How do I make my own beef jerky?

[Deja Q]

How much does the jerk machine cost?

Where do I find the beef?

And, yes, I am talking about beef jerky, the snack food that costs too much in pre-packaged form. Not some sort of boyfriend, sex toy, or anything else. :crazy:

[arwalden]

1. You'd have to make over 500 pounds of jerky to break even...

... on the cost of the jerky machine and the other assorted supplies.

You'd be better off just buying it in bulk at Costco. Not nearly as fun or rewarding... but definitely cheaper.

-- Allen (el Cheapo)

[patdem]

2. I only hope the comma is NOT missing???

:evilgrin:

[On the Road]

3. A Little Off Thread, But If You Like Beef Jerky

try the Chinese version sometime. There's a very authentic Sichuan place nearby (Rockville MD) called Joe's Noodle House that has beef jerky as an appetizer. Good portion, with some that special numbing Sichuan pepper in it.

[matcom]

4. you in Rockville?

grew up in Gaithersburg... high school at Magruder High in Derwood!

:hi:

[On the Road]

9. I Didn't Know You Were From Here, Matcom

Actually, I live in College Park. The place I wrote about is right smack on Rockville Pike near Congressional Plaza. Right down the road from my acupuncturist, who's up 355 in Gathersburg near Montgomery Village.

And my daughter will enter the Montgomery County High School system next year at Kennedy.

[matcom]

11. grew up right off Shady Grove Road

went to U of M (college park)

used to shop in Congressional Plaza

small small world

i remember when the "King Farm" was really a Farm. NOW its a f*cking CITY

:grr:

[Character Assassin]

5. You have to give it a lot of Coffee and No-Doz, and make loud noises

when it looks like it's going to nod off.

[Red State Rebel]

6. First you get a food dehydrator.....

They have some pretty inexpensive ones at Walmart. (I've heard you shouldn't get the ones with the see-thru trays) They have recipes with them. You can buy the spices pre-mixed - mix it with hamburger, flatten it out, cut it into the pieces and put it in the dehydrator for the time it tells you.

It isn't that difficult and it really does make decent jerky.

Without the dehydrator you can probably do it in your oven on a low setting for a long time.

[Mr. McD]

7. You can make it in your oven

There are many recipes at

http://home.att.net/~g.m.fowler/frame/Jerky.htm

[flamingyouth]

8. Here's an interesting article and recipe

In case you have any antelope or venison in your freezer...

http://www.texascooking.com/features/dec2002makingjerky.htm

[frogbison]

10. recipe

Here's one I posted on another thread...

Jerky.
Meat doesn't have to be that expensive stuff. I like sirloin tip steak. Trim all fat out of 2 to 3 pounds and cut into strips about a quarter inch thick by one inch wide. (If you cut across the grain of the beef, it will be easier to tear and chew.)

Mix 2/3 cup soy sauce, 2/3 cup of worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons of seasoning salt, such as Lawrey's. Toss in some liquid smoke if you feel like it.

Marinade the beef strips in this 10 -12 hours, or overnight. A plastic zip bag works great.

Drain meat on paper towels. I sprinkle them with a course black pepper at this point but you may not like that.

Insert a toothpick in the end of each strip, and hang on the grates of your oven rack, suspending them about midway in the oven. Line under the strips with aluminum foil, because they drip and it saves a lot of cleanup. Set oven at lowest temperature, put a wooden spoon in the edge of the door to hold it open a bit, allowing steam to escape. Smaller pieces may be dry in 2 and a half hours. Larger ones may take 4-5. As one recipe states, "you'll know when the meat is ready as your family will begin stealing jerky right out of the oven."

[Whitacre D_WI]

12. Show him this.

Hubba hubba!