Most Wholesome Beef Jerky

Learn fresh meat jerky is simply a nutritious and wholesome snack. This beef jerky is very easy to make once you gather your equipment.

Equipment

• 1 sharp knife or a jerky slicer Slice partially frozen meat with a sharp knife. a jerky slicer is perfect for slicing a lot of beef jerky.
• 1 oven or dehydrator

Ingredients

• 3 pounds meat such as flank steak, sirloin, filet mignon
• ⅔ cups Worcestershire Sauce
• ⅔ cups Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon smoke flavoring
• 2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce

Instructions

• Prepare the meat. You may have to freeze the meat for – hours if you want to make it easier to cut. Use a sharp steak knife to slice the meat (about ¼ inch) and remove any noticeable pieces of fat. If you cut with the grain, the jerky is chewy.
• Place the seasoning, the Worcestershire Sauce, Soy Sauce, smoke flavoring and tabasco sauce in a ziploc bag to make the marinade. Mix well.
• Add the slices of meat to the marinade. Mix all the ingredients together. Then place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight for 6 to 24 hours. It is a good idea to stir the ingredients about every hour.
• When you are ready to begin drying, remove the meat from the refrigerator and drain in a colander. Pat dry with a paper towel. The drier the better.
• You may choose to dry your beef jerky in the oven or in a dehydrator.
• If you are drying your meat in the oven, first preheat the oven. Next set the oven at 160 degrees F. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven. Place the meat strips on the oven racks. Heat the meat then lower to dry at 140 degrees F. Make sure to leave the oven door open to allow the moisture to escape. This process ensures that any bacteria present will be destroyed by wet heat.
• Drain the meat in a colander and pat dry with a paper towel. It dries better. Next set the oven at about 150 degrees and place the meat strips on the oven racks. Make sure the pieces do not touch. It should take between 3-8 hours to dry, depending on the thickness of the jerky. Do check after 3 hours and afterwards for doneness. The beef jerky is done when it bends and cracks. It should not break in half, if it does, it has been dried too long.
• If you choose to dry the jerky in a dehydrator, place the slices single layer on the dehydrator trays. Again, make sure the pieces do not touch. Dehydrate for 4-6 hours at 140 degrees F. After four hours turn the strips over on the tray so the meat dries evenly. Remove pieces that is fully dry.
• Cool the beef jerky before you store it

Notes

Note the following:

1. Drying time in the oven depends on the size of the meat.
2. Jerky last long without spoiling.
3. Avoid overcooking your beef jerky. It can lost its best flavor and texture.
4. The best meat to dehydrate is lean.

Here are links for some handy equipment to make beef jerky.

1. Jerky slicer. 
2. Dehydrator.  

Click the link to download the PDF version of this recipe.