Tried and True Beef Jerky Recipe

[Laura]

My boy has requested that I make home made beef jerky.
I have a 9 tray Excalibur.
I would like to make it as 'organic' as possible..if it's possible.

Can you please share your favorite recipe for beef jerky!!!

Thank you

[DiggingDogFarm]

My boy has requested that I make home made beef jerky.
I have a 9 tray Excalibur.
I would like to make it as 'organic' as possible..if it's possible.

Can you please share your favorite recipe for beef jerky!!!

Thank you

I use the Alton Brown recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html

[BonnyLake]

This is the chewy type of jerky that is in chunks in some of the store varieties. It came with my Nesco machine but I tweaked a lot of the salts out and a few more flavors in.

Ground Meat Jerky Recipe

2 lbs lean (93/7) ground meat (beef, buffalo, venison)
2 Tbl soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt (kosher salt if you have it)
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 Tbl brown sugar
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke or chipolte chili for a smokey taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Recipe - using a Dehydrator

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix really well with your hands. Put it into a gallon size zip-loc bag, remove the air and make into a log shape. Allow to age in the refrigerator 24-48 hours for best flavors.

Set the dehydrator to highest heat.

(I use 3 large cookie sheets for the next steps but it depends on how thick you want the jerky). Line the cookie sheets with wax paper. Put part of the meat in the middle and spread out with a rolling pin all the way to the edges. I roll out to 1/4 inch.

When each pan is finished put wax paper on top. Put pans in the freezer until the meat gets really firm, about 2-4 hours - it's okay if it freezes. - I have left it in the freezer for several days until I could dry it.

When you are ready to cook - flop out the frozen meat onto a counter top, remove the wax paper, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into strips, 1 1/2" x 4" is what I do to fit in the machine. (I used cookie cutters once and made shapes as a joke!)

I space the strips only about ½” apart because they shrink pretty fast. Dehydrate for a few hours and then check the texture - keep checking every 30 minutes or so the first time you make it to determine where you want the chewiness to be. When they are done I take them out right away and dry on paper towels to make sure and get all the oils out. Put into a container and refrigerate.

** NOTE ** you don't have to let this age or freeze if you want a quick and easy snack in a couple of hours time - just go heavier on the spices.

** ALSO ** This is a very basic recipe and you can do anything with ground meat as far as flavors - herbs and dried fruits & veggies would be good too because it can be mixed in and not laid on top of the meat before drying. **

[grumble]

I hope this isn't redundant to DDF's link.

I make a pretty fair amount of jerky, and they ain't sech a thing as bad jerky.

You need:

-lean meat (I buy 20-30 lbs of London broil when it goes on one of those $0.99 sales)

-thin slices, with the grain (trick is to let frozen meat thaw in the fridge overnight so it's still almost frozen, but still firm). The thinner the better.

-Soy sauce and whatever spices you like. Experiment! Make it strong.

-Time. At least 24 hrs to marinade, and then drying time.

Personally, I never cut the soy sauce more than about 25% with water (e.g., 3 c soy, 1 c water). Again, strong is good.

I usually simmer the other spices for an hour or so to get the flavor into the marinade liquid.

If you have a gas stove, there is enough airflow for it to act as a dryer. Adjust the thermostat so you can get it to 160 degrees using an oven thermometer. Warmer than that, and you get cooked, crunchy jerky.

The stuff drips a lot, use something to catch the drippings.

Bottom line is, if you have some lean meat and soy sauce, you can make good jerky.

[Laura]

Sweet action!!
Thank you very much!!

[paqcrewmama]

Thank you!

I hadn't considered brown sugar!

[Aamylf]

Local store had a buy one get two free sale for sirloin, so I did and tried my first batch of jerky on Sunday. Soaked 1/2 overnight in honey and balsamic vinegar with kosher salt and the other half in teryaki sauce and chili powder. Took 5 hours in the dehydrator, but holy moly! I am not a big jerky fan and this stuff was incredible. DH said, "Make me five pounds of this for Christmas!"

If anyone has a super duper recipe, I'll take it.

[grumble]

Experiment, Aamy! The preservative is the vinegar & salt or the soy sauce. Pick your favorite spices and throw them in the marinade. Add water if it's too strong, soak it longer if too bland. I really like green chili jerky, but you can use anything to flavor it the way you like.

[Grendal]

I know some people might be religious if so pardon me.

My buddy makes pork jerky in his oven. Can use beef too or venison or american buffalo. He calls it hog wild on the devil's dime. It's supposed to be very spicy, and he perferes wild hog....hence the name hog wild, on the devil's dime is cause it's supposed to be hot and we were goofing off at the time and a song by black label society came on the radio.

2 pounds of venison (or any meat type)
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Salt
1 teaspoon of red pepper
2 sliced cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons of Cayenne pepper
1 cup of Water

Cut meat intro strips. 1/8th to 1/4th (against the grain for more brittle jerky, with the grain for tougher jerky)
Mix ingredients.
Marinade meat, covered, in fridge over night.
lay out the strips on a cookie sheet lined with foil, in rows and a single layer. The pieces in the middle will dry slower and you will also need to turn the pieces over at the end and dry a while longer to ensure the bottoms get dry. Cook at 200 degrees anywhere from 8-14 hours propping open the door to allow moisture to escape and to lower the oven temperature when necessary.

We've never used a dehydrator....I guess I need to look into one lol.

My jerky specialty, I call it Crazy Horse jerky.

4 pound very lean round or flank bison steak (can use deer or beef)
16 tablespoons soy sauce
16 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon pepper (more pepper for hotter jerky)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoon salt


Put steak in freezer for about half an hour, just until firm. Slice steak across grain, about 1/4 inch thick.
Combine everything in large bowl. Marinate meat 1 hour with sauce in refrigerator, then drain in colander. Place meat on cookie sheets to dry.
For fastest drying do not overlap meat and turn at least once during drying. Dry in 300-degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours, then flip for another 1 1/2 hour. It is ready when it bends like a green willow without breaking. Check it every hour or so.


Refrigerate for long-term storage.

[keydl]

I like to cut about 60 deg to the grain 1/4 thick and 2 in wide.

! cup cider vinegar
2 oz molasses or sorgum
chipolte powder to taste I use about a tablespoon but about 1/2 that for a crew
teaspoon of Worcestershire sometimes

When other spices are around I have added and cannot remember any that did not taste good - onion powder, garlic powder, circummin, oregano,dill, celantro, sage, pumpkin pie spice.....

I have jerked cow, deer, elk, goat, possum, pig and chicken. I got 2 bites of chicken when the son's friends found it - amazing how that stuff disappears :) they did the same thing to about 10 pounds of pig another time. I tried mullet once but it is so much better smoked and less trouble to smoke.

[cubcadet]

Next time I get my deer, I`m gonna try a cool sounding brown sugar recipe with teriaki sauce. Another recipe that sounds great is the ground meat one rolled out flat and cut in strips- never thought of that. I make mine in a homemade dehydrator with a standard 60 W. bulb mounted on the bottom of a cardboard box and 3 trays made out of standard hardware cloth. This summer, I`m building a large lean-to or a treehouse, not sure which, and will be smoking and cooking meat outdoors.