Teriyaki Beef Jerky

Halloween. The kids did the porches in costume. I sat on the porch with a bowl of candy and a beer and ran through it all by 8 PM. Brookline trick-or-treats hard.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Smothered turkey wings Sunday. Slow braised in onion gravy.

Aiden's 10. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 8. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

I sat on the back porch with a beer and looked at the smoker and thought about nothing for an hour.

I read for an hour Sunday night. A book about the auto industry. Half memoir, half history. Made me think about Pop and the line and the fragile contract that built the middle of this country. I underlined the parts that hit.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

I took a walk around the block Sunday morning. The neighborhood was quiet. The trees were the trees. The light was good. I waved at three porches. The porches waved back. Brookline holds.

A reader wrote in about the smothered pork chops. Said her late husband loved them. I wrote back. I told her about Pop. We exchanged three emails. She's in Saginaw. She's coming to the city in the spring.

The drive home Friday was the long way around. I took Outer Drive past the lake. The water was still. I do not always notice the water. I noticed Friday.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

A song came on the radio Tuesday — old Stevie Wonder — and I had to sit in the truck for the rest of it before I went into the store. Some songs do that. Detroit is a city of songs that do that.

The Lions on TV Sunday. Lost on a missed field goal. Detroit. The neighborhood collectively groaned at the same moment. You could hear it through the windows.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

The block had a small drama Tuesday. Somebody parked in front of Ms. Diane's driveway. Ms. Diane addressed it directly. The car moved within the hour. The neighborhood polices itself on small things.

A neighbor down the street gave me a tomato plant Saturday. He grows them on his porch. Said he had extra. I put it next to the back step where it gets the afternoon sun. Detroit gardens are improvised victories.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

Stopped at Eastern Market Saturday. Got chicken thighs, bacon, a watermelon, and a pound of greens that I did not need but bought anyway. The vendors know me by name now. Three of them asked about the family.

I filled the propane tank Wednesday and wiped down the smoker anyway — not because I had to, but because it’s mine the way Pop’s torque wrench was his, and some things deserve that kind of attention. After I put the tomato plant by the back step and stood there a while thinking about nothing, I figured if I’m already out there, I might as well give the smoker a reason to earn it. Teriyaki beef jerky is slow and quiet and comes out of the kind of afternoon that asks nothing from you — exactly right for that Saturday before the week picks back up.

Prep Time: 30 min + 8 hr marinade | Cook Time: 5 hr | Total Time: ~13 hr | Servings: 10

Ingredients

2 lbs flank steak or top round, trimmed of fat
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sesame seeds, for finishing (optional)

Instructions

Slice the beef. Place the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up. Slice across the grain into strips 1/4-inch thick. Thinner cuts dry faster and hold the marinade better.
Build the marinade. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves.
Marinate. Add the beef strips to the marinade, toss to coat evenly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours — overnight is better. Turn once if you think of it.
Pull and pat dry. Remove strips from the marinade and lay them on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Pat the surface dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.
Load the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 165–175°F. Lay strips directly on the grates with space between each piece so air can move. Use a mild wood — apple or cherry works well with the teriyaki.
Smoke low and slow. Smoke for 4–6 hours, checking at the 4-hour mark. Jerky is done when it bends without snapping and has a dry, leathery surface with no wet spots in the center.
Finish and cool. Remove from the smoker and scatter sesame seeds over the top if using. Let the jerky cool completely on the rack — at least 30 minutes — before storing. It firms up as it cools.
Store. Pack in an airtight container or zip bag at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or refrigerate for up to a month.

Nutrition (per serving)

Teriyaki Beef Jerky — Something to Make When You’re Already Out There with the Smoker