Beef Jerky

[David Lay]

What's the easiest way to make Beef Jerky?

[dl meckes]

Buy a new microwave?

[David Lay]

I did find this through the magical power of Google:

http://www.wikihow.com/index.php?title=Make-Beef-Jerky

It looks pretty easy, though I think I might have to pick up a food dehydrator after looking at my Dominion bill

[Stan Austin]

Make it??? Just buy it.

David--- With all the recent discussion about LEAF, school breakfasts, herring gone bad--- just buy the damn stuff, chew on it, wash it down with some cheap beer, and let the rest of the Deck proselytize on serious food matters.

Stan

[Jeff Endress]

David

Pay no attention to Stan......store bought jerky is garbage....

I've been making Jerky for years. From an old column:

http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/opinio ... mp-cooking

Homemade Jerky

3 lbs. London Broil (Top round) Approx. 1 inch thick
½ cup soy
½ cup dry red wine
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tbsp. Powdered garlic (NOT garlic salt)
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

Trim the meat of all fat. Meat should be sliced in ½ inch thick slices. This will be easier if the meat is partially frozen. Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive bowl (glass). Add the meat slices, stir to combine making sure that the marinade covers the slices. Refrigerate 24 hours.

The jerky should be dried, not cooked. This is best done in an oven set at the lowest setting, with the door ajar (there are also various food dehydrators on the market, which do the job very well). Using toothpicks, or a skewer, string each strip at one end and allow to hang down from the oven rack. Use a jelly roll pan to catch drippings.

Dry for 24 hours, or until a uniform brown and stiff but pliable. The original 3 pounds will reduce in weight to ½ lb. Properly dried, jerky requires no refrigeration, but should be stored in a sealed container in a cool place.


I do use a food dehydrator a Ronco no less! My smoker (Bradley: http://www.bradleysmoker.com/) is also set up to use very low heat and does a nice job...BUT, you can make do with an ove an hand full of tooth picks.

Jeff

[ryan costa]

it starts with cow tipping...

[Brad Hutchison]

I've seen Alton Brown make jerky on Good Eats. He agrees with Jeff: it needs to be dried, not cooked, and he frowns on dehydrators for this job. Actually, he bought furnace (?) filters (square and wavey), laid out the beef in the ridges, stacked the filters up and bunjeed them to a box fan in his kitchen window.