Smoked my first batch of jerky on Saturday. After reading all of the posts and learning from the combined experiences here, I was ready. After slicing two eye of rounds, against the grain and about 3/8" thick (then each piece halved again), I introduced the meat to a marinade/cure combination and let that play its course for about 24 hours (mixing around often). Placed the meat on all 4 shelves and set the 3D to 160 for 2 hours and then 145 for three more. As I do not yet have a jerky fan (soon to change), my final drying process was on baking sheets in the oven for approximately 3 more hours, again at 145. The final product was a little darker than I thought it might be, but can't complain about the flavor and consistency. Possibly the soy/worcestershire/sugar combination in the marinade led to the darker color, but also added to the flavor. Cooked with an ounce of hickory and ounce of apple. Plenty of smoke. Not too much, not too little. Took a bag of the finished product to the local pub last night, and the only complaint was that I didn't bring enough! And though I used the Prague #1 cure and tried to follow the rules of safety, this jerky won't last long enough to test how well the cure preserves the jerky. With a 2 lb bag of the cure on hand, I'll have enough for the rest of my life! That said, this first batch is definitely not the last. Looking forward to playing with marinades, thickness, different meats and whatever interesting combinations look like taking a stab at. Will also improve my process by purchasing the jerky dryer fan. Happy Smoking to all.
