Beef jerky has been around for hundreds of years when hunters and gatherers would use this method to preserve the meat to last longer. By pounding the meat thin, adding salt, and drying it out or smoking it over a fire, it helped preserve the flavor and longevity.
Beef jerky is a great snack for school, camping, or on the go because it leaves minimal mess. It used to be seen as a healthy snack until large corporate food companies starting adding sodium nitrate to have the meat last even longer. Although it has healthy factors such as a high protein count, low caloories, low fat, and low carbohydrates, most brands now are loaded with sodium and sugar. Yikes! You'd be better off eating a cookie at that rate. It gets better. The beef you are eating isn't even locally sourced. It's processed and shipped from another country such as South America. Talk about total freshness. I mean, that's what companies are advertising when they want you to eat their product over another.
One serving of jerky seems healthy right? I noticed that when I started eating packaged jerky that I would not only want to eat the whole thing in one sitting, which is 3 or 4 servings. That ends up being more calories than eating a well-balanced meal. Those nitrates are addicting and trick your brain into wanting more while turning off the part of your brain that says it's full. Newsflash, it's because you're not getting enough nutrients and losing water. Oh and I can't forget how bloated I felt afterwards. No amount of water could save me after that mishap.
While it may be a bit of extra work and clean up, it is worth making your own. Whether you use your oven or dehydrator is up to you, but I found that the dehydrator function on my Instant Pot Duo Crisp has been amazing. I never even used that setting until I started making my own jerky. You could use flank steak, eye of round, or top round steak because they are all lean cuts of meat. I like to marinate mine in different sauces overnight before dehydrating it, which lets the meat soak in those delicious flavors. I can literally throw it in the dehydrator in the morning and it's done by the end of the day. It's super convenient and I take this on all my camping trips. It helps me curb my cravings when I'm super hungry and no food is around in the middle of the woods. Storing it is easy peasy. Put it in a ziploc bag in the fridge if you're going to eat it right away. or vacuum seal it for extra freshness.
Mix and match different flavors and let me know which one you like the best. I listed my favorite recipes I've used to make my own beef jerky, which I'm excited to share below.
Sweet and Smoky Beef Jerky
2 pounds flank steak (or eye of round or top round steak)
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (or enough to fully cover the meat)
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried mustard powder
1 tsp Flavor God Honey BBQ seasoning
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Dill Pickle Beef Jerky
2 pounds flank steak (or eye or round or top round steak)
Leftover dill pickle marinade (or use already made dill pickle juice)
Sweet Pickle Beef Jerky
2 pounds flank steak (or eye or round or top round steak)
Leftover bread and butter pickle marinade (or use already made bread and butter pickle juice)
Honey Mustard Jerky
2 pounds flank steak (or eye of round or top round steak)
1/2 cup Honey
1/2 cup Dijon Mustard (Not Pub Style)
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce Containing Tamarind
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp dried mustard powder
1 tsp Flavor God Honey BBQ seasoning
Spicy Kimchi Jerky
2 pounds flank steak (or eye of round or top round steak)
Leftover kimchi brine (or use premade Kimchi brine)
Directions:
1) Cut your steak into thin slices against the grain for a more tender jerky or with the grain for a more chewy jerky. I cut mine on an angle against the grain for a longer piece. I suggest popping your meat in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to make it easier to slice. Or you can ask the butcher behind the meat counter at the meat market to do it for you.
2) Put your steak in a Ziploc bag and add the seasonings to the bag. Close the bag and shake it around until everything is fully incorporated.
3) Close the bag and let it marinate overnight for the best results. You can do it for less time if you're short on time, but I wouldn't recommend it.
4) In a dehydrator, spread out your meat without making them too crowded (or else it won't cook all the way). For the best results, heat your dehydrator to 165 degrees and cook for 8 hours. I have been using the dehydrator function on my instant pot duo crisp. Make sure to use the extra rack to give you more room. The jerky is done once it's dry and firm, but still a bit pliable. You don't want it to be too chewy. I prefer mine to be almost crispy, like bacon.
5) Once it's done, let it cool and place in a sealed container. Serve immediately. Refrigerate for up to a month or vacuum seal it to last longer. If it lasts that long. ;)
