What's the best recipe for making beef jerky?

Answer 1

BEEF JERKY

4 pounds lean beef, sliced into 1/4" strips
1/2 tsp hickory or mesquite smoke flavoring
1/4 cup soy or teriyaki sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cracked black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons molasses or brown sugar (optional)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce or ketchup

Choose lean beef only, as fat goes rancid when making jerky. Remove all fat from meat.
Beef top round, flank steak and rump work well. To make jerky that isn't hard to chew, slice across the grain no more than 1/4" thick and don't overdry it. If you freeze meat for a short time, not until it is frozen solid, but just until ice crystals form and meat can still be pierced easily with the point of a knife, then it will be easier to slice thinly. You can also use an electric slicer (Rival or Chef's Choice make home type slicers if you'll be making a lot of jerky).

Combine ingredients and marinate meat in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally. Be sure marinade gets between the slices and covers the meat.

Drain liquid and place in smoker, oven, or food dehydrator at 160-180°F. Turn when dripping stops. They are ready when jerky is dry enough to easily break off a portion, but still has enough resilience to crack when bent, but not break (4-8 hours). It should not be tough and leathery.

It's important to store jerky away from humidity. Let cool completely before packaging. Seal up in Food Saver bags, canning jars or use Press-N-Seal or aluminum foil to keep away air and humidity. If you won't be using right away, store in the refrigerator to preserve freshness longer, but jerky can be kept without refrigeration.

Note: Sodium Nitrate (curing salt) can be used to enhance preservative qualities, but is not required. If used, add 3/4 teaspoon to the above recipe or follow directions on package.

Answer 2

Best Teriyaki Beef Jerky Recipe

Answer 3

If you have a smoker, start with 1 lb of thin sliced beef. Make marinade with: 1 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon pickling salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 clove crushed garlic

Mix the ingredients and let them sit while you cut the meat into strips. Put the sliced meat in a bowl and pour on the marinade. It's best to let it go overnight in the fridge. Before smoking, pour off the marinade and run hot water in the bowl with the meat a couple of times. This will draw off excess salt. Put on the rack and smoke until done - the time depends on the smoker. I like using mesquite or hickory for this recipe. For a variation use teriyaki sauce instead of soy sauce, and use an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Good luck!!

Answer 4

I tried this recipe I found online some days ago. It's great.

Homemade Beef Jerky

number of servings: 15
time to make: 1/2 day + 1/2 day prep

4 lbs london broil beef or flank steaks
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, more if you like it hot
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 cup soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Frank's red hot sauce

1. Trim all fat off meat.
2. Cut steak in to 4 inch strips.
3. The steak should be about 1/2 inch thick.
4. It's easier to cut meat partially frozen.
5. Pound meat lightly, you don't want it too thin.
6. Add all ingredients in a large bowl.
7. Mix well.
8. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (8 hrs.).
9. Line cookie sheets with tin foil.
10. Place steak strips on sheets, don't overlap meat.
11. Set oven at lowest temperature. (150-175 degrees).
12. Bake six hours, turning after three hours.
13. Jerky is done when meat is dried out, depending on your oven.
14. Worth the wait!

Answer 5

I don't know. And you know what's an even greater mystery to me? Why *I* haven't asked this question! Ah, I've been thinking "isn't there a really useful question I can ask?" and I completely FORGOT about my COMPLETE and UTTER LOVE for BEEF JERKY!!!

By the way- this is NOT sarcasm! Beef jerky is one of my favorite foods, especially Jack Link's beef jerky. When I'm sick to my stomach, the only things I can eat are canned peaches and beef jerky. But, it's so expensive!!!

Being able to make my own jerky... is... beyond words.

I will be reading every single answer to this question. I am SO happy it is featured! Everyone, BRING ON THE JERKY!!!!

Answer 6

I use rump roast and have the butcher slice it as thin as he can get it. About 1/8". Then I cut into smaller pieces about 1"x4" to dry. I let marinade in a mixture of soy sauce, teriyaki, worsterchershire, a little pepper and garlic salt for about 3 days. I put enough in the bowl to cover the meat completely and mix a few times a day to make sure all the meat is completely marinated. Then I have a Ronco dehydrator I use to finish the dehydrating process after it's been marinaded. Here is a link to the Ronco site http://www.ronco.com/rco_prodinfo.aspx?pid=FD5000101001&color=&active=ascry. It is very easy to use, directions included and you can let this go overnight and while you are at work/school as it takes a couple days to complete. Hope this helps!

Answer 7

although the taste differs from person to person...some like deer/elk meat, most people prefer beef. i'm ALWAYS making beef jerky and i bag it up and sell it...i make it by buying a rump roast, i put it in the freezer for a while to make the meat stiffen so i can slice it better (if you have a meat slicer that's even better)...once it's sliced, then i make different types of jerky by adding different flavors to each, such as sprinkling pepper,(the most fave)..red chile powder, green chile powder, red chile seeds, teriyaki, brushing some kc masterpiece barbecue sauce(or another barbecue sauce), hickory smoke, or whatever other flavor you think you'll like...i use a dehydrator to dry the jerky overnight...in about 5 hours or so, the jerky is nice and dry and ready to eat!...my main sellers are the peppered, red chile, teriyaki and barbecue sauce jerkies...using the dehydrator is far more easier to use and you don't have to watch it, like the oven or hanging it for days to dry....and you can build your own bussiness by this :)....happy eating

Answer 8

Just the other day a kid at school gave me some Kangaroo jerky that he bought at an exotic foods store (which had imported it from South Africa) it was Buffalo Bob's Kangaroo Jerky. As far as making jerky goes, good luck.

Answer 9

Alton Brown-Good Eats-Food Network--All copyrights nodded and winked at:

Beef Jerky
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Urban Preservation II: The Jerky
1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords

Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.

Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.

Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.

Answer 10

If you have a wal mart close buy you thay have a 2 part jerky
mix that worked great for any kinda meat. I have used it on beef,
Deer,chicken,elk and its pretty good. I use a dehydrator with this mix. Or you can soak the meat in soy sauce over night then while
you dry it add a little pepper on top yummy.