Beef Jerky Help

[Char Grilla]

I have a Chargriller Pro, but no side box. I figured I could throw on some carne asada meat and cook it long and slow, but I bet there is more to it than that. Any ideas?

[Satch]

Having made deer jerkey for several years now with an electric dehydrator, I have found the following method to work fairly well:

First chose your meat. Paying top dollar for steak is not necessary by any means. Jerkey is tough, and IMO should not be very tender. 99% of my jerkey comes from the hind quarters (back legs) of white tail deer. Anyone familiar with these critters will tell you that that the meat from this area is very lean and can be very tough (especially on those old, wiley mountain deer). For beef I would reccommend a big, cheap, poorly marbled roast. Trim excess fat and strip your meat 1/4" thick or so, feel free to make each piece as long as you want, I personally like mine 8-12 inches long (thats what she said!). For a BBQer this might sound odd, but I try not to strip jerkey against the grain (remember jerkey isin't supposed to be tender). Tough jerkey allows for a more gradual release of the flavorings, and lets your snack linger longer on the taste buds. Anyway, marinate at least over night, if not for a whole day. For marinade there are lots of commercial products available at most stores with hunting/camping departments (WalMart, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shop, ect). If you are a die hard DIYer, then try equal parts soy and Worcestershire sauces, with pepper and other spices (be sure to throw in a touch of liquid smoke if not using a smoker) to taste. I always let my meat in for 4.5 hours at 145 degrees. I will rarely make jerkey on the smoker because of the shear amount that I have to make during a season (25-50 hind quarters/season), the dehydrator allows me to set-and-forget; a necessity if I want to leave the house between the months of October and March.

If you have any more specific questions please email or pm me.
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Char-Griller w/ SFB

Brinkman Electric (for emergencies)

[Char Grilla]

Thanks Satch! Been waiting awhile for that good advice.