Beef Jerky
Don’t be a jerk! Get going on a batch of my jerky.
Beef Jerky
2018-06-11 21:19:40
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
- 2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Special equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords
Instructions
- Trim the steak of any excess fat, put it in a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up. This makes the meat much easier to slice.
- Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat, with the grain, into long strips.
- Put the strips of meat, along with all of the remaining ingredients, in the zip-top bag and move them around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Put the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat on 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug it in, and set it to medium. Dry the meat for 8 to 12 hours. (If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.)
- Once dry, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
ALTON BROWN https://altonbrown.com/
I love this stuff.. I always add Cayenne pepper to mine to give it some kick! I’d like to make a sweeter version, any ideas on what I would use to achieve this or would I just add more honey? Thanks in advance
I didn’t have red-pepper flakes, so I substituted with ground Sichuan peppercorns (yeah, I had those sitting around instead of red-pepper flakes). I thought it really made for an interesting addition to the flavor. Definitely worth trying if you can get your hands on some.
It actually does matter which way the air flows. If you put the filters on the back of the fan so that the fan pulls air across the filters you risk not having enough airflow inside the fan itself which risks overheating the motor and burning it out. Also why you wouldn’t want to do a push pull configuration.
This is the best jerky I’ve ever had in my life. I make it every summer and it’s the perfect snack to munch on the trail when I’m hiking or camping.
Pro-tip: Costco normally sells 3-4lb. packages of flank steak at ~$7/lb which works out perfectly for a double-batch. Costco also sells large tubs of Pub Mix which happens to make a perfect storage vessel for your jerky once it’s empty. The cheapest AC filters I can find are a 3-pack at Lowe’s for $8.99.
The blue arrow behind the fan in the diagram is the air flow direction
“…and thinly slice the meat, with the grain, into long strips” Isn’t slicing with the grain, going to make the jerky very tough and hard to eat?
Why not use two fans, one pulls, one pushes?
Then again, im commenting on making jerky using a box fan and bungee cords. It probably doesnt matter at the end of the day.
Doesn’t really matter which direction the air flow. It’s either going to pull or push air around the meat. Either way air is going to dry the meat.
Blowing towards the meat
With the fan blowing air through the filters
In which direction is the air flow??