For many years people have made beef jerky for food, storage and necessity. Many new methods have been developed such as freezing, adding chemicals, etc.
We still love the taste and ease of Beef Jerky Original which is generally made from beef but has been enhanced by other flavors like caramel.
Campers and backpackers like jerky because it is easy to pack and requires no refrigeration. It can be used in cooking as well as for snacks. It makes a great gift from the kitchen because you don't have to refrigerate it. Put it in a zip bag for storage or stand the jerky up in a tall jar and then decorate the jar lid with fabric and ribbon.
When making jerky all the fat and moisture must be removed. Jerky is a very good source of energy. Sometimes these benefits are offset by the many chemicals added by processed jerky.
For Making your own health jerky follow these steps:
Marinade Ingredients:
Recipe #1:
- 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Cooking Instructions:
Three (3) pounds of meat will dehydrate down to about 16-18 ounces of jerky.
1. Select your meat. Lean beef is best. Choose a round or sirloin, brisker, flank steak, or even venison.2. Cut your beef into thin strips less than 1/8 inch thick, with the grain of the meat. If you want to make slicing easy partly freeze your meat. Make sure you trim all the fat because this does not freeze and can turn bad.
3. Mix all marinade ingredients together in a large gallon size Ziploc bag.
4. Add sliced meat and refrigerate, turning and "squishing" the bag every hour or two. Hearty meats like beef and venison should be marinated overnight.
5. When you are ready to begin the drying process place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to make cleanup easier. Drain the meat in a colander and dry with paper towels.
6. In a dehydrator use non-stick spray oil on the racks. In an oven set it at 200° allowing for preheating. The oven is not meant to cook but only get rid of the fluid by evaporation. Place meat slices directly onto oven racks. Leave the oven door open a crack to allow moisture to escape.
Drying times will vary due to oven differences and meat size and type. Perfect jerky is firm and dry and not at all spongy. However, if your jerky is so dry it breaks in two easily, it is probably too dry.
Store your jerky in zip bags and keep it in either a refrigerator or a freezer until ready to eat.
