How to Make Beef Jerky

There are different ways to make beef jerky. There are different techniques, ingredients, and equipment you can use, but don't worry too much about all of that because the process is basically the same. Here are the basics of how to make beef jerky.

First, here are the ingredients and equipment you'll need. Of course you will need meat. Top round meat works good, but you can use any meat that can be stripped thinly like eye round, bottom round, or sirloin. You'll need spices. The spices vary widely depending on diet restrictions and taste preference, so grab a great recipe. Some good ingredients to use are salt, pepper, soy sauce or teriyaki sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar. Lastly you'll need an oven or a dehydrator (actually you can even smoke jerky over a fire or in the sun as well).

Beef jerky is basically raw meat that's been seasoned and dried out. Slice your meat (with or against the grain) into thin strips between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch thick. If the meat is frozen for several minutes it will be easier to cut. It is important to remove any fat from your strips, as fat will not dry properly. At this point some marinate the meat in a salt water or flavored marinade for several hours, though it's really not necessary as it will marinate while it dries. Add your ingredients and your meat into a bowl. The amounts will of course vary depending on how much meat you are drying and what your ingredients are, but you'll likely use equal amounts of each. Mix it all together until the meat strips are covered with the seasoning (this will include liquids as well like soy or teriyaki sauce). If you're using your oven place the meat onto a wired rack, which is placed over a cookie tray (or you can get creative and rig up a way to hang the meat strips from toothpicks). Preheat your oven to 150 degrees and place the meat inside for 6-12 hours, depending on the thickness of the meat. Check to make sure it is still not too raw on the inside, or even too dry and brittle. Your jerky should typically turn into a dark brown color. That's it, you're done. Or, you can also place the meat into a dehydrator and rotate periodically as it dries (depends on the dehydrator). Place some liquid smoke onto a paper towel and place that paper towel into a sealed plastic bag, along with the dried meat. The next day, it's done. Now just make sure to store and seal it properly, as even salted beef jerky can go bad.

Again, this is just a brief overview of how to make beef jerky. Follow a recipe the first time or two and then get creative with equipment, process, and of course flavoring. Who knows, in no time you may become a beef jerky making fanatic.