SMOKED to Perfection BEEF JERKY Lovers Rejoice!
Homemade Smoked Jerky on the Yoder
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Introduction
Smoked Beef Jerky, Start to Finish
What's up BBQ fans! Winter is here, and we all like a little snack. Today I'm making smoked beef jerky on the Yoder YS640s: cured, marinated overnight and smoked low. Most of it turned out great, and I'll tell you exactly what I'd do differently next time.
The Seasoning and Cure
I used a jerky kit from PS Seasoning in their prime rib flavor, which is supposed to be steakhouse-style and a little buttery. Not sponsored. Each kit has enough for 15 lb of meat.
For each 5 lb batch:
1 packet of seasoning
1 packet of cure
½ cup of cold water
Break up any clumps and mix it really well. Take your time on this step.
Why use a cure? We're cooking low for a long time, and the cure keeps bacteria from building up. It also means the jerky stores for a long time. Without a cure, a lot of jerky is only good for a couple of weeks.
The Meat
I asked my butcher for 5 lb of top round, sliced ¼ inch thick. I have a meat slicer, but not everyone does, and any butcher can do it for you.
Freeze it for an hour to make it easier to cut.
Trim to jerky size. There's no hard rule, but remember it shrinks by about 50%.
With the grain gives you that classic chewy jerky. Against the grain is more tender. Your call.
If you slice your own, use a slicer. Anything thicker than ¼ inch takes a long time and gives you inconsistent results.
Marinate
Toss the meat in the seasoning mix in a wide bowl until every side is covered. The liquid goes a long way. Then put it all in a gallon zip-top bag in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours, rotating the bag every few hours. The longer you marinate, the better. Mine went about 21 hours.
The Smoke
Yoder at 170°F with Bear Mountain Oak pellets. Everything tastes better with smoke flavor.
Spray wire racks and lay the strips flat with space so the smoke can move around. It's like a jigsaw puzzle. Mine took four racks.
Expect 4 to 6 hours. It should shrink by about half and bend without breaking.
My long cooling racks were too long for the lid to close properly. I propped one up on a chunk of wood and turned them sideways. Next time, I'd use my square dehydrator racks. I believe Yoder makes a three-tier jerky rack, too, which you can find at All Things BBQ (use code: RUMANDCOOK11 to save 11%).
What Went Wrong
It was ready in 4 hours, faster than I expected. I'd planned to swap the racks around, but I was stuck out for 3½ hours hunting for a food mill for my first real Italian ragu. The racks closest to the diffuser plate got some direct heat, and some of those pieces went too far.
The test: jerky should bend and hold together, with fibers showing, not snap. If it breaks where it's dark, it's overdone, and it's not going to be enjoyable. I had to toss some.
Next time: rotate the racks about 2 hours in, swapping the bottom rack closest to the heat with the top one.
Taste Test
It definitely tastes like jerky, with that classic soy sauce flavor, but the butter and garlic come through too. It's almost like steak with butter, garlic and soy sauce. Pretty darn delicious for a first attempt.
Storage
Vacuum-seal it or keep it in a glass mason jar. Thanks to the cure, it'll keep for a month or two, if it lasts that long.
Final Thoughts
Get your butcher to slice top round at ¼ inch, marinate it with a cure overnight, smoke at 170°F, and rotate your racks. Pull it when it bends without breaking.
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Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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