Several years ago, we purchased our first dehydrator with the hopes of making beef jerky. Since then, we make it a few times a year. It is very easy to make and most importantly, delicious.
Please remember to properly wash your hands and preparation areas when handling raw meat.
You will need:
Eye of Chuck Beef
Marinade (Our two favorites are listed below)
Allegro Hickory Smoke Marinade
Allegro Hot and Spicy Marinade
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Bowl with Lid for Marinating
Food Dehydrator
Step 1: Remove any large areas of fat. Fat has the potential to make the jerky rancid.
Step 2: Thinly slice the beef with the grain. You want to go thin, but don't shave it.
Step 3: Put the jerky in a seal-able bowl and pour in your marinade. I made Hot and Spicy and Hickory Smoked jerky. I split the jerky into 2 bowls: ⅔ Hickory Smoked and ⅓ Hot and Spicy. For the Hickory Smoked I used 2 bottles of marinade and 1 for the Hot and Spicy.
Step 4: Marinade overnight in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Step 5: Lay out several paper towels and dry each piece off (you can also press and flatten pieces that are thick). Lay each piece on the trays of the dehydrator leaving about a ¼ inch of space between each piece. Since I was using 2 flavors, I used a piece of tape (in this case electrical tape) on the trays denoting the spicy jerky.
Step 6: Turn on your dehydrator and salivate to the smell while waiting for it to get done. I usually run it for 4 hours straight before I start checking. Larger, thicker pieces will take longer than smaller, thinner pieces. Also, the pieces closest to the motor (top) get done faster as well.
Step 7: After 4 hours, turn your dehydrator off and check all of the pieces to see if any are done. You want the pieces to be rigid and firm. Set them on a plate or tray to cool. As you remove pieces, fill in the spaces on the top trays with those on the bottom trays. If you are doing more than one flavor and you want to keep the flavors separate, be careful when you combine trays to fill in spaces. Continue checking on your jerky every hour until finished.
Step 8: Once your jerky is done and cooled, keep it in a ziplock bag. I'm not sure how long it will keep honestly, because it’s eaten within 2 or 3 days around here. :) Sharing is optional!