This basic jerky was one of the first Jerky recipes I ever tried. It is a very simple recipe that does not have to many crazy flavors and ingredients. If you are looking for a great tasting jerky that will just about please everyone, this is a great place to start.
Trim the fat cap and all other visible fat from your meat. After trimming, place the meat in your freezer for an hour or so to partially freeze.
While the meat is in the freezer, mix the soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and liquid smoke in a container that has a tight fitting lid.
After an hour, remove the beef from the freezer. It should be hard to the touch but not fully frozen. Slice the meat against the grain ⅛" - ¼" thick. Try to make all slices the same thickness for evenly dried jerky.
Add sliced beef to your ingredient mixture and shake container to evenly coat the slices. Marinate in the fridge for anywhere from 6-24 hours. Shake container several times during the marinating process.
Remove marinated beef from the fridge and pat dry with paper towels. Pierce one side of the strip with a toothpick to hang in the oven.
Place strips in the oven and dry for 4 hours at 170 degrees fahrenheit or the lowest temperature on your oven. Check jerky after 4 hours and keep drying as needed. Jerky will be done when it bends and cracks, but does not break in half.
Allow jerky to cool for several hours before placing in ziplock bags. Jerky will stay good for 7-10 days or up to 1-2 months when vacuum packaged.