Making Beef Jerky at Home - Simple, Inexpensive, & Delicious!

Author: Warren Ransom

Beef jerky is nothing more than
dried meat, a shelf stable and nutritious, tasty treat. As moisture is
removed, flavors concentrate, and any additional seasonings added to
the meat take on a life of their own. Making beef jerky at home is an
incredibly simple process, and requires no special equipment. Beef
jerky can be stored for long periods of time without going bad, and
makes for a healthy, tasty snack any time. Most people think beef jerky
is only found in hermetically sealed bags in the grocery store, however
making jerky at home, out of any meat, is accomplished with just a few
steps and may be tailored to any taste you prefer, from smoky, to
sweet, to spicy.

Before modern food processing, man made jerky out of any
available meat, with no more than the sun or a campfire. As long as the
meat is lean and prepared properly, it can easily be made into jerky.
These days, a person can better tailor the results to any taste
preference, and making jerky at home is as easy as preparing the meat,
marinating it and setting it out to dry. These days, jerky is
surprisingly popular, and every grocery store seems to carry some. It
can be found in convenience stores, and in some areas it is even sold
by the side of the road. Store bough jerky can be an expensive item,
however, and often the meat has been treated with additives. Also, any
time you buy a prepared item at the store, you should expect to pay a
premium over home made items. An easy way to keep costs down, and
ensure your jerky is just the way you want it, is to make it yourself.
Jerky is also an easy way to preserve game meat such as venison or elk,
which many people may hunt and find themselves with an abundance of
meat.

Making jerky at home is easy.
There are a few simple rules of which you should be aware to ensure
both a safe and tasty product.

Most importantly, the meat should be lean. Fatty meat will go
rancid and will not dry properly. Fat in the meat will result in a
subpar product that won't last very long out of the refrigerator (or
even in it). Commonly, beef is used for jerky, in which case the best
cuts to use are flank steak or round steak. Various game meats such as
buffalo, elk, venison, caribou, and many others can also be used as
long as lean cuts are chosen.

Some people swear by a dehydrator, which is a multi-tasker
than can be used for much more than just drying meat. While a
dehydrator can make excellent jerky, it is by no means necessary and an
oven will easily suffice. A smoker can also make excellent jerky, while
imparting a stronger smoky taste, which many people appreciate. Sun
drying is possible, but risky if proper safety measures are not taken,
and can also take a much longer time to dry your meat effectively.

The easiest way to prepare the meat is by freezing it to the
point of firmness but while it is not yet fully frozen. Cut the meat
into strips no more than a quarter of an inch thick, half to three
quarters of an inch wide, and six to eight inches long for the perfect
working size. You should cut the meat across the grain to ensure a
proper finished texture, and again, make sure than all visible fat and
gristle has been removed.

Seasonings are multiple and varied. In the olden days, beef
was merely treated with salt and pepper and dried, which actually
results in quite a satisfying end product. Meat is more commonly
marinated these days, however, but there are still many dry rubs and
other methods used that can make great beef jerky. Some folks engage in
what is called a 'quick cook' method to start the process, whereby the
meat strips are dropped in a pot of boiling water for a minute or two,
which may kill any bacteria that may be on the meat and prepares the
meat for a dry rub. While this is one method, often simply marinating
the meat for a period of time results in more depth of flavor and is
just as safe; however both choices produce tasty beef jerky.

Making Beef Jerky

Most dehydrators will come with instructions for drying jerky,
and they usually vary from machine to machine. For most people, the
oven is a convenient way of making jerky at home, and is simple and
readily available. For this, you will need a wire rack for the meat to
dry on and a cookie sheet or low pan underneath to catch the drippings.
Generally speaking, set your oven to 140 degrees and let it get to
temperature. Prepare and marinate the meat according to your
instructions (a great, simple beef jerky recipe will follow this
article). Place the strips of meat on the wire rack and place in the
oven above the sheet or pan and leave the door of the oven open a
crack. The beef jerky should be ready in six to eight hours, and you
will know when it is done when it has turned very dark, and when it is
bent, it will slightly crack but not break.

If you happen to have a smoker, this is a good option as well
since the additional smoke flavor from the smoker will enhance the
taste of the jerky in a way that liquid smoke just can't. Only a small
handful of coals should be fine or eight bricks of charcoal if you
don't have any wood handy. Remember to keep the heat down to about 140
degrees as you are not trying to cook the beef, just dry it out. You
may have to add some coals as time goes on, as it should take six to
eight hours for the beef jerky to be ready.

Storing your jerky

When your jerky has dried, let it cool completely before
removing from the rack. Then place it in zip-lock bags or air tight
jars. It will keep many weeks in the refrigerator, and will last years
in the freezer. Just grab a piece for an anytime snack, or put it in a
pocket or bag for an on-the-go treat. Beef jerky is simple and
inexpensive to make at home, and a highly nutritious treat for anyone,
anywhere.

Easy Basic Beef Jerky Marinade:

1 1/2 lb Lean Boneless Beef

1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

1 ts Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 ts Onion Powder

1/4 ts Ground Black Pepper

1/4 ts Garlic Powder

1/4 ts Liquid Smoke

Vegetable oil cooking spray for rack

In a medium-size glass, stoneware, plastic or stainless steel
bowl, combine soy sauce, Worcestershire, onion powder, pepper, garlic
powder, and liquid smoke. Stir to dissolve seasonings. Add meat and mix
until all surfaces are thoroughly coated. Cover tightly and refrigerate
for at least 6 hours or until next day, stirring occasionally; recover
tightly after stirring. Dehydrate according to instructions above.

If you are looking for beef jerky recipes, jerky making
tips, and easy how-to instructions, The Jerky FAQ at
http://www.jerkyfaq.com
is a complete guide to making jerky at home, or finding beef jerky
online.

About the Author:

Warren Ransom is a personal chef and manages a number of
websites devoted to food and dining.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
- Making Beef Jerky at Home - Simple, Inexpensive, & Delicious!