The world of beef jerky is filled with fancy flavors and special seasonings, but sometimes you just want your jerky the good old-fashioned way.
When that craving hits, give our original beef jerky recipe a try. No gimmicks, no crazy ingredients, just old-school beef jerky cooked up just the way it used to be!
Original Beef Jerky Ingredients
For this jerky, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon of Prague Powder #1
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/2Â teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke mesquite
- 1Â teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup of cold water
- 1 pound of your favorite cut of beef
What Kind of Beef Should You Use?
Adventurous cooks will tell you that you can use any cut of beef to make your beef jerky. And jerky purists will tell you that only the finest, leanest cuts should be used.
We fall somewhere in the middle: use your favorite cut, ideally a lean one, but any will do as long as you can remove the fat from it.
Our favorite is eye of round, and it’s what we used to make our original beef jerky. But you can also use sirloin tip, flank steak, top round or bottom round — all make excellent jerky!
Preparing the Beef
Removing Excess Fat
If you chose a fattier cut, this step might take a little longer, but it’s well worth it. Trimming the fat from your beef is one of the most important steps in making beef jerky.
Why? Well, fat spoils quickly, and if it’s attached to your beef jerky, it’ll spoil your whole batch along with it.
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Your jerky will last longer and taste better if you trim all the fat from the beef first. Remove as much as you can — you’ll be glad you did.
Freezing and Cutting the Beef
Now put your freshly-trimmed beef in the freezer for 1-2 hours to make it easier to slice. Take it out when you see ice crystals beginning to form on the surface of the beef.
Then cut the beef into thin slices. Try not to exceed ¼ inch slices, as thicker slices don’t dry as well as thinner ones.
Pay attention to the direction of your slices, too. Slicing against or across the grain will result in tender, easy-to-chew jerky, which most people prefer to tough jerky.
Making the Marinade
To save time, you can make the marinade while you’re waiting for the beef to freeze. Or you can whip it up fresh right before adding the beef — it’s up to you.
Either way, it’s as easy as can be: just combine all the marinade ingredients in a container and mix well.
Then add the beef, toss it around until it’s thoroughly coated and put it in the fridge for 7-24 hours. The longer you leave it, the more flavor will be absorbed by the beef, so experiment a little to find out how strong you like it.
We marinated our beef overnight for a flavor that’s bold without being overpowering.
Dehydrating the Beef into Jerky
For this step, you have three options. You can dry the beef in an oven, an electric smoker, or a food dehydrator.
Each option has its pros and cons, but we recommend using a dehydrator. It’s inexpensive, compact, easy to clean, and designed specifically for dehydrating foods like beef jerky.
- EVEN HEAT DISTRIBUTION: 600 watts of drying power provides even heat distribution; consistent drying that is four times faster than other food dehydrators
- ADJUSTABLE TEMPERATURE CONTROL: The adjustable temperature control (95°F -160°F) gives you the flexibility to achieve the best results when drying different foods that need varying temperature settings
- EXPANDABLE TO 12 TRAYS: Comes with five (13 1/2″ diameter) trays and expands up to 12 trays so you can dry large quantities at once with no tray rotation needed; additional trays sold separately
- EXPANDABLE TO 12 TRAYS: Comes with five (13 1/2″ diameter) trays and expands up to 12 trays so you can dry large quantities at once with no tray rotation needed; additional trays sold separately
- ACCESSORIES INCLUDED: (2) Fruit Roll Sheet, (2) Clean-A-Screens, a sample of Jerky Seasoning & Cure, and (1) Care & Use Guide
First things first: whichever method you use, remove the excess marinade from the beef with a paper towel. Soggy beef may not dry properly, and even if it does, it’ll take a lot longer than it needs to.
Then dehydrate your beef at 160 degrees F for 4-8 hours. Thicker slices need more time, and if you prefer a crispier texture, you’ll want to dehydrate for longer, too.
Since drying times vary so widely, start checking your jerky every half hour beginning at the 3 hour mark. Diligent checks will ensure that you remove it at the perfect time.
Your jerky is done when you can bend a piece without breaking it. Ours was ready after 7 hours in the food dehydrator and weighed in at 7 ounces — a little under half of our starting weight.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Makes 5 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Marinade time: 7-24 hours
Cook time: 4-8 hours
Each pound of beef will yield approximately 7 oz. of beef jerky.
| Ingredients | Cost |
| 1 pound of beef | $4.87 per 1 pound beef at Walmart |
| 1/2 teaspoon Prague Powder #1Â curing salt | Between $12 and $13 for a 2.5 pound pack (which comes out to 1 cent for 1/2 of a teaspoon of curing salt) |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt | 1 cent for 1 teaspoon of salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon coriander ground | Between $4 and $5 for a 1.52 oz. container (which comes out to 10 cents for 1/4 teaspoon coriander ground) |
| 1/4 teaspoon onion powder | Between $4 and $5 for a 1.73 oz. container (which comes out to 11 cents for 1/4 teaspoon onion powder) |
| 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder | Between $4 and $5 for a 2.33 oz. container (which comes out to 14 cents for 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder) |
| 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke hickory | $1.34 for a 4 oz. container at Walmart (which comes out to 8 cents for 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke hickory) |
| 1 teaspoon ground black pepper | $3.98 for a 3.12 ounces container at Walmart (which comes out to 22 cents for 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper) |
| 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar | 1 cent for 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar |
| 1/4 cup cold water | I used tap water, so it was essentially free |
| Total Cost: | $5.55/~7 oz. (full cost: meat + ingredients) |
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef; beef sirlion tip steak or your favorite cut (any could work)
- 1/2 teaspoon Prague Powder #1Â curing salt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander ground
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke hickory
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Trim all fat from the beef, then freeze for 1-2 hours.
- Slice beef against the grain in long, thin strips no thicker than ¼ inch.
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a container, add beef, and put in the fridge for 7-24 hours.
- Remove excess liquid with a paper towel.
- Dry beef in a food dehydrator at 160 degrees F for 4-8 hours, checking every half hour starting at the 3-hour mark. Remove when jerky bends without breaking.
Nutrition
"You might be a redneck if you think that beef jerky and moon pies are two of the major food groups."
-- Jeff Foxworthy
This is my first time so wish me luck and thank you so very much for the recipe and may your marow be better than today
Good luck! I remember my first time, too! By mistake, I added more salt than I needed))) But the second time was perfect!