SheWoff
11-16-2007, 12:35 PM
Here is one recipe I use for making jerky...this will help if you have tons of meat in the freezer and something happens. Or just want to make a treat!
Basic Marinade
1 C. soy sauce or teryaki sauce
1 C. water
3 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. liquid smoke
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper
Meat-
Any cut of beef (I used London broil on sale at Kroger's) or deer meat.
Partially freeze (or thaw a little) meat to make it easier to slice into thin strips. A good sharp knife is a must here. Cut meat into 1/8 to 1/4" thick slices against the grain of the meat. This is the hardest part of the entire process! And it isn't all that hard either. Make sure you trim all excess fat off of the meat. Keeps it from spoiling that way.
Next put your slices of meat into a bowl with your marinade and mix well making sure your marinade covers the meat. Put in the refrigerator overnight. I stirred mine every couple of hours while I was still up. You don't have to do that though.
The next morning, take strips of meat out of the marinade one at a time, allowing extra marinade to drip off as much as possible. You don't have to pat them dry. Place on dehydrator trays. I used an electric one as is that is what I had available. Other options include using dehydrator trays in the sun, but if you do that you will have to cover them to keep the bugs off. Use something that will let the sunlight in. Another way to dehydrate them is in the oven using your racks. Just lay the strips over the top oven rack. Place a pan underneath to catch the drips and set oven on lowest setting. It takes about 5 or 6 hours using the oven and it took me about 8 hours using the dehydrator. If you do this in the sun, it can take up to three days to get it done. Just remember direct sunlight! Don't put it in the shade. I have even heard of old timers just hanging the strips of meat out on the clothesline to dry (no, I'm not saying to do that now lol!).
When the meat is dry, remove it from the trays and put it in either bags with one oxygen absorber or you can vacuum seal them. A friend of mine just keeps his in a glass canning jar on the shelf which is a good idea for post SHTF.
I made this over the week-end and got three or four times more jerky for the price you would pay in the store for it. It would have easily cost me over 20.00 for the amount I made if bought at the store. This way it cost me 3.43 for the meat and about a buck for the marinade since I already had the ingredients on hand.
Good luck keeping it around very long!
She
Basic Marinade
1 C. soy sauce or teryaki sauce
1 C. water
3 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. liquid smoke
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper
Meat-
Any cut of beef (I used London broil on sale at Kroger's) or deer meat.
Partially freeze (or thaw a little) meat to make it easier to slice into thin strips. A good sharp knife is a must here. Cut meat into 1/8 to 1/4" thick slices against the grain of the meat. This is the hardest part of the entire process! And it isn't all that hard either. Make sure you trim all excess fat off of the meat. Keeps it from spoiling that way.
Next put your slices of meat into a bowl with your marinade and mix well making sure your marinade covers the meat. Put in the refrigerator overnight. I stirred mine every couple of hours while I was still up. You don't have to do that though.
The next morning, take strips of meat out of the marinade one at a time, allowing extra marinade to drip off as much as possible. You don't have to pat them dry. Place on dehydrator trays. I used an electric one as is that is what I had available. Other options include using dehydrator trays in the sun, but if you do that you will have to cover them to keep the bugs off. Use something that will let the sunlight in. Another way to dehydrate them is in the oven using your racks. Just lay the strips over the top oven rack. Place a pan underneath to catch the drips and set oven on lowest setting. It takes about 5 or 6 hours using the oven and it took me about 8 hours using the dehydrator. If you do this in the sun, it can take up to three days to get it done. Just remember direct sunlight! Don't put it in the shade. I have even heard of old timers just hanging the strips of meat out on the clothesline to dry (no, I'm not saying to do that now lol!).
When the meat is dry, remove it from the trays and put it in either bags with one oxygen absorber or you can vacuum seal them. A friend of mine just keeps his in a glass canning jar on the shelf which is a good idea for post SHTF.
I made this over the week-end and got three or four times more jerky for the price you would pay in the store for it. It would have easily cost me over 20.00 for the amount I made if bought at the store. This way it cost me 3.43 for the meat and about a buck for the marinade since I already had the ingredients on hand.
Good luck keeping it around very long!
She