Dehydrator :: Beef Jerky (HOT!)

(throwback from my old Evernote cookbook, republished here)

I bought a dehydrator, on Amazon, and after laborious research, I chose a square-ish one, with plenty of surface area and good reviews/ratings. I've dehydrated fruits and veggies, but my favorite thing is beef jerky.
My jerky always gets rave reviews, from casual jerky fans, to jerky cooks as well! It's spicy, with a background sweetness -- it will make you sweat - the london broil cut is lean and not too expensive for these small batches.

It does take a bit of planning - to set up the meat, marinade, and be around to harvest the jerky at the right finishing point; however, you will not be disappointed!

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I start with about 1.7lbs of London Broil beef. Set it up in the freezer, until its slightly crispy to the touch - this will make it easier to slice thinly, as well as helping to tenderize the meat.

With your sharpest knife (santoku pictured here), cut into thin strips, throwing away fatty bits, as they will not dehydrate well.

Ah! the marinade! I use:
  • low sodium soy sauce
  • dark brown sugar
  • generous portions of red pepper flakes
  • course ground black pepper
  • several tablespoons of pineapple concentrate

Here's one of my gadgets: vacuum sealer w/ canister attachment;) just hit the button! marinade for 24-36hrs, tending to it by shaking it around every 6-8 hours to evenly distribute the marinade

When you'll be available to finish the jerky in 10-12 hrs, i.e. do this at night for morning finish, blot out the jerky on paper towels, to get the jerky as dry as possible.

Powder the top side only, with more red pepper flakes and course ground black pepper. Place into your dehydrator!

So after 10-12 hours, your jerky should look something like this -

Let it cool before placing it in a plain brown paper lunch bag -- paper will actually keep it fresher, as plastic may affect the texture, making it soggy.

Share and Enjoy!