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This Original Beef Jerky recipe really does taste like good ol' fashioned jerky you got from a small town smokehouse when you were a kid on a long road trip.
Hell, it reminds me of my favorite smokehouse, Texas Prasek's Family Smokehouse. This place is good, seriously good!
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How to slice the meat
The first step to making beef jerky is choosing a lean cut of beef. I used beef eye of round when making this beef jerky recipe. You can find a complete list of the best cuts of meat for making beef jerky here.
- Slice the meat with a very sharp knife either with the grain for a more chewy jerky or against the grain for a more tender jerky. a ¼″ in thickness is just right.
- Slice with the grain for a chewy jerky or against the grain for more of a tender chew. Wanting a little more chew, the meat was sliced with the grain when making this beef jerky recipe.
Slicing into long strips is my favorite way to slice meat for beef jerky.
I didn’t use it on this recipe, but a jerky slicer is a FANTASTIC piece of equipment to help get even strips when slicing jerky.
Not sure what way the grain runs? Need more information on slicing meat for jerky? I have put together a page on Slicing Meat for Jerky where you can find EVERYTHING you need to know when slicing meat for jerky.
Making the marinade
This is a very traditional beef jerky recipe which calls for some pretty common but TASTY ingredients. Most of the ingredients you will already have in your pantry, so no need to break the bank at the grocery store.
Add all the ingredients into a bowl or ziplock bag and mix until they are well incorporated together.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours mixing the bag up several times to further make sure the strips are evenly coated. This makes sure the every piece of finished beef jerky has a consistent flavor.
RELATED PAGE: ------> DOZENS OF GREAT TASTING JERKY RECIPES <------
Video - How to Make Jerky
Dehydrating
- After marinating, strain any excess marinade in a colander. I marinated this beef for a total of 21 hours before straining. The longer the marinade process, the more intense flavor the jerky will have!
- Once you strain the jerky strips in a colander, lay out some paper towels and place the strips on the paper towels. Pat dry the strips removing any marinade that is still on the surface of the beef jerky strips.
- Make sure there is space in between the strips so air can circulate around all the jerky and dry it evenly. Dry on the highest setting of your dehydrator for 4 hours before starting to check if it's finished.
Top Tip: Getting off the marinade on the surface will prevent the jerky from having that "sticky" feel when it is finished. This also speeds up the drying process. A double win!
A Nesco Snackmaster Dehydrator was used when making this beef jerky recipe. I LOVE the Nesco dehydrators. They work, are reasonably prices, and they last a long time!
Testing for when the jerky is finished
While drying the beef jerky, start testing to see if it has finished at about the 3-4 hour mark. Take a piece of jerky out of the dehydrator, oven, or smoker and allow it to cool for 5 minutes to room temperature.
Bend the jerky in half; it should bend and crack but not break in half. You will also see white fibers in the meat. The fibers are really visible when a piece is ripped or bent in half.
This jerky took 6 hours to be finished. 90% of the jerky I make is finished within 4-6 hours when using a dehydrator or oven and 6-9 hours when using a smoker. If pre-heating the meat in the oven, drying time can be as little as 2.5 hours.
Storing the jerky
To make the jerky last as long as possible, curing salt will really help along with keeping in air tight containers. I have put together a page on storing beef jerky and steps you can take to make your jerky have an extended shelf life.
This Original Beef Jerky recipe has a rich meat taste brought out by the simple ingredients and finishes with a nice pepper taste. The curing salt definitely adds to the smokehouse beef jerky flavor we are all accustomed to.
Curing Salt
Not a fan of curing salts? Not to worry, you can leave out this ingredient if you choose. As I mentioned earlier, most of the recipes I make do NOT call for curing salt.
Just make sure that you heat the meat to 160° to prevent any bacteria along with the possibility of foodborne illness.
Old Pro Tips:
- Leaving the curing salt out of the recipe will alter the look and flavor of this recipe
- Use liquid smoke that does not include filler ingredients, such as Wright's Liquid Smoke
- When finished, jerky will bend and crack but not break in half. Test for doneness after a piece has cooled for 5 minutes, not while warm.
- Store in ziplock bags or vacuum seal for longer storage. Check out my page on Storing Jerky for more information.
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Ingredients
Lean Meat
- 1 lb Beef Eye of Round
Marinade
- 1 ½ teaspoon pickling salt (or sea salt)
- 1 ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon coriander (ground)
- ½ cup cold water
- ¼ teaspoon Prague Powder #1 (curing salt)
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (mesquite)
Equipment
Instructions
- Trim all visible fat from the beef and place in freezer for an hour or two to partially freeze.
- While the meat is in the freezer, combine the pickling salt, curing salt, coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, black pepper, sugar, and cold water in a medium size bowl or ziplock bag. Mix well.
- Remove the meat from the freezer and slice ¼" strips with the grain. Or skip the freezing phase and use a jerky slicer for evenly sliced strips.
- Tenderize the beef strips with a tenderizing mallet to prevent the jerky from being too tough.
- Add sliced beef to the mixture and marinate for 6-24 hours in the refrigerator.
- After the meat has finished marinating, remove from refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels.
- A Dehydrator was used with this recipe and dried for 7 hours at 160 degrees. You can also use a smoker or your oven.
Pro Tips
- Leaving the curing salt out of the recipe will alter the look and flavor of this recipe
- Use liquid smoke that does not include filler ingredients, such as Wright's Liquid Smoke
- When finished, jerky will bend and crack but not break in half. Test for doneness after a piece has cooled for 5 minutes, not while warm.
- Store in ziplock bags or vacuum seal for longer storage.
Jerry
Used your recipe but adjusted for 7lbs of beef. I used beef stock instead of water. Fantastic recipe. No soy sauce or worchestershire sauce is why I tried it. This is now my go to recipe for beef jerky. Thanks!!!
Jerk Mike
Hello,
I'm somewhat new to jerky, made a couple of dozen batches on the smoker that all turned out great, but I want to make it safe for storage. I keep reading from several sources that you have to use curing salt or reach a temperature of 160 degrees, also that some recipes don't need curing salt because there's enough salt in the recipe. I've come across a few sources that say to raise the temp of the beef to 160 degrees before you start the drying process, that seems backwards to me, and if you start drying and slowly dehydrate that you make the bacteria heat resistant and even in you hit 160 degrees you still run a risk. I dehydrate my jerky in my smoker at 170 degrees, sometimes I use curing salt, even if a recipe doesn't call for it. I heat it to 160 degrees, but it's a pain getting the probe in a thin piece of jerky. So any info would be appreciated so I know my product is safe for family and friends, it always better when you share it.
Thank you,
Jerk Mike
P.S. Looking forward to tryingsome of your recipes!
Will
Heating to 160F before drying will definitely change the texture of the meat. If sliced thin, I'm pretty confident that it will reach 160F within 2 hours if smoking at 170F. It's a pain trying to measure with a thermometer. This should kill the bacteria. Using curing salt on every recipe will also help kill bacteria, whether a recipe calls for it or not. I wouldn't hesitate to feed to my family if using curing salt and drying at 170F. The USDA has very stringent rules when it comes to commercial production of jerky. They call for certain water content and temps at the beginning of drying. Rules that the ordinary home jerky maker is unable to test.
Carrington Taylor
I've been trying several different recipes over the years. I'm down to 2. The Old Fashioned just might be my favorite. I buy Angus eye of round from our local butcher. I think the meat makes a big difference.
Seth Riley
Didn't make it you lost me at liquid smoke.
Adrian
I'm sure you were lost well before liquid smoke
LeeATX
Boom.
MIKE THOMAS
When using a pellet smoker do you still add #1 cure?
Will
Yes. The cure will definitely help extend the shelf life of smoked jerky.
Rick
Prasek's...enough said! There's another store now in Seally on I-10, pretty close to us. We get their smoked sausage in the local grocers. Very tasty and great quality.
Just starting with jerky, and really liking your sight so far. I have done a little bit of curing, so I understand a lot of the do's and don't's and why's). I see the most difficult part in making jerky is determining when it is done. It has to be a guessing game, and you get better with experience.
Rick
Fulshear, TX
Ismael Perez
Subtle, salty, great after taste. My friends and family love this.
Sarah Huitema
Could you make this recipe with less or no sugar? Looking for a very low sugar (or no sugar) beef jerky to make!
Will
You can totally leave out the sugar and this will still turn out tasting great!
RaDonna
If this jerky tastes like Prasek's I'm gonna make some this weekend!
Will
It has a great taste, definitely make a batch!
Mark
This recipe is awesome! I’ve been making Jerky for many years and never quite got it where I wanted. This one nailed it.
Will
Glad you found one that you like. Thanks for checking out the site Mark!
John
5 stars! Recently processed a 25 lb inside round with this recipe and I have nothing to show for it -- the family devoured it all. My only tweak was to add 1/4 tsp of MSG per pound to accentuate the savoriness.
Also want to thank you for your work on this site. Had everything a beginner like me needed. Kudos to you!
Will
Thanks for the kind words John! You can always tell it's great tasting jerky when there is none left! Ha.
Chuck Lee
This recipe is the best!! I use it repeatedly. I cook it in my electric box smoker between 150 & 200 degrees. Shooting for about 175 for most of 6-7 hours . Untill the beef looks waxy and is "sweating" juices. So delicious. Thanks Will!!
Edward Guerrero
Hi...I'll give the recipe 5 stars even though I haven't made it yet, just sounds like it will be awesome haha. Question: In the instructions it says ".....combine the pickling salt, curing salt....." BUT in the list of ingredients the pickling salt isn't listed? I need to know how much...
Thanks,
Ed
Will
Sorry about the confusion Ed. I either use pickling salt or sea salt in my recipes. I had it listed as sea salt on the recipe card, I changed it to represent either picking or sea salt. Thanks for the heads up!
Jon
I made a 2lb batch of this with eye of round today and the flavor was great. Reminded me of the jerky you would get a small town shops. I think I may have set my slicer a bit too thin since this only took a little over 4 hours in my dehydrator.
Glen
Love your recipes and the give and take online. Not sure if you have ever had Big Chief or Old Dutch jerky? It is a great original taste and texture with a fresh strip is so fresh, soft, and like I said fairly basic flavour’s but so very good.
Thanks
Glen
Will
Thanks! I haven't checked those out before, I guess I need to put in a couple orders for jerky!
BiteSeeing
Made this recently for a hiking weekend and it is a great traditional, foundational jerky flavor. No frills, but takes you back to the early days of yore!
kris savino
Great! But i didnt have coriander so i had to improvise. I put smoked paprika instead then added chipotle chili pepper to give some heat. Came out awesome. Thanks
Will
Glad to hear Kris. Can't go wrong with an original flavored jerky!
Mark Shrum
Also read in comments that letting it set , the longer the better, does that mean longer than 24hrs. Can you let sit 48 hrs
Just wondering what the pros and cons of that
Will
You can marinade for longer than 24 hours, I have just found that the flavor difference between 24 hours and 48 hours isn't that much different.
Mark Shrum
Really love this recipe, I substitute Dr Pepper for the liquid, i know that there is sugar in the Dr Pepper but still add it according to recipe . Comes out great.
Thanks for the recipe
Will
No problem, glad you liked it!
Larry
Thanks Will,
But, I did some more research and found a forum that these guys have posted
you may want to take a look. 😉 They say ADD the WATER and the MEAT together
and go from there... when your adding Cure #1...
I also posted a link the calculator enjoyment, this will make sure you don't get
your recipe to salty. 😉 🙂
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/curing-confusions-prague-1.239972/#
calc.
http://diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html
Thanks
Larry
Larry
Love your recipe, but if I wanted to put more water would I have to adjust the
curing salt and canning salt.....and sugar? (this is for 1 pound of beef)
(note: I only use Salt,Curing Salt, Sugar, Filtered Water, and sometimes Liquid Smoke)
I like more of a brine so the meat is all covered and (stays) covered
and marinate for 3 to 4 days...sometimes longer up to a week. 😉
I just keep stirring every day and moving meat to stay covered
Will
If you are only adding a little bit of water say 1 cup or so, there shouldn't be a need to add extra. If you are adding more than that, you will have to add extra of the salt and sugar, but keep the curing salt the same. Longer the marinating process the better the jerky!
Doris Long
Also living in Colorado and looking to make an original jerky for my grown son that tastes like one my father brought from PA. years ago.
Hoping to try your recipe as soon as I can find a butcher who has the cut and time to slice it for me. Game season has kept them busy.
Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Will
Let me know how it turns out when you do get around to making some Doris!
Richard Klein
We want to take this to Cambidia for 4 months. We have no fridge there. Will Original with cure salt last that long there. Protein is hard to get where we will be. I can vacuum seal before leaving. Temps are in the 90s, no action. Thanks
Richard Klein
meant no ac, not no action
Will
If you use curing salt and vacuum seal the jerky it should last several months in those temperatures. Just try to keep the jerky in a dark place, not laying out in the sun. Have fun on your trip!
Christina
If I don't use curing salt, and just sea salt, will keeping the Jerky in the fridge keep it fresh? It'll probably be eaten within a few weeks. Thanks for the awesome recipes Will!
Will
The curing salt will definitely keep the jerky for longer. If you keep in the fridge, it should last a couple weeks though with using only sea salt.
Clarence Parsons
Thanks a bunch.. appreciate you sharing all your experience.
Clarence Parsons
Two questions:
1. I have a Nesco dehydrator with 8 trays. How many pounds of meat does it take to fill the 8 trays after marinating? Does 1 lb. cover 8 trays?
2. Can I substitute Morton Tender Quick for the Prague powder?
Will
I have found that you can fit just under a pound of meat per tray. I would say that you could get around 5-6 lbs of meat on 8 trays. You can use morton tender quick, but it requires A LOT more than prague powder. This can make the jerky very salty, especially if you are using ingredients like soy sauce that already have a lot of salt.
Daniel Lawton
I love the jerky recipes, but I think the 160F is a little naïve. Just because the drier says it's going to that temp doesn't mean it gets there in less than 6 hours. It's a matter of how much water has to be removed, vs the power f the drier. With 3 pounds of meat in the typical drier, you'll never reach 160 until it's pretty much too dry.
In the oven seems wrong. you sure about that 160F? No need to go overboard.
Sous Vide people know, 132 will do the job, if it's at that temp for a few hours.
Cary Floyd
Great site. Second recipe I made after getting a dehydrator ( got this one from Amazon, Gourmia GFD1680 Premium Countertop Food Dehydrator 6 Drying Shelves Digital Thermostat Preset Temperature Settings Airflow Circulation Countdown Timer Free Recipe Book Included 110V). Great stuff! My wife and kids love it. I will be trying a lot more of your recipes. Thanks!
Will
Glad you found one you like Cary. The most fun part is trying new recipes, so try a bunch and let me know how they turn out!
Dustin
Curious, when using curing salts do you just substitute it for reg salt?
For example if the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of salt would I just use 2 tablespoons of curing salt instead?
Great articles by the way! So much help.
Will
No, you can not just substitute evenly for curing salt. Curing salt normally is 1tsp per 5lbs of meat. Make sure to check your curing salt package to make sure you use the correct amount. So if the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of regular salt for 5lbs of meat, use 1tsp of curing salt and 1tbsp + 2tsp of regular salt. Hope that helps Dustin!
Dawn Robinson
I'd like to try some of your recipes but I don't have a dehydrator or smoker. I would like to use my oven. Do you have any recommendations?
Will
Check out my making jerky in the oven page. That will get you started Dawn!
DontJerkMeAround
Bought a presto dehydrator a few days ago. Got a 1lb top round(i think thats what it was) sliced against the grain, marinated over night. Slices couldnt have been more than a quarter inch, was probany close to an eighth thick. Followed various instructions throught the internet...cooked on the only setting,for about 9 hours. I only kept cooking becaude the surface of rhe jerky still had a greasy sheen to it...seemed to be done at 5 or 6 hours, never changed color or texture after that, still had a greasiness to it when i called it quits at 9 hours. Doesnt seem right. Good but not great. I preboiled it per instructions online, and im keeping this batchin the fridge in case i didnt do it right and it isnt shelf stable...what do you recommend?
Will
9 hours seems very long and drying longer won't get rid of that grease on the jerky. You have to blot the jerky with paper towels. This happens if either the meat was too fatty or you used some oil in the marinade. It probably was done around 4 or 5 hours...
Shannon Chin
Hi! So glad I found your site. I have just bought a Traeger smoker and my whole family is begging me to make some jerky! Do you have a recipe you recommend that has the technique of using my smoker? I have no idea what I am doing. You seem to be the Jerky Guru 🙂 Any tips or recommends are really appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Will
I unfortunately do not have a Traeger and am not sure what settings would work best for that unit. I would recommend trying the Garlic Beef Jerky recipe though, I think it turns out great in the smoker.
Tim Dwyer
Hey there
I have had store bought jerky turn white before with mold I assume. My question is should I always keep jerky in the fridge?
Will
Store bought jerky should last a year or so in the package. Once you open the package, you need to eat it within 3-4 days or it will mold. So if you aren't eating it that fast, keeping in the fridge will allow it to last a little bit longer.
Eli Knopfler
Hey will, love your recipes especially the kentucky bourbon. I wanted to know, does adding prague powder give the meat a store bought artificial taste?
Will
I have never thought of it as an artificial taste, but it will give it the distinct flavor that cured meats have. It is a flavor that is mostly associated with jerky.
Mark Shrum
Best Jerky ever
I also used dehydration and in the place of water and sugar used 1/4 cup of Dr Pepper
Also added pinch of mustard seeds
Thank for clearing up the use of curing salts
Well written
Will
No problem Mark.
Don B
Have a question as I just started making my own jerky so I would go to that for a snack instead of chips, candy, etc. I use London broil, cut it maybe up to an eighth of an inch and put it into 170° oven for anywhere between six and eight hours leaning toward the 7.5 - 8 hour mark as that like a really hard one you have to chew for a while as I don’t like the type that semi melts in your mouth. On this recipe it says original I was wondering if it is close to Jack’s links original as that’s one of my favorite flavors. I’ve made jerky using teriyaki marinade, just salt and pepper, even a lager ( which marinade too long and too strong of a flavor). But when I make just simple salt & pepper probably is my favorite because I like basics, but commercial grocery store type Jacks Links Original is my favorite. Is this original similar? And also where do you get the pink stuff besides going on the Internet? Do grocery stores carry this? No matter what I’m going to try this recipe was just curious about the flavor before I do.
Will
Hey Don! I buy jerky all the time from farmers markets and shops across the country, but have not bought Jack Links in years. I do not remember what their original jerky tastes like, so I'm not sure if this is somewhat similar. Since you are going to try it, let me know if it is like the JL original jerky. Now I'm curious. The easiest place to get curing salt is on the internet. The only places I have seen it in stores are spice shops and butchers. This does NOT include your butcher at your local grocery store.
Mike
If I have 8 pounds of meat will I just multiply the recipe by 8..will that b to much curing salt for 8 pounds of meat. Will b marinating in large bowl.
Thank you
Mike from Albuquerque
Will
I would multiply the recipe by 8 with a couple exceptions. You only need enough water to cover all the meat, so you might not need all 4 cups. I'm not sure, I have never made this recipe with 8lbs of meat. Also, always double check the instructions on your curing salt, but the cure that I use calls for 1 tsp per 5 lbs of meat. So a little more than a 1.5 tsp of cure would be enough to cure the meat.
NorwegianDude
Hey! Amazing recipies you got there. I have tried alot of recipes by my own and they are usually similiar to the ones on the internet. The exceptions are that I use Scandinavian Forest (powder) and pretty much "Norwegian products". Perhaps the American products are better I don't know, but I always fail on the consistency part. I always get "too dry" meat, and I do not want it to be raw either. I am using a normal dehydrator and hydrates for maybe 10-14 hours at 50-60 degrees. Also, whenever I have bought Jack Link's beef jerky, for example teryaki version, it tastes so good and the consistency is easy to chew, AND it looks good too. I don't know how to get the good red color in it. Right now I have added brown vinegar and liquid smoke (which I have never tried before) and the beef is now in the marinade soaking in a good marinade which smells good. The beef I use now is "mørbradbiff" from Norway, and it is the lower back of the cowmeat. But I still miss the color part and the easy to chew part. Any ideas? Thanks.
Will
Hey Norwegian Dude, love the name! I am sure Norwegian products are just as good as stuff here in the states. The red color you are trying to get comes from curing salt. This can be hard to find locally and is best to buy online. I would increase your drying temp to a minimum of 63C with an initial heating of the jerky to an internal temp of 71C to kill any potential bacteria. 10-14 hours seems a little long to dry the jerky. Most of my jerky takes around 4 hours to dry with my Nesco Dehydrator. Check out my Slicing meat for Jerky page for more info on slicing more tender jerky.
Jo Ann
I thought a cure was a cure, found out the hard way it is not. Is there a way to salvage my completely cured and dried beef jerky? Recipe on bag from Cabelas has .06 lbs for 25 lbs of meat. I followed my normal recipe for High Mountain Jerky product from Cabelas. This called for 2 tbl and 2tsp per 4lbs.
Will
If you used 2tbsp + 2tsp of curing salt (such as Prague Powder #1), there is no way you can salvage that jerky. Too much cure is unhealthy, I would throw it out and start over.
Jimmy Carl
Hi Will, Haven’t tried your recipe, yet. I plan on putting it through my Masterbuilt on Thursday. I have a four pound sirloin roast to slice up marinate and smoke. Can this recipe be up scaled to accommodate the 3+ pounds I’ll get out this roast?
I did add the cold smoker attachment. The last batch of jerky came out perfectly. The cold smoker attachment makes it easy to control temperature in the smoker. The last batch was sliced 1/8” thick, hung on toothpicks, and started at 180F for one hour. The cold smoker put out a solid stream of hickory smoke for the entire hour. After that the heat was turned down to 140F. The cold smoker attachment was turned off. It continued to give off a light smoke until the hickory chips burned out on their own. After three hour at 140F the jerky was done. Thanks, jc
Will
Thanks for the info on the cold smoker attachment. I have been thinking about getting one for my smoker. Going to pull the trigger and get one now. Glad to hear your jerky is turning out great!
Michael Miller
Why cook the jerkey? It changes the natural flavor
Will
Heating the jerky to an internal temperature of 160F is an important step to kill potential bacteria. It is done as a safety precaution.
John
Hey Will - great site.
I have an electric smoker and recently purchased a cold smoker attachment hoping to make smoked and salt cured jerkey rather than "cooked". I am trying to replicate the deli style salt encrusted jerkey that doesn't look cooked - just salt/ smoke cured.
The instructions on the attachment imply that it is more for smoking cheeses and vegetables rather than meats. I've ordered Prague #1 cure. Is that all that is needed for the salty look/taste or is more regular salt needed for that effect?
Am not really a fan of smoked cheese or veggies so trying to determine if i should return the cold smoker attachment or not.
Will
I have not used the cold smoker attachment for my Masterbuilt. I only have chips smoking for about 30 minutes to an hour and have to turn the smoker up to about 180F to achieve this. I then turn it down to about 160F until it's done drying. I am not sure how much difference it would make to NOT have the temp up that high for 1 hour or so. I always heat my jerky to 160F for safety reasons and that is why I never pulled the trigger on buying the cold smoker attachment. But if you do decide to use it, let me know how it works out! The prague Powder #1 will give it that jerky flavor and the red coloring that you see in most cured meats/jerky. You will still need to add salt for flavor on top of the Prague #1 if you are looking for a saltier jerky.
James Smith
Sounds tasty, can I use chopped onion & garlic instead of powder? I had bad experience making beef with powders.
Will
Of course you can use the real stuff! I would try to mince it as small as possible, you will get great flavor that way.
Rodolfo Marquez
If my dehydrator heat at 158ºF is safe for beef jerky? How long should I leave it in the dehydrator?
Will
I would recommend first heating it in your oven for 10 minutes at 300F to bring the internal temperature to 160F and then dehydrate in your dehydrator.
Sam
Would you necessarily need to bring the internal temp up is you`re using a curing agent?
SAM
Will
The prague powder #1 that I mention in my recipes is a cure that is meant for meat that will be cooked or smoked. It helps prevent bacteria growth and prevent food poisoning, but still requires some heat. I recommend still heating the internal temp of the jerky to 160F.
Travis
Pasteurization is a function of temperature and time.
You're told 165 because it instantly kills most bacteria. But it's not like they live just fine at 159. 165 is the idiot proof rule (if the idiot can remember).
130 degrees takes 112 minutes
140 degrees takes 12 minutes
150 degrees takes 75 seconds
160 takes 7 seconds
165 takes 2.4 seconds
For just about any cook, it'll take more than 75 seconds to get from 150 to 165!
If using whole meat, you worry about the surface temps. Bacteria does not burrow into the meat.
If using ground meat (or you tenderize with a jaccard, puncturing the meat), then you worry about the internal temp. The mixing during grinding and the puncturing create opportunities for the bacteria to get anywhere in the product.
Hope this helps!
Tane
Hi and thank you for this website! I am new to making jerky and have made a batch using the packets that came with my dehydrator and jerky gun however to be more cost effective, I want to make my own recipes and your page is amazing. My only question is, can these recipes that call for eye of round meat be used with lean ground beef as this is what my family seems to prefer? Thanks in advanced.
Will
Hey Tane! I have had this question several times before, and here is my answer:
Great question. I would use a recipe that does NOT have much liquid ingredients (soy sauce, worcestershire, vinegar…) Dos Pepper Jerky would be a good one to try. If the recipe calls for water, omit the water since you are using ground beef. I would also recommend using cure when making ground jerky since it will be handled more than whole muscle jerky (mixing the spices in by hand). Lastly, ground beef jerky sometimes requires more spices than whole meat jerky since you are mixing the spices into the meat instead of on the outside. If your first batch doesn’t have a really strong taste, increase the amount of spice for the second batch! Have fun! Thanks for stopping by, let me know how it turns out.
I also have more info on my How to Make Ground Beef Jerky page.
Tane Zacharias
Thanks so much do the response. I will come back and let you know about the results. I will try the dos pepper recipe that I will try. I found put the hard way that I needed to use more flavor then some recipes call for.
Jim Armstrong
I have been making jerky and smoking it on my Smokers. I smoke at temps between 160 and 180 degrees for up to 4 hrs until it reaches the desired texture/ twist. As long as the meat reaches a temp of minimally 160 there should be no need for Prague powder.... correct? I feel the ingredients used such as Soy sauce and Worcester should have enough salt content. I don’t believe extra salt is required if temps are properly reached again 160 +. I also use a lean London Broil for my Jerky making sure there is minimal fat content. Am I correct in my thought process?
Will
That's exactly right Jim. As long as you get that jerky up to the internal temp of 160F, it should be safe to eat without curing salt.
Milana Fasoli
If you heat it to the temps needed, and skip the curing salt, how would this be able to be stored? I’d love to do this and still have it be shelf stable.
Will
If not using curing salt, vacuum seal for the longest storage. It should still last about a month. Using curing salt really extends the life of the jerky.