Thread: Great Beef Jerky Recipes

Bison Jerky






At Kachina Southwestern Grill in Westminster, CO, Chef Jeff Bolton has found a way to blend our modern version of jerky with the traditional Native American staple that inspired it. "Bison was the Native Americans' main source of protein in North America," he says. "Even before pioneer days, the Natives had been using salt and smoke to preserve meat." Kachina's jerky is seasoned very heavily with a kick of habanero. Bolton likes bison top-round, a juicy cut, marinated for 24 hours, and uses a dehydrator.
"But the home chef can use an oven on the lowest temperature," he says. "You just have to check the jerky every 30 minutes to make sure it's not starting to burn."
Kachina Bison Jerky
Yield: Due to the drying process, the yield will be about half of the amount that you started with. For this recipe, you will have about 1 lb of jerky.
Ingredients

• 2 lb top round, sliced thin about 1/8 inch
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp crushed red chile
• 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
• 1.5 cups Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tbsp sugar

Step One
Place all ingredients in a zip lock bag and allow to marinate for 24 hours.
Step Two
Remove meat from bag, rinse, dry with paper towels.
Step Three
Place meat on cooling racks in oven at lowest setting, preferably 175 degrees.
Step Four
Dry meat for about 5-6 hours.
Step Five
Store in an airtight container.

Pastrami Jerky




At Biercamp, a small speciality shop in leafy Ann Arbor, the cooks only work with meat raised without antibiotics, nitrates, hormones, and artificial preservatives. Which is why it's surprising that their best jerky – a pastrami-flavored product – tastes a little like a Jewish deli in the best of ways. "What makes the pastrami jerky so great is the terrific texture and flavor explosion you get from the cracked pepper and coriander seed," says co-owner Walter Hansen. "It's a simple recipe, yet really flavorful. It's one of our favorites to eat directly out of the smoker while it's still hot. It's perfect for shredding over a salad, chopped up, or added to chili; and it looks great on a charcuterie tray, especially if you can say you made it yourself."
Biercamp Pastrami Jerky
Ingredients

• 3 lbs flank steak, brisket or eye-round
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp pureed garlic
• 2 tbsp cracked pepper
• 2 tbsp coriander seed

Step One
Using a very sharp knife, cut each piece of meat into thin strips 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick.
Step Two
Combine all ingredients (reserve cracked pepper and coriander seed for later) in a large ziplock bag.
Step Three
Add the sliced meat and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Step Four
Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
Step Five
Pre-heat oven to 180°F and place a sheet tray at the bottom of the oven. Spray oven racks with nonstick cooking spray.
Step Six
Remove the strips of meat from the marinade and arrange side-by-side across the racks, leaving room between each strip. Lightly sprinkle the strips of meat with the reserved cracked pepper and coriander until coated. The more you use, the spicier it will be.
Step Seven
Leave the oven open a crack to maintain temperature and cook until completely dry. This will take anywhere from two to four hours, depending on how dry or chewy you like your jerky. The jerky is ready when the color looks right and it gently pulls apart and does not snap.

Turkey Jerky






The word "jerky" doesn't conjure images of health, which is why trying to make yourself a turkey jerky might not be the worst idea. The people behind beloved Chicago River North restaurant Hub 51 agree, and thats why they use free-range, organic white-meat turkey for their version. "It's an elevated version of beef jerky," says R.J. Melman, managing partner. "It's healthier, but it still pairs really well with an ice-cold beer." What's more, it's just as easy to make as a beef product. "The goal is for it to be moist and chewy, not dry and flavorless," says Melman. Just be sure to buy the best quality turkey you can find, and slice into consistently thin strips – before you drink.
Hub 51 Turkey Jerky
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For jerky marinade:

• 1 1/2 cups Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1 3/4 tbsp onion powder

For turkey jerky:

• 1 lb turkey breast tenders
• 1 bowl jerky marinade

Step One
Slice the turkey breast tenders into thin strips
Step Two
Place the strips on a sheet pan and cover with the jerky marinade.
Step Three
Let sit in the fridge for 8-12 hours.
Step Four
Place on paper towels to dry off excess liquid.
Step Five
Place in oven at 200°F for approximately 30-40 minutes, until the jerky is dry and golden.


African Jerky






In South Africa, there's a thicker form of peppery jerky called "biltong," which you can try out with this recipe from Jerk 'N Pickle in Belmont, C.A. "Our style beef jerky is a savory and dry style jerky; the way it was made in the old west," says David Yosso, co-owner. Yosso calls his "Black Pepper" flavor a "perfect launching point" for the home cook. "It pairs well with almost every high-alcohol beer and especially well with aged scotch," he says. "One should use a dehydrator set to 150 degrees fahrenheit to achieve the dry cowboy-style jerky we prefer." An oven at 150 degrees fahrenheit will work but require more "babysitting" (flipping and rotating the meat) to avoid burning. Yosso's recipe calls for natural "inside round" beef, although London broil is more readily available and easier to find in your local grocery store.
"We recommend removing excess fat and membrane before slicing; fat in the jerky can make it turn rancid," he says. "This will ensure that the jerky will be free of sinew and last longer."
Jerk 'N Pickle Black Pepper Jerky
Ingredients

• black pepper
• 5 lbs all-natural inside round beef (JnP uses Choice) cut into 1/8" slices. (It helps to par-freeze the meat and slice on a meat slicer if possible.)

Combine wet ingredients:

• 2 cups and 2 ounces (18 ozs) soy sauce
• 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce (JnP Brews his own to avoid high fructose corn syrup and the flavor of anchovies but commercial Worcestershire is acceptable)
• 1 lb carrots, juiced
• 1/2 lb celery, juiced
• Fresh ginger, juiced yielding 1 1/2 tbsp
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic cloves, finely diced

Blend the following in a spice grinder or blender:

• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper corns
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Step One
Thoroughly whisk the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
Step Two
Add sliced beef piece by piece and massage into marinade to allow for even distribution of ingredients. Refrigerate overnight (10-12 hours).
Step Three
Place into home dehydrator or oven at 150 degrees for approximately six hours. Check and rotate as needed. Remove at desired texture and doneness.

Chinese Food Jerky




Michael Persico

Side Project Jerky, out of Philadelphia, calls their product "Jerky for Gentlemen," and co-founder Marcos Espinoza likens the Mongolian flavor to a "riff" on "the classic Asian combination of sesame, soy, ginger, and garlic." At first, the team was going for a Korean flavor. "But feedback from our initial tasters said that it was more like Chinese takeout," says Espinoza. "The addition of brown sugar adds a sweetness and glaze to the jerky, and we slice our meat slightly thicker in order to retain a chewy texture rather than settle for something that falls into the rawhide category."
When the company first started testing flavors their idea was to create portable versions of familiar food. "We wanted our flavors to be unique without being 'wacky,'" says Espinoza. "And we wanted to bring something to market that was beyond the garden variety 'teriyaki' or 'hot pepper' flavors you get from the larger producers." All you need to know, though, is that it's now possible to keep Chinese food in your wallet.
Side Project Mongolian Jerky
Yield: Approximately 2 lbs of dried jerky
Ingredients

• 4 to 4 1/2 lb USDA choice top round
• 4 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 4 tbsp minced ginger
• 4 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp ground pepper
• Sesame seeds

Step One
The best way to make jerky is using a food dehydrator, and the best ones have fans in them. If you don't have one, an oven set to its lowest temp will suffice.
Step Two
The best cuts of meat for making jerky should have little to no fat on them. We found our best bets to be top round or eye round. If you're friendly with your butcher, have them put the top round on a meat slicer set at 1/8" thickness. Then slice those slabs into 1" strips when you get home.
Step Three
Whisk all ingredients together except meat and sesame seeds in a large container with a lid.
Step Four
Submerge meat in marinade, taking care to separate each strip to ensure a proper soak. Refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours.
Step Five
Remove meat from marinade and place in single layer(s) on dehydrator trays or on baking racks in baking sheets if using oven.
Step Six
Sprinkle sesame seeds over meat and dehydrate for a minimum of three hours or until desired texture is reached. In the oven, the jerky will take 10-12 hours at a temperature of 170.

Cajun Jerky






"Cajun don't have to mean hot!" says Milton Hock, who, with his wife Tootie, has worked on recipes for their now-sought-after Bayou Blend Meat Snacks for nearly 20 years in Napoleanville, LA. "With all due respect, people outside our culture think that if you add cayenne pepper to something it becomes Cajun," Hock says. "That's nowhere near the truth; our food has a whole lot more than pepper." And in this recipe – one that Hock almost wouldn't share – home cooks will find flavors local to the bayou, like "crab and shrimp boil" seasoning (sold by Zatarain's, among others), which gives the dish a low-country Old Bay flavor and a chewy texture that keeps your palate wanting more.
Bayou Blend Home Recipe Jerky
Ingredients

• 5-10 lbs of top round beef
• 1 cup Worchestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp powdered crab/shrimp boil
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke

Step One
Combine all ingredients and stir well.
Step Two
Slice 5-10 lbs of top round beef in 1/8-1/4 inch thick slices.
Step Three
Add beef slices to marinade individually making sure that each piece is fully covered with marinade.
Step Four
Refrigerate the marinade/beef mixture for 24-48 hours. ("Longer the better!!")
Step Five
Place slices on the trays. Dry the marinaded slices at least 160 degrees on a dehydrator making sure you do not overlap the pieces. The type of the dehydrator will determine the length of time to dry it. Turn the slices over when no wet spots are seen.

Organic Jerky






The successful startup jerky brand SlantShack was founded four years ago in New York City by a bunch of ambitious young college friends. But they make their jerky with grass-fed beef from Vermont and natural ingredients, and this home recipe brags a blend of unexpected flavors, including ginger and garlic as well as jalapeños and honey. "Jerky was [once] just a means to extend the night from a few hours of hanging out to a weekend long gathering of our extended group of friends," says co-founder and CEO David Koretz. "The best part about home-made jerky is that you don't need to be as concerned with cooking to specific levels of humidity and water activity [as commercial makers], so the jerky is inevitably a bit more moist and fatty which means even more deliciousness."
SlantShack DIY Jerky
Day 1:
Meat Selection: Buy two pounds of meat. Leanest cuts are best: head to your local butcher to pick out a piece of brisket, top round, sirloin tip, or any other lean cuts the butcher recommends (turkey breast is also delicious).
Note: 1 lb of raw meat will yield ~1/2 lbs of jerky
1.5 hours before marinating, trim fat and create 1/2 lbs cuts of meat (try to keep long portions if possible), wrap in saran and place in freezer
Prepare Marinade: Lots of options here. A great starter recipe to follow is:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• Medium yellow onion, diced
• Medium jalapeno, diced with seeds
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cloves

Adjust any of the above quantities based on flavor preferences or marinade taste.
Variations:
Add fruit juices (i.e. orange juice; pineapple juice, fresh limes) for a sweeter flavor
Add tabasco, select spicier pepper, hot chilies, chili powder, etc. to increase spice. Also try a small amount of ketchup
Step One
Slice Meat: When meat is moderately frozen, slice along the long side of the cuts 1/8" – 1/4" strips. Alternate cutting with and against the grain.
Step Two
Marinade: Place strips of meat and marinade in a ziplock bag, mix around so that meat is sufficiently covered and place in refrigerator overnight, let marinade for a minimum of eight hours; 12 -20 is best
Day 2:
Step Three
Cooking: Set oven to lowest temperature possible. As oven heats, place meat strips across oven racks. When all the meat is in the oven, prop oven door open with a fork or ball of tinfoil at the bottom of the oven door, let jerky cook for 4-8 hours (cooking time will vary based on width of strips and oven temperature)
Step Four
Finished Jerky: When the jerky is stiff and browned all the way through you're ready for fresh jerky snacking. Jerky will keep for months in an airtight container/ziplock bag at room temperature.

Harissa Jerky






"We've always taken a global approach to our flavors, from Korean BBQ to Mexican Molé," says King's County Jerky Founder Chris Woehrle. "For this recipe, we took inspiration from North Africa, where spicy harissa paste is a staple." Harissa is powerful and hot, but has a sweet, fruity taste that brings out some of the subtler flavors in the meat. Woehrle recommends taking a dry approach at first, because wet jerkies can become rancid if fat isn't cut away correctly.
North African Harissa Jerky
Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs grass-fed beef (eye of round or bottom round)
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ancho chile powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

Step One
Place beef in freezer for about 2 hours until firmed up for easier slicing. While beef is freezing, preheat a pan on medium heat, then toast cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds for a few minutes, shaking the pan frequently until toasted and aromas are released.
Step Two
Grind the toasted spices in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Mix the spices in a bowl with the salt, brown sugar, ancho, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne.
Step Three
Once beef is firm, remove from freezer and trim off exterior fat and the silverskin. Slice beef along the grain into desired sized strips, at 1/4" to 1/8" thickness.
Step Four
Using your hands, rub beef strips with spice blend to coat. Lay spiced beef strips on wire mesh racks on baking sheets. Let sit 12 hours in refrigerator, then remove and let sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
Step Five
Set oven to 225 F (or lowest setting), position oven racks evenly from top to bottom, and place racked beef strips into oven. Prop open oven door with wooden spoon or wine cork (make sure it's a natural cork and not plastic) to allow moisture to escape.
Step Six
Allow jerky to dry 3-4 hours. Rotate and switch the racks every hour and flip the jerky strips over after 2 hours. You're looking for a texture that's dry and firm but pliable when you bend it.
Step Seven
Let the jerky cool at room temperature, then store in a heavy-duty zipseal bag or airtight container.
Keep refrigerated for best flavor


Traditional Jerky






Mark Carter, founder of Carter's Deep Woods-Style Jerky, has been making his 10-day marinated smoked jerky in California's Coachella Valley for 10 years. He normally relies on a beefy London broil, but he's used venison and elk to great success on account of having a lot of hunting friends. And Carter's not opposed to getting creative with additives: "I do want to move my operation to Colorado to legally make the best edible jerky on the planet!" he admits.
For now, Carter's marinade ingredients run the federally-legal gamut from soy and teriyaki and molasses to lime and pineapple juice as well as A-1. Classic eating for a dry heat.
Carter's Deep Woods-style Jerky
Ingredients

• 6 lbs of London broil, cut into 3/16 inch or a little thicker if desired
• 1 cup of A-1 steak sauce
• 1 1/2 cup of teriyaki
• 1 cup of roasted teriyaki
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 1/2 cup of molasses
• 3 oz pineapple juice
• 1 cup of Worcestershire sauce

Step One
Blend all the marinade ingredients together. Cut meat 3/16 thick.
Step Two
Marinade 8-10 days. Drain and then add back a little fresh marinade and let it rest for a night. Drain again in the morning.
Step Three
Lay on smoker racks for smoking.
Step Four
Make a "finish" sauce with: 1/2 cup of Lea & Perins steak sauce, 2 tbsp of molasses, the juice of 2 limes, 1/2 tsp crushed garlic, 1 tbsp of brown sugar
Step Five
Blend and brush on sauce on one side of the meat, then put it back in the smoker with 1 pan of mesquite (can add a little cherry wood)
Makes enough for approx. 3 lbs. Double or triple if you want more.


Roy Choi's Jerky






Los Angeles-based chef Roy Choi – badass founder of the famous Kogi Korean-taco trucks and darling of every top food critic to make a West Coast swin – has now expanded to opening hotels. But he doesn't plan to leave his passion for jerky, which he writes about in his book L.A. Son, behind. "To this day I trip out on the old containers in the corner [Los Angeles] stores in plastic tubs, just sitting there like it's normal to have meat in a tub next to doughnuts," he writes. "I like liquor stores but I don't like liquor. I like beef jerky but I don't like eating meat. In many ways my life is a contradiction."
Roy Choi's Beef Jerky

• 1 lb. flank steak, cut into large cubes
• 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup natural rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 4 serrano chiles, split lengthwise
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups soy sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 yellow or white onion, sliced
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• Pinch of red chile flakes

Step One
Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and skim the scum off the surface of the liquid every so often. Cook until the garlic becomes soft and golden brown, about an hour.
Step Two
Using a slotted spoon or a spider, remove the meat from the pot and scoop it onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan (to catch drips). Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. Strain the liquid and set it aside on the counter, where it'll stay while the meat is refrigerating.
Step Three
The next morning, remove the beef and shred it.