Beef Jerky

... a good food for the storage cabinet.

Trying to keep our long term food storage cabinet stocked, this week I made a large batch of beef jerky.  The stuff you buy in the store is loaded with preservatives and questionable meat.  By making it at home, you control the quality and can make it without unnecessary ingredients.  It will store well in a jar fitted with a tight seal for at least six months (if you hide it well).  Stored in a airtight bag, it will last over a year.


I used a lean roast trimmed of ALL fat, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces, marinated it in naturally fermented soy sauce (use organic or it will be  made with GMO soy beans), red wine, powdered garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes.  You can add hot sauce, liquid smoke .. or what ever flavor suits your fancy.  Let it marinate overnight in the fridge.   Once marinated, pound the beef strips quite thin (almost to the point of seeing through them) with a heavy meat mallet.  (You can skip this if you slice the beef slightly frozen into very thin strips prior to marinating.)  Place on trays in a dehydrator and bring the temp up to around 170 F.  I use a dehydrator rack from Cabellas placed inside my convection oven .. it has a drying setting ... and takes about 3-4 hours to dry.  Be sure to keep the oven door opened a little crack.  Let it cool on a plate or tray a good day before storing to ensure the jerky is completely dry.

If my kids read this post, you can be sure our jerky will disappear when they come to visit.  It makes a great snack to take along on hikes or after a workout at the gym.