Directions

1Before you get started, you need to pick a good piece of lean meat. This is obviously a vital part of the process since the wrong cut of beef can ruin your jerky even before you get started. Beef flank steak is the ideal cut for quality jerky. However, not everyone can find that cut in their local butcher shop and there are some noble alternatives. If you can’t find any flank stank, then round steak, rump roast, and brisket flat will all make excellent alternatives. There is, however, one very important thing to keep in mind regardless of which cut of beef you bring home. Be sure there is no fat on it! Excess fat can spoil a batch of jerky and lead to it spoiling or going rancid. So, get your butcher to slice off as much fat as possible before you bring your beef home.

2Once you get the meat home, take special care to trim off any fat that might be left on in. Then take your sharpest kitchen knife and carefully slice the beef into 1/8″to 1/4″ thick strips. It’s important that the slices be thin and even to ensure that it all dries evenly in the dehydrator. Another little pro tip: if you freeze your meat for an hour or two before cutting it, it will be easier to slice into uniform pieces. Additionally, if you want to take your home beef jerky to a whole other level, you can always get a beef jerky slicer to make things even easier. This will allow you to crank out your jerky slices even faster, helping you make large batches with ease.

3Once you have your beef jerky strips trimmed, sliced, and ready to be dried, it’s time to get seasoning. There are many possible jerky recipes, but one preserve is an absolute necessity—salt. It is an essential ingredient in the process of making any dried meat, as it ensures the beef won’t get spoiled by increasing its shelf life, and, of course, gives the jerky a fantastic flavour. However, only seasoning meat with salt will not offer nearly enough flavour if you want to make some truly great homemade beef jerky. Now, the specific spices that are best for your jerky will depend on your personal preference. There are hundreds of jerky marinade recipes to choose from, each with their own flavour profile. Experimenting with marinades until you find your personal jerky preference is part of the fun and we encourage you to carve your own jerky path. However, to get you started on your exciting jerky journey, we recommend our recipe for spicy beef jerky marinade, which includes the ingredients listed above. Make sure to mix the marinade thoroughly and rub it into the beef with your hands. After that, the meat strips should be marinated in a ziplock bag at least overnight and ideally for 24 hours. Obviously, the bag should be in the refrigerator the whole time. If you’re rushed, you can always let it marinade in the freezer for a shorter amount of time, but we recommend a long refrigerated marinade for the best results.

4Make sure to thoroughly drain the marinated meat strips and pat them dry before putting them in the dehydrator. Excess liquid and dehydrators don’t mix, the whole point of this is to remove moisture after all. Next, the beef jerky slices should be placed on the racks in one even layer. Ensure that the pieces never touch or overlap to guarantee an even dehydration. Then turn the dehydrator on, set it to 155° F, and let it run for 4 to 6 hours. The total drying time will depend on the thickness of your beef jerky strips. Nonetheless, you should check in on your jerky to see how it looks throughout the drying process. You want to make sure that your jerky isn’t over or under-done, especially if this is your first time dehydrating beef. When your beef jerky has reached the ideal temperature and texture, take it out of the dehydrator, let it cool, and store it in a ziplock bag for up to 10 days (or for up to a month in a vacuum sealed bag).

5That’s it! You’re done! After that, all you need to do is dig in and enjoy your jerky. So as you can see, the process of making homemade beef jerky is actually quite easy and accessible. Beef jerky is such a unique and delicious meat treat that most people seem to think the process of making it is incredibly delicate and difficult. The truth of the matter is that making beef jerky is surprisingly simple and even rather fun. So stop buying disappointing jerky and start experimenting with your own recipes today. Before you know it, you’ll be making jerky so good that friends and family will start showing up at your house in the middle of the night begging for more.