Chumley's Beef Jerky

Chumleyathome's Note:

If you are tired of soy sauce jerky, you'll have to try this. I set my gas grill up as a smoker and dry the meat that way. If you use a dehydrator or your oven you'll have to figure your own cook times. You will need hickory chips or flavor of your choice, also a smoker box if your grill doesn't have one built in.

• Total Time: 5 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 1 1/2-2 lbs flank steaks

Marinade

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup Peter Luger steakhouse old fashioned sauce
• 2 tablespoons A-1 Steak Sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Directions:

1. Soak hickory chips in water overnight.
2. Remove as much fat from the meat as possible. Cut meat in half crossways against the grain. Place the meat flat in the freezer between wax paper so it doesn't freeze together for 2 hours to make slicing easier. If you put the meat on a plate put wax paper under the meat also so you don't freeze it to the like I did once, DUH!
3. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, refridgerate.
4. Remove meat from freezer and slice it flatways as thin as you like it. I try to get three pieces out of each half.
5. Place meat and marinade in a zip-loc bag overnight, turning occassionally.
6. Rinse excess marinade off the meat under running water, pat dry. Discard remaining marinade and bag.
7. Place smoker box over 1 burner in your grill, you will probably have to remove the flame tamer so it will stay on. I have a 3 burner grill and use the left burner. You will have to arrange your cooking grates so you can get to the smoker box to refill it as you cook. Fill the box with the smoker chips and light the burner, as low as it will go. You want to be drying at about 150 degrees, no more than 200. Refill smoker box with chips as necessary. If the chips are burning and not smoking, don't worry, you'll still get the same flavor.
8. Place the meat on the grill in a single layer, rearranging and flipping the pieces as the time goes on so they dry evenly. Do not put meat directly over smoker box or lit burner. You may want to pat them with a paper towel occassionally as they "sweat" while they dry, they may not but it goes a little faster if you do. The meat will need to dry for about 2 1/2 to 5 hours depending on how thick the meat is. The meat is done when it bends but does not break. I like mine a little "rarer" than store bought jerky so you'll have to adjust the time to your preference.
9. When the meat has cooled, tear with the grain about 3/4 of an inch wide. The amount you will get obviously depends on how much meat you have.