Beef jerky is believed to have originated in South America in the early 1800s or earlier. Ancestors of the Inca Empire made a product similar to beef jerky, using the meat from game animals such as deer, elk and buffalo. They salted strips of meat and allowed them to dry in the sun or over hot coals for long periods of time. This method of drying allowed the natives an excellent source of food when fresh meat was not available. The dried meat, if properly stored, could be kept for very long periods of time. Upon the arrival of the Spanish explorers the secrets of ch’arki (charqui) were shared with the rest of the world. The pioneers of North America built smoke houses and hung pieces of meat, (buffalo and beef) over a fire to smoke cure the meat. Beef Jerky is made when the meat is flavored first and then dried and smoked. By adding spice and herbs they were able to make the dried meat much more palatable. Over the years Beef Jerky has become a very popular snack and comes in many, many different flavors and flavor intensities. It takes about 5 pounds of meat to make 1 pound of jerky. You can use most wild game meats, deer, moose, or elk to make jerky as well as domestic meats, including beef, pork and turkey.
It is best to start with five pounds of very lean beef. The eye of round is a great piece of beef to use because it is round and long. There is not a lot of fat and it is easily removed. It is also BEST to REMOVE all or as much of the fat as possible from the beef. The fat does not dry and will go rancid on you. Leaving fat on the meat is a very good way to make very bad Beef Jerky. You should cut the beef into strips, cutting with the grain of the meat. Cut the beef into about a 1/8 of inch thick slices. You can cut the beef into strips (thick or thin/ long or short) it is up to you. You must remember the thicker the beef the longer the drying time, if you are in a hurry then go thin.
One of the easiest ways to slice your beef, so as to get most of your pieces the same thickness is to put your beef into the freezer for 20-30 minutes before you cut it. This firms the meat up and makes it much easier and nicer to slice. As you slice the beef cutout any small or large pockets of fat or sinew you may come across.
The next thing you will want to do is marinate the beef in a combination of soya sauce, sugar, salt, herbs and spices. You may not like it to be too spicy so you will have to adjust the hot ingredients to accommodate your taste buds.
A Basic Beef Jerky Recipe: 1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of soya sauce
1 – 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh garlic
1 – 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 -4 table spoons dry crushed hot peppers
Mix the ingredients in a large (1 gallon) glass jar with a tight fitting lid, ad all your sliced beef. Put the lid on as tightly as possible, shake the jar until the beef and marinate are well combined. Remove the lid and ad enough cold water to cover the beef completely. Put the lid back on and refrigerate for 24 -48 hours. Shake the jar up any time you feel the urge. You can add any other herbs, spices or sauces to the marinate you think might taste good. You can also add hoi sin sauce, HP sauce, honey, red hot sauce, teriyaki sauce and many, many more. Use your imagination and you will come up with your favorite jerky marinate in no time.
Once the beef has marinated in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours you can start the drying process. Remove the meat from the marinate and lay it out flat onto kitchen racks ensure that the pieces of meat do not overlap each other. Pat it dry with paper towel and then let it sit in the air for 10-15 minutes or while the oven comes to temperature. The oven should be set to 200-225 degrees F. Place your jerky in the warm oven for about 2-3 hours or until it is done to the degree of dryness you like. Let your beef jerky cool before you store it in a cool dry location. Make sure the store place is well out of sight and out of reach of all others in the area. If they know where it is, you are sure to never get a piece. Enjoy!
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