Beef Jerky! The dried beef snack that you often find in the store with a whole host of different flavours…peppered, teriyaki, original, sweet and sour, etc. Well, if you’ve ever bought beef jerky, you also know its drawback…it’s often between $5 and $8 for a measly 4 ounces depending on the brand ($20-$32/pound for those of you who don’t feel like doing the math)! And still, it’s so tasty and protein packed that we buy it anyway.
The good news is that it’s pretty easy to make at home for a fraction of the price if you’ve got a little time and patience on your hands! And there are many different ways to dry it out, so if you don’t have a dehydrator fear not! Your oven will do the trick.
You can also switch up the protein if you like…our favourites when not using beef are turkey and venison. Either way, be sure to make a nice big batch before your next hike or long car ride, and you’ll have a great snack to fuel you on your journey!
Time: 6-7 Hours
Ingredients:
- 1.5-2 lbs of Beef. We highly suggest Top Round Steak, aka London Broil.
- You can also use venison or turkey if you prefer.
- 1/2-3/4 cup of Worcestershire Sauce (depending on amount of meat)
- 1/2-3/4 cup of Soy Sauce (depending on amount of meat)
- Seasonings of your choice. Some that we like are:
- Black pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Your Favourite Hot Sauce
- 2 Teaspoons of Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons of Honey
For the method, we are going to caption the pictures below to detail each step instead of writing a bulleted list and sharing the pictures all at the end.
-Then, put your meat in whatever drying appliance you’re using, and turn it on. For a dehydrator, use 155 degrees F, and for a conventional oven, use 170 degrees F (which is the lowest setting our oven has).
-Cook for 3-5 hours (depending on thickness of your slices) until your meat is dark brown, cracking, and not squishy. That’s how you know it’s dehydrated and done.
When your meat is done, allow it to come back to room temperature, and transfer to a zip top bag. It should stay good for a week or two in the pantry (or a little longer if you refrigerate). In all likelihood, it’ll be gone before you have to worry about whether it’s still good…but if it tastes funny or different as time goes on, stop eating, and start working on a new batch.