Beef Jerky and a Burger Rub

I have been wanting to try and make jerky for a long time, and I finally gave it a shot; well two shots anyway. My first attempt was on my Ugly Drum Smoker, it was a failure. It cooked the meat instead of drying it out and left me with a dried out flavorless strips, as you can see. The second go was a success! I did it in my big ugly grill I built this year. I used one of the charcoal baskets from a weber to help hold the charcoal, it have me the best way to keep the temp under 200 degrees F and around 150 degrees at the grate. I seasoned them with a rub that I LOVE on hamburgers. Making jerky is so easy I hope you give it a try.

Hamburger Rub
3 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp mustard powder(optional)

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with fingers. Makes about 1/3 of a cup.

Jerky
Some cure their jerky or marinade it to help prepare it for dehydrating. I started with a bottom round roast and trimmed it of all the fat. I then sliced with the grain at 1/4 inch thick. Once I had sliced the whole roast, I applied all of the Hamburger Run and tossed the meat to make sure it was well coated. I then went outside and started one small basket of charcoal, it's about 20 briquettes and tossed on one chunk of hickory to add some smokiness to the jerky. Now it was time for the hard part. Keeping the temp below 200 degrees for 4-6 hours and watching the delicious jerky take shape. The jerky is was done at 6 hours and was a deep burgundy color and firm to the touch.