Peppered Beef Jerky
If you love Beef Jerky, try making your own.
You do not need a dehydrator to make Beef Jerky, this is made right in your oven!
Beef Jerky can be expensive at the grocery store or specialty market, and you never know what kind of preservatives are in it. Make this recipe in your own kitchen and enjoy the aroma as it slow cooks in your oven.
If you have never tried making Beef Jerky, this is an easy recipe and it is great to have on hand for snacking.
PEPPERED BEEF JERKY
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. Lean Beef, such as Round Steak, Flank Steak or London Broil. Look for a cut with the least amount of fat.
- 1 Cup Soy Sauce (I use low sodium)
- 1 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Liquid Smoke
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Directions:
1. First you need to prepare the Beef for the marinade. Working with slightly frozen Beef will make it easier to slice it thin for this recipe. Remove ALL fat from the Beef. You do not want fat in your Jerky Sticks because the fat has moisture and we are trying to get all the moisture out of the Beef to turn it into Jerky. Also, fat can make your Beef turn rancide when storing it so we need to remove every bit of it. Slice all the Beef into thin strips.
2. Let’s make the Marinade! In a large bowl, combine the Soy Sauce, Worcestershire, Garlic & Onion Powder, Liquid Smoke and the Pepper. Then add the Beef to the Marinade and stir well.
3. Transfer the Beef and the Marinade to a large re-sealable bag. Get all the air out and seal tightly. Place the bag on a tray or in a flat dish, just in case the bag leaks. Refrigerate the Beef over night, turning the bag occasionally.
4. The next day, Preheat your oven to 170 degrees…we are going to be baking “low and slow” to create our Jerky.
5. Empty the Marinade and Beef into a colander and let the excess Marinade drain off.
6. Get out a baking sheet and paper towels. Line the bottom of the baking sheet with 2 paper towels. Lay the Strips of Beef out onto the paper towels in a single layer. Now put two more paper towels on top of the first layer of Beef Strips and start a second layer. Continue until all your Beef is layered in the pan and covered with paper towels. We are trying to get as much moisture off of the Beef during this step of the process. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to soak up the excess moisture. Don’t worry, it will still keep all the great marinade flavors.
7. Now get out 2 cookie cooling racks and 2 baking sheets. Line the Beef Strips up on the cookie cooling racks with the pieces close together but not touching. During the cooking process the Beef will be shrinking down. Line the baking sheet with foil then set the cookie racks on the baking sheets.
8. Put the Beef in the oven, set the timer for 2 hours. Leave the oven door propped open with an oven mitt or potholder. This is to let the moisture out of the oven during the baking process. Check the Beef after 2 hours, you are looking for the Beef to bend, not snap, it should be dry but not so much so that it breaks apart. All ovens are different so your cooking time can take any where from 2 hours to 4 hours. My Jerky takes about 3 hours in my oven. After 2 hours check the consistency. You may have to do a little taste testing to ensure you have the right texture. I don’t mind that part, nor does my husband!
Store the Peppered Beef Jerky in an airtight container. It probably won’t last long!
Recipe by: Hot Dish Homemaker
