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This is the Beef Jerky recipe that I started passing around while out on the drilling rig in South Texas. This was a bad decision as now many of the guys out here always ask if I have any Jerky on me while we are working. Making homemade jerky results in a big increase in popularity among work colleagues and family members! n
*This recipe is updated with more photos and video of the jerky making process and finished jerky. Original Post: 2/19/2015*
I’m dedicating this recipe to the guys working on the rig; "Rig Hands". Enjoy Rig Hand Jerky! Here is a picture of a drilling rig in South Texas for ya!
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Jerky Video
Slicing the meat
Start with a great cut of beef when making this jerky. I used Beef Eye of Round, but you can find a complete list of the best cuts of meat for beef jerky here.
The first step of slicing meat for jerky is to trim the cut of meat of all visible fat. You can see the white fat in the picture below, just trim that off BEFORE you start slicing the meat. Fat spoils faster than meat, so the more you get off now, the longer your jerky will be shelf stable.
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.
Slice even strips so they will dry evenly and be finished at the same time. You can wrap the roast in plastic wrap and partially freeze for 1-2 hours to make slicing easier.
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.
Making the marinade
This recipe tastes fantastic because of some of the great tasting ingredients such as soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes for a little bit of a spice!
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or ziplock bag and mix well. Since this recipe does not have any whole peppers, blending in a blender is not needed.
Related Page: Dozens of Great Tasting Jerky Recipes – Click Here
Add the earlier sliced meat strips to the marinade and mix around so all the strips are evenly covered. Allow the strips to marinate for 6-24 hours in the refrigerator. Do NOT marinate the meat at room temperature, always marinate in the fridge to prevent the meat from spoiling.
Dehydrating
Once the meat has finished marinating, strain any excess marinade in a colander. I marinated this beef for a total of 20 hours before straining. The longer the marinade process, the more intense flavor the jerky will have!
Before adding the meat to your dehydrator, oven, or smoker; lay out paper towels placing the meat strips on top. Pat dry the strips to remove even more of the excess marinade. This step will help speed up the drying process and prevent the meat from being 'sticky' after it has finished drying.
I dried them in my Excalibur Dehydrator for a total of 3 hours at 165°F and 1 hour at 145°F. Make sure the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160°F to kill any potential bacteria. The 3 hours at 165°F in the dehydrator does the trick. You can also pre-heat the meat in an oven before drying if your dehydrator does not heat up to 160°F. Check out my page on jerky safety for more information on this process.
Related Page: Dehydrator Reviews
Testing for when it's finished
While drying the jerky, you want to 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 in half.
If the jerky is not finished, continue drying for another hour and repeat the same process until the jerky is 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.
This recipe tastes fantastic, that's why there is not surprise that it is one of the top recipes on the site. It has that recognizable flavor of jerky you find at your local smokehouse or country store. The red pepper flakes gives it a little bit of a spice and the soy sauce the perfect amount of saltiness!
Storing 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 jerky and steps you can take to make your jerky have an extended shelf life. Check it out!
Old Pro Tips:
- Trim all fat from the meat before marinating for longer lasting jerky once it's finished drying
- Use curing salt or celery juice powder to extend the life of the jerky
- Marinate closer to 24 hours for the most intense flavor
- Sprinkle on more red pepper flakes before drying if desiring a spicier jerky
FAQ
YES! It's great for camping and hiking. Check out this complete guide to camping food and prep at Kuhl for more information.
Yes, with modification. Simply cut the liquid ingredients in half when making ground jerky.
Yes, it will turn out very well when made with chicken. Just make sure to heat the chicken jerky to an internal temperature of 165°F for safety. Check out this chicken jerky post for more information.
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Ingredients
Lean Beef
- 1 lb eye of round
Marinade
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke (Do NOT add if using smoker)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Optional
- ¼ teaspoon Curing Salt (Prague Powder #1)
Equipment
Instructions
- Pick a lean cut of beef. Trim the fat cap and other visible fat. After trimmed, place the meat in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until partially frozen. This will allow for more uniform slices when cutting your beef.
- In a plastic container that has a tight fitting lid or ziplock bag, add the marinade ingredients and mix well.
- Remove the meat from the freezer and slice ¼" strips against the grain for an easy chew. Cut with the grain for a more chewy jerky.
- Add the sliced meat to the marinade and shake well until all slices are covered evenly. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for 6-24 hours. Shake the container/bag two or three times while marinating.
- After marinating, dry slices with paper towels to remove any excess marinade.
- Place strips on your dehydrator drying racks with plenty of spaces in between for easy air flow. Dry with your favorite jerky making method.
- Dry for 3 hours at 165 degrees allowing the internal temperature to reach 160 degrees and then turn down to 145F. Check the meat after 4 hours and keep drying until the jerky bends and cracks, but does not break in half.
- Allow jerky to cool for several hours before storing.
Pro Tips
- Trim all fat from the meat before marinating for longer lasting jerky once it's finished drying
- Use curing salt or celery juice powder to extend the life of the jerky
- Marinate closer to 24 hours for the most intense flavor
- Sprinkle on more red pepper flakes before drying if desiring a spicier jerky
Nutrition
Environmental Information
Neil says
I've only tried a few of your recipes, but this is my go to recipe. I've had this one bookmarked for about 5-6 years. I prefer savory over other flavors btw. I always use various cuts of deer meat and always trim out the fat. The sinew I mostly leave cause it's no prob to peel it off after dehydrating than trying when it's slippery an raw. Here's a few things I have found.
1) I use less regular salt and low sodium soy sauce b/c I also use curing salt and the cure salt tends to be a stronger salt flavor plus food safety and I'm dealing with wild game.
2) I line my gas oven with foil on the bottom( for drips). I don't dry the meat but i do let it drip dry over my sink while spreading it on the 2 cooling racks (racks are designed for baking).
3) I begin at 180-200F and reduce the heat after about 1 hour and prop the door open with a wooden spoon as needed.
4) It is impossible to make too much jerky.
5) Everyone wants you to save some for them, but the jerky tends to be gone in only a few days, so promise nothing.
6) The process has the added benefit of making my whole home smell of smoky meat.
Happy Curing!
Neil says
Just to clarify, I put the baking racks on the racks in my oven for drying. If the meat sticks, I just pop them on the underside of the rack ( like bubble wrap) and voila, unstuck.
Justin says
Awesome flavor and one of my favorites I’ve tried making!
JW says
Added 1 tsp of Cheyenne pepper. PEREFCT!
Bill says
Great recipe, I used a Masterbuilt 30 and went 11/2 hrs. at 165° then, 1/2 hr. of smoke at 190° and finally 5 hrs. at 160° to finish. It turned out perfect. I do have a question though, can I add a little water, in my next batch, to saturate the brin for a bit milder taste?
Thanks,
Bill
Will says
Definitely. Feel free to change any recipe. The water will help with a milder flavor.