Here's to a new venture: Jerky!
'Borrowed' this from another blog - so I won't take credit myself, but certainly looking forward to tackling this venture!
Beef jerky an excellent snack, its a great way to preserve meat and also get your essential proteins. The problem that we face today is that beef jerky sold in the supermarkets is generally expensive and packed full of unhealthy additives and preservatives. How do you avoid this? The answer is simple, homemade beef jerky! Making jerky at home is much cheaper and eliminates any unnecessary preservatives from the pictures. If you're a 'do it yourself' type of person with some extra time, my homemade beef jerky recipes are sure to please!
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Many people will tell you that only certain cuts of beef should be used to make jerky. I say bah! Any cut of meat can be used when making jerky, but cuts such as the eye round, sirloin, flank and rump will be much easier to prepare. Other cuts will take a little more effort from you, as you'll have to cut out the fat so that your beef jerky doesn't become hard to chew. It really depends on how much time you want to spend.
Once you've found the right cut of meat, you'll want to start off by placing it in the freezer for a couple of hours. The meat shouldn't be frozen all the way through as you're just looking to firm it up to make slicing it easier. Once your meat has firmed in the freezer, using a sharp knife, cut with the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Now that you're meat is cut, you'll want to choose a marinade. I've included four of my favorite beef jerky marinade recipes below.
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All four of these Beef Jerky marinades are very easy to make and will properly marinate 4-5 pounds of jerky meat.
Hot and Sour Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice
2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed, or 2tsp Powder)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped or 1Tblsp Powder)
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
Carne Asada Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
Juice from an Orange
Juice from a Lime
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Cumin
2 Teaspoons Oregano
2 Teaspoons Salt
Handful of Fresh Cilantro
Teriyaki Beef Jerky Marinade Recipe:
1 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Juice from one Orange
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed, or 2tsp Garlic Powder)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped or 2tsp Onion Powder)
1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger (2tsp Ginger Powder)
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Simply Pepper Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Mixed Peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
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For all the marinades above, start off by combining all ingredients into a large freezer bag and mix well. Once mixed, add your strips of meat, seal and then let it rest in your refrigerator for 12-48 hours. The longer you let it sit, the more intense the flavor.
When it comes time to cook/dry your beef jerky, there are many different techniques that can be used. I'll take you through the process of oven drying, but smokers and dehydrators are also viable options.
Start off by turning your oven to the lowest setting. 150F is about normal for most ovens.
Place the jerky strips onto baking racks or something that will allow for air flow beneath and around the slices of meat. Be sure to shake off any excess marinade. Do not place onto baking sheets as these do not provide the proper ventilation and will hold in moisture. Personally, I use a pizza pan that has a bunch of little holes in the bottom.
Move the baking trays into the oven. It's important to crack the oven door open using a knife or wooden spoon so that new air is constantly being sucked in. This will greatly improve the time it takes to dry your jerky.
It will take about 4-6 hours for your beef jerky to be ready to eat. Flip the jerky about once every hour to make sure that it is drying consistently. In the last couple hours, monitor your jerky until the desired dryness. Some people like their jerky with more moisture for a softer texture while others like myself like a drier Jerky for the nice chewiness. Just dry it to your preference.
The last step to do is cool and store. For beef jerky with a higher moisture content, seal in bags and store in the refrigerator. Jerky that has had the majority of water content removed will be able to store in a cool dark place in an airtight container. The fresh jerky will last for three weeks, if you don't eat it all by then! If you need it for longer, jerky will stay good for around a year if you store it in the freezer.
'Borrowed' this from another blog - so I won't take credit myself, but certainly looking forward to tackling this venture!
Beef jerky an excellent snack, its a great way to preserve meat and also get your essential proteins. The problem that we face today is that beef jerky sold in the supermarkets is generally expensive and packed full of unhealthy additives and preservatives. How do you avoid this? The answer is simple, homemade beef jerky! Making jerky at home is much cheaper and eliminates any unnecessary preservatives from the pictures. If you're a 'do it yourself' type of person with some extra time, my homemade beef jerky recipes are sure to please!
_________________________________________________________________
Cuts of Meat -
Many people will tell you that only certain cuts of beef should be used to make jerky. I say bah! Any cut of meat can be used when making jerky, but cuts such as the eye round, sirloin, flank and rump will be much easier to prepare. Other cuts will take a little more effort from you, as you'll have to cut out the fat so that your beef jerky doesn't become hard to chew. It really depends on how much time you want to spend.
Preparing the Meat -
Once you've found the right cut of meat, you'll want to start off by placing it in the freezer for a couple of hours. The meat shouldn't be frozen all the way through as you're just looking to firm it up to make slicing it easier. Once your meat has firmed in the freezer, using a sharp knife, cut with the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Now that you're meat is cut, you'll want to choose a marinade. I've included four of my favorite beef jerky marinade recipes below.
_________________________________________________________________
Homemade Beef Jerky Marinade Recipes -
All four of these Beef Jerky marinades are very easy to make and will properly marinate 4-5 pounds of jerky meat.
Hot and Sour Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice
2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed, or 2tsp Powder)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped or 1Tblsp Powder)
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
Carne Asada Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
Juice from an Orange
Juice from a Lime
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped)
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Cumin
2 Teaspoons Oregano
2 Teaspoons Salt
Handful of Fresh Cilantro
Teriyaki Beef Jerky Marinade Recipe:
1 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Juice from one Orange
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic (crushed, or 2tsp Garlic Powder)
1/2 Onion (finely chopped or 2tsp Onion Powder)
1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger (2tsp Ginger Powder)
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Simply Pepper Beef Jerky Marinade:
1/2 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Mixed Peppercorns
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
_________________________________________________________________
Marinating the Meat -
For all the marinades above, start off by combining all ingredients into a large freezer bag and mix well. Once mixed, add your strips of meat, seal and then let it rest in your refrigerator for 12-48 hours. The longer you let it sit, the more intense the flavor.
Cooking/Drying Your Jerky -
When it comes time to cook/dry your beef jerky, there are many different techniques that can be used. I'll take you through the process of oven drying, but smokers and dehydrators are also viable options.
Oven Drying Beef Jerky:
Start off by turning your oven to the lowest setting. 150F is about normal for most ovens.
Place the jerky strips onto baking racks or something that will allow for air flow beneath and around the slices of meat. Be sure to shake off any excess marinade. Do not place onto baking sheets as these do not provide the proper ventilation and will hold in moisture. Personally, I use a pizza pan that has a bunch of little holes in the bottom.
Move the baking trays into the oven. It's important to crack the oven door open using a knife or wooden spoon so that new air is constantly being sucked in. This will greatly improve the time it takes to dry your jerky.
It will take about 4-6 hours for your beef jerky to be ready to eat. Flip the jerky about once every hour to make sure that it is drying consistently. In the last couple hours, monitor your jerky until the desired dryness. Some people like their jerky with more moisture for a softer texture while others like myself like a drier Jerky for the nice chewiness. Just dry it to your preference.
The last step to do is cool and store. For beef jerky with a higher moisture content, seal in bags and store in the refrigerator. Jerky that has had the majority of water content removed will be able to store in a cool dark place in an airtight container. The fresh jerky will last for three weeks, if you don't eat it all by then! If you need it for longer, jerky will stay good for around a year if you store it in the freezer.
