Homemade beef jerky is one dish we have not prepared but always wanted to try.
There are many jerky recipes out there.
The great thing about a jerky recipe is it can be made anytime though out the year with no special equipment. Simply use the oven to prepare!
Our recipe is inspired by The Best Homemade Beef Jerky recipe from One Upon a Chef by Jenn Segal. See Jenn’s other great recipes.
Ingredients
One 3-pound eye of round roast
(trimmed of fat and silver skin)
1 c (packed) dark brown sugar
1 c soy sauce
3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp unseasoned meat tenderizer
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
1. Slice the meat between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick with the grain.
Note: We purchased our roast from our local butcher with exact size and type.
2. The marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, meat tenderizer, black pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder. Whisk until evenly combined and the sugar is dissolved.
The Marinade was prepared several hours in advance to allow time for the ingredients to blend together.
3. Add the meat to the marinade and toss until all of the pieces are evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or overnight. Toss the meat occasionally to sure the meat marinates evenly.
4. Place a wire rack over each pan. Preheat the oven to 175°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions.
5. Arrange the marinated meat on the wire racks in a single layer.
6. Bake, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom midway through, until the meat is dried out, 4 to 4.5 hours.
Note: To determine if the jerky is thoroughly dried out, take a piece out of the oven and let it cool to
room temperature. It should be dry to the touch, leather-like in appearance, and chewy but still somewhat tender.
7. Store the jerky inside an airtight plastic container, Ziploc bag, or airtight glass jars. Properly dried jerky will keep at room temperature for about one week. Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.
Tips: Placing meat in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours will help with slicing. Place back in freezer is meat thaws too much.
The Result: In our humble opinion. We nailed it! The jerky was tender with the right amount of spice heat and seasoning. We will definitely do this again. Next time we will use liquid smoke and perhaps, a sodium reduced soy sauce.
