What's better for Jerky?

[Grumpy Gator]

Eye of Round at $1.99/lb or London Broil at $2.49/lb?

[david brace]

Straight from the River Rat.
Needed:
Season.all seasoned salt
Peppered season.all seasoned salt
Colgin liquid smoke in natural hickory(this is the dark kind)
lean meat. top round,bottom round, london broil, flank steak or game. London broil is nice as it is lean and easily sliced when partially frozen.
large flat bottom dish
small spray bottle

Slice the meat in uniform slices appx 1/4 inch thick. You want them about the same thickness so they will dry the same. Cut all the fat you can off the meat. On some meat you will have marbled fat that you can't cut out. This is ok but those pieces need to be eaten first so the fat won't turn rancid. I have never had this problem as it doesn't last that long.

In your glass dish, sprinkle each of the salts to cover the bottom of the dish. Then layer, one layer of the cut meat strips in the dish. Mist spray the liquid smoke to LIGHTLY cover the meat. Then sprinkle the 2 salts to LIGHTLY cover the meat. Continue to salt,layer and spray the meat. Cover and set in the fridge over night or at least for several hours.
To dry, I made a U shaped aluminum holder to hold 18 inch skewers. I put the meat on skewers, not touching so the pieces hang freely and heat can circulate around the pieces. You can crush heavy duty foil and then partially smooth it out and lay ithe meat on that, but you will have to turn it over half way.
Oven set for 180* You want it to cycle between 170*-190*. This drys the meat,not cooks it. Do not go over 200*
Will take for 3-4 lbs of meat,5 to 7 hours. ONCE you have done it , you will know exactly what to do next time. This stuff is really good fixed exactly like this, nothing else added. Enjoy
TarJerky
I am not worthy of comment...this dude makes some GREAT Jerky...

DB

[TAR RIVER RAT]

Eye of round is leaner most of the time. At that price I would go with it. Slice half of it with the grain for chewy and the other half across the grain for not so chewy. It should make some fine stuff. You might get a lb of the london broil and try it too.
Tarjerky

[david brace]

You snuck up on me with that post...

DB

[WBC]

Yellow Rose uses eye of round. It actually works better than some of the more expensive cuts of meat we used. Mostly because it's so lean.

You will still have to trim a thick coating of fat allaround it.

[Grumpy Gator]

Thanks guys.

I guess I'll get some of both :)

[TAR RIVER RAT]

Blake, how do you slice it? With or across the grain?? What we need is samples. And how are you drying it???
tar

[Grumpy Gator]

Ok, back from da store. Albertson's had an 8 hour sale today. Eye of Round was $1.99/lb, and I got them to trim it and re-weigh it :twisted:

[TAR RIVER RAT]

Are you getting all of this down so when you hit the TN mountains, you won't have to look back??
tar

[Grumpy Gator]

yessir :)

[gsmith]

Eye of Round at $1.99/lb or London Broil at $2.49/lb?

VENISON!!!

[david brace]

'Atsa good ideer...I got some venison steaks and a roast and some sausage doing nothing but getting colder...I might try it this weekend...lessee what's on the Theatre Sked...

DB

[Grumpy Gator]

hmmm... ok... made the jerky

used eye of round.

did Tar's recipe above, but let it marinate about 6 hours... in the oven for 3 (only did 1.5 lbs).

For the first batch, this is pretty good. I think it could have marinated longer. Or maybe I could have used more of the Seasoned Salt. I would have preferred a saltier taste. The pepper taste was great.

I'll keep workin' on it - got 5 more eye of round roasts :)

Oh yeah, slicing the jerky was a breeze. I got a jerky board and knife from the High Mountain Jerky folks. Let's you slice 1/4 or 3/8 inch slices like a pro. I also got one of their Jerky Makers, which is just a stainless steel rack with skewers for in the oven. Makes life simple:

https://shop.himtnjerky.com/online/home.php?cat=254

[david brace]

...Oh yeah, slicing the jerky was a breeze. I got a jerky board and knife from the High Mountain Jerky folks. Let's you slice 1/4 or 3/8 inch slices like a pro. I also got one of their Jerky Makers, which is just a stainless steel rack with skewers for in the oven. Makes life simple:

https://shop.himtnjerky.com/online/home.php?cat=254
Was it really that much easier than just a good knife? I sometimes think that the prep time to use the LSD is more labor than you saved. Like small choppers for small items. By the time I load it, use it and then clean it, did I save?

DB

[Grumpy Gator]

WAs it really that much easier than just a good knife? I sometimes think that the prep time to use the LSD is more labor than you saved. Like small choppers for small items. By the time I load it, use it and then clean it, did I save?

DB

DB, this is one device that was definitely worth it. Very simple really. It's just a cutting board with a raised outside frame. The frame sits 1/4" above the board. Put meat on the board, hold down firmly, set knife across board resting on the frame and slice through the meat. Perfect even slices. Flip the board over for 3/8". Would be easy to make, but for $40 including a very nice SS knife... not bad at all.

[david brace]

So you're saying it's like a mitre box?

DB

[Grumpy Gator]

So you're saying it's like a mitre box?

DB

Nope... not exactly...

Think of a flat cutting board, 1/2" thick. Now build a frame around the outside of the cutting board. The frame sticks up 1/4" on the top side and 3/8" on the bottom.

Looking down on the cutting board it's surface is recessed because of the frame. Put the meat on the surface, and rest the flat of the knife on the raised frame. Slice the meat sideways from side to side. You end up with a slab of meat that is the exact thickness of the recess. Remove this and do it again until your roast is gone.

Then slice the 1/4" slabs into inch wide strips & you're ready to season/cure...

I'll take a picture tonight. It's a simple thing, hard to describe.

[david brace]

Oh, I get it. You slice from side to side instead of top to bottom. THe knife is held sideways. So for each slice you cut, it remains on the board. You would then have to lift the large section of meat to remove the slice, unless you just slide it from under the large piece.

DB

[Grumpy Gator]

Zactly!

The concept is so simple... needed to be for my mind... :)

[BamaBBQ]

I always use eye of round for jerky, but wouldn't hesitate to use london broil if the price was right. Here's my version:

Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Dale's Sauce
Mustard
Liquid Smoke

Slice meat as uniformly as possible, 1/4" is about the right thickness. If meat is almost frozen, it is very easy to slice uniformly. I usually slice with the grain to make it chewy. Your preference, however.

In a bowl, mix up some Dale's, Mustard, and a splash or two of liquid smoke to make a slurry. Using a basting brush, slather mixture on bottom of 9 x 13 glass or stainless pan. Sprinkle bottom of pan with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Add layer of meat. Slather exposed surface of meat with slurry. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Repeat as required.

Cover and let sit in refrigerator for a day. Load on dryer and dry until done.

Enjoy!

[TexLaw]

One thing I would worry about with getting "London broil" is that I wouldn't know what cut it actually was. "London broil" is a preparation, not a cut, but a bunch of butchers label certain cuts that way to sell them. The problem is that they'll label different cuts "London broil," so you might now know what you're getting unless you look closely.


TL

[TAR RIVER RAT]

No difference. Any LEAN meat, the leaner, the better, no matter whats it's called.
Tarjerky

[david brace]

...I'll take a picture tonight...
Well, we're still waiting...

DB