The Country Cats Beef Jerky Recipes

ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY RECIPE

Steps:

• Trim all visible fat from the beef and place in freezer for an hour or two to partially freeze.
• While the meat is in the freezer, combine the pickling salt, curing salt, coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, black pepper, sugar, and cold water in a medium size bowl or ziplock bag. Mix well.
• Remove the meat from the freezer and slice 1/4" strips with the grain. Or skip the freezing phase and use a jerky slicer for evenly sliced strips.
• Tenderize the beef strips with a tenderizing mallet to prevent the jerky from being too tough.
• Add sliced beef to the mixture and marinate for 6-24 hours in the refrigerator.
• After the meat has finished marinating, remove from refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels.
• A Dehydrator was used with this recipe and dried for 7 hours at 160 degrees. You can also use a smoker or your oven.

BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Slice the beef with the grain into strips about 1 inch thick by 3 inches long. If the strips appear too large, they likely are the correct size, as they will shrink significantly during the cooking process.
• In a mixing bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Liberally season the beef with this spice mixture, being sure to use it all. Cover the beef and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Put the beef strips on a baking rack-lined sheet pan. Arrange the meat so that the strips are not touching or overlapping. This allows for even drying. Bake for 6 to 7 hours, until fairly dry. If you prefer your jerky on the chewy side, remove it after 6 hours. Otherwise, leave it in for the full 7 hours to dry it out some more.
• Divide the jerky among bags. Store the bags in an airtight container at room temperature; the jerky should keep for several months.

PEPPERED BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• In a large zip top bag, combine all ingredients for the marinade. Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
• Add the sliced eye of round to your marinade and toss gently in the bag to coat all sides of the meat with the marinade. Refrigerate 8 hours, or up to 24 hours. The longer it marinates, the saltier and stronger the flavor will be.
• Remove the strips of marinated beef from the bag and place on paper towels. Pat dry.
• Preheat your smoker, oven (with the door cracked), or dehydrator to run at around 170 degrees F. Transfer the strips to the grill grate, jerky rack, or cooling rack and season the top with additional black pepper, if desired.
• Smoke/cook for 2-3 hours (depending on the thickness of your slices, some thicker pieces can take 4-5 hours). Check often after the first hour to be sure your jerky is drying evenly. You are looking for jerky that is firm and still slightly pliable, but not soft. If you bend your jerky and it breaks, you've cooked it a little too long
• Place the finished jerky in a gallon zip top bag while it is still warm. Don't seal closed all the way. The jerky will steam in the bag slightly and this step will make the jerky moist. If you added the curing salt, the jerky will last a couple of weeks on the counter. If you did not add in the curing salt, it will last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

THE COUNTRY CAT'S BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, salt, celery seed, chile flakes and garlic granules in a large bowl. Add the top round and mix well to fully coat. Refrigerate and let marinate for 24 hours.
• Place the strips of top round on the trays of a food dehydrator. Dry at 125 degrees F for 24 hours.

ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY RECIPE

Steps:

• Trim all fat from the beef, then freeze for 1-2 hours.
• Slice beef against the grain in long, thin strips no thicker than ¼ inch.
• Combine all marinade ingredients in a container, add beef, and put in the fridge for 7-24 hours.
• Remove excess liquid with a paper towel.
• Dry beef in a food dehydrator at 160 degrees F for 4-8 hours, checking every half hour starting at the 3-hour mark. Remove when jerky bends without breaking.

HOMEMADE BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Cut the meat into strips 1-inch wide and 1/2-inch thick, and spread on baking sheets. In a bowl blend the seasonings. Season the meat strips on 1 side, then turn and season the second side. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Cook the meat until it is completely dried, 6 to 8 hours, turning as needed to dry uniformly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Eat as desired, or keep tightly covered, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from New New Orleans Cooking by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

SMOKY COLA JERKY

Steps:

• Bring the cola, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and 1 tablespoon salt to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chipotles, paprika and onion powder; let cool completely.
• Trim the excess fat from the beef and slice on an angle into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Combine the strips and cola mixture in a resealable plastic bag and shake to coat. Press the air out of the bag, seal and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven; line the bottom of the oven with foil. Drain the meat, discarding the marinade. Stick a toothpick through the end of each strip of meat. Starting at the back of the oven and working forward, arrange each piece of meat between the grates of the oven rack so the toothpicks rest on the grates and the meat dangles below (do not let the meat touch the rack). Alternately, cook the beef in a dehydrator according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Bake until the jerky is dry but still bendable, 2 to 3 hours. Carefully remove from the oven and remove the toothpicks. Let cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

BEEF JERKY

Steps:

• Slice the meat into strips against the grain, 1/4-inch thick and 1-inch wide. (If necessary, freeze the meat for up to 2 hours to facilitate slicing.)
• In a large, wide bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Place the meat in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate to marinate overnight, turning occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to its lowest setting, between 145 and 150 degrees F.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with foil and top with 2 heavy wire racks. Drain the meat, pat dry, and arrange evenly on the racks without touching. Place in the oven, leaving the oven door open a crack for air circulation. Leave in the oven until dry, but still firm (not spongy or brittle), 10 to 12 hours, depending upon the thickness of the meat, turning once or twice during the process.
• Remove from the oven and store in waxed paper at room temperature for up to 2 days. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate to store for up to 1 week.