jerky help

[rhltechie]

hey y'all.

I decided to try my hand at some jerky.  I found some eye of round at my grocery store yesterday already sliced pretty thin.  I did a marinade over night of a few things...soy sauce, teriyaki, pineapple, brown sugar, sriracha.

I stuck it in the smoker at 200 and let it ride for about 3 hours.  I took it out cause I needed to put my ribs in!  I put it into my oven at 170.  I'm not quite sure how to tell if its done...the more I read on the google, the more I am afraid of microbes! ha!  It feels pretty done to me...when bent its quite stretchy, has those white fibers you would normally see in store jerky.  I did get some very black pieces that snapped in half, I assume those were the hot spots on my rec tec.  USDA says to bring it to 160...but heck, how would you even take a decent probe temp of meat so thin!

[nepas]

hey y'all.

I decided to try my hand at some jerky.  I found some eye of round at my grocery store yesterday already sliced pretty thin.  I did a marinade over night of a few things...soy sauce, teriyaki, pineapple, brown sugar, sriracha.

I stuck it in the smoker at 200 and let it ride for about 3 hours.  I took it out cause I needed to put my ribs in!  I put it into my oven at 170.  I'm not quite sure how to tell if its done...the more I read on the google, the more I am afraid of microbes! ha!  It feels pretty done to me...when bent its quite stretchy, has those white fibers you would normally see in store jerky.  I did get some very black pieces that snapped in half, I assume those were the hot spots on my rec tec.  USDA says to bring it to 160...but heck, how would you even take a decent probe temp of meat so thin!

Your ok because you started at 200. When they (commie USDA) say microbes they are talking low temp starts at below 180. I do however use cure 1 in all my sausage and jerky but thats just my way.

Anyways to check your jerky is done.

If it breaks when you bend it its over done, if it bends easy then your good. The white fibers is just the meat fiber, no worries.

Hope this helps

[rhltechie]

thanks for the help...i felt like it was done.  it looks and feels like jerky...pretty tasty too!  cure 1?  I've never heard of it...i will have to take a look.

[teesquare]

Check out some of the posts and recipes in the Charcuterie section for lots of info about cures.

[tailfeathers]

X2 on using cure 1. 1 tsp/5# meat and no worries! Just add it to your marinade and you are good to go. It is widely available, could be labled sure cure.

[smokeasaurus]

Good advice here by some seasoned veterans