Award Winning Beef Jerky Food

THE ULTIMATE BEEF JERKY RECIPE

Steps:

• Trim all visible fat from the beef and place in freezer for an hour or two to partially freeze.
• While the meat is in the freezer, combine marinade ingredients in a blender and blend until the peppers have been chopped into very small pieces. Place in a bowl or ziplock bag.
• Remove the meat from the freezer and slice ¼" strips against the grain for an easy chew. Cut with the grain for a more chewy jerky.
• Add sliced beef to the mixture in the ziplock bag or bowl and marinate for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator.
• After the meat has finished marinating, remove from refrigerator and strain excess marinade in a colander and pat dry with paper towels.
• Load dehydrator trays with jerky strips leaving room for air to circulate I used my Excalibur Dehydrator and dried for 3 hours at 165°F and 1 hour at 145°F
• The jerky is finished when it bends and cracks, but does not break in half.

THE BEST HOMEMADE BEEF JERKY RECIPE

Steps:

• Slice the meat between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick with the grain. (If the roast is too thick to slice easily, cut it in half horizontally before slicing.)
• Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, meat tenderizer, black pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder. Whisk until evenly combined and the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the meat to the marinade and toss until all of the pieces are evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to a large ziplock bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or overnight. Toss the meat (or flip the bag) once or twice to be sure the meat marinates evenly.
• Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Place a wire rack over each pan. Preheat the oven to 175°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions.
• Arrange the marinated meat on the wire racks in a single layer. Bake, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom midway through, until the meat is dried out, 3 to 4 hours. To determine if the jerky is thoroughly dried out, take a piece out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature. It should be dry to the touch, leather-like in appearance, and chewy but still somewhat tender.
• Store the jerky inside an airtight plastic container, Ziploc bag, or airtight glass jars. Properly dried jerky will keep at room temperature for about one week. Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.
• Note: Pop the meat in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours before slicing; it will be easier to cut.
• Note: Meat tenderizer contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down meat tissue. You can find it in the spice section of your supermarket. (I use McCormick.)

BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• 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.

OVEN BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• For the BBQ jerky: Stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, garlic powder and paprika in a bowl. Thinly slice the frozen beef against the grain. Coat the meat in the mixture. Marinate the meat, refrigerated, for 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a baking rack on top.
• Lay the slices of meat flat on the baking rack in a single layer. Bake until the jerky is completely dried, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
• For the teriyaki jerky: Stir together the soy, sugar, sriracha, Worcestershire, garlic, ginger and lime juice in a resealable plastic bag. Thinly slice the frozen beef against the grain. Place the meat in the bag and marinate the meat, refrigerated, for 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a baking rack on top. Lay the slices of meat flat on the baking rack in a single layer. Bake until the jerky is completely dried, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

MIKE'S PEPPERED BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Place beef strips on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound beef with the tenderizing side of a meat mallet until the meat fibers are slightly broken but the strips still hold their shape.
• Mix Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, and coriander seeds in a large bowl until brown sugar has dissolved.
• Place beef strips into the bowl; add enough water to allow marinade to cover the meat. Stir to incorporate water and submerge the beef in marinade, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Remove beef strips from marinade, shake off excess, and lay the strips onto oven-proof racks. Do not overlap the strips.
• Bake the beef strips in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest strip reads at least 150 degrees F (65 degrees C).
• Remove strips from oven and place onto racks of a food dehydrator so the strips don't overlap.
• If desired, sprinkle strips with more coriander seeds and black pepper.
• Turn on the dehydrator, set machine's temperature for 155 degrees F (70 degrees C), and dry the jerky until leathery, about 9 hours. Rotate the racks from top to bottom every 1 1/2 hours for even drying. A piece of jerky should crack but not break in half when folded. Store in refrigerator.

BEST EVER BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients (except the meat) until combined.
• Add meat that has been thinly sliced (the meat is easier to slice when its half frozen) and marinade 24-48 hours, refrigerated.
• Remove from marinade, disguarding excess.
• Place onto food dehydrator trays, you'll know its done when it cracks when bent but does not break.
• I have never "over dehydrated" my jerky, I always feel its better over dried than under dried. Mine usually takes about a day and a half to be fully done. Rotate trays for even dehydration.