are following this thread (I know, you are just too shy to post) I got the marinade going yesterday afternoon around 4. Got a flank steak instead of top round. Added a little extra black pepper (because I love pepper), and started smoking at midnight. At 1am I turned it down to 150 and went to bed. Got up at 9 and it is perfect… A little peppery but that is what I wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Miltonyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Miltonyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miltonyz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smoked-beef-jerky/661967/8 "2013-06-30T16:47:03Z")
> [@Kansas\_Beekeeper](#): > > Spud, I see you are from Indiana. I assume summers there are not quite as bad as Kansas but still hot. I’ve never been able to make beef jerky in the summer with my smoker because you smoke jerky at a low enough temperature that the heating element simply does not come on enough to make much smoke in the summer. A food dehydrator works better in the summer for jerky. As far as how long is long enough, all I can say is most of the day. You just have to check it and see if it is dry enough. Kansas, I have never used it but the people on the bbq forum I frequent are pretty hot on a doohickey called AMNPS. It allows you to cold smoke meats and cheeses in an electric smoker.