Homemade Beef Jerky

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2¼ lb) eye of round, fat trimmed off

Marinade

• 125 ml (½ cup) soy sauce
• 60 ml (¼ cup) Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke (optional)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt

Steps

1. Freeze the beef for 1 to 2 hours, until firm but not solid, to make slicing easy.
2. Slice into strips 5 mm (¼ in) thick. Cut against the grain for tender jerky, or with the grain for a chewier bite.
3. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the beef and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours.
4. Drain the strips and pat them very dry with paper towels. This helps them dry evenly.
5. Lay the strips on wire racks over trays, or on dehydrator trays, in a single layer without touching.
6. Heat the strips to 71°C (160°F) first: place the racks in a 135°C (275°F) oven for 10 minutes, or until a strip reads 71°C on a thermometer. This is a standard safety step for both drying methods.
7. Dry at 60-70°C (140-160°F) in a dehydrator, or in an oven at its lowest setting with the door propped open with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 5 hours. A strip is done when it bends and cracks but does not snap, with no wet spots inside.
8. Check after 3 hours, then cool on the racks for 30 minutes, then store.

Notes

• Safety: raw-marinated strips must reach 71°C (160°F) at some point; the steps above do this in step 6, whether you use a dehydrator or oven.
• Storage: in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks at room temperature, or freeze for 3 months.
• Flavour swaps: try teriyaki with ginger and pineapple juice, or hot sauce and black pepper.
• Shortcut: ask the butcher to slice the eye of round 5 mm (¼ in) thick; it skips the freezing and slicing.