Worchestershire Beef Jerky

For my birthday last year, I wanted a food dehydrator.  My husband has been drawn for elk this year and if he gets one, I don't know what I'm gonna do.  I don't particularly care for the taste of elk.  I've been told that  maybe it wasn't cooked right and I sure hope that's the case.  In the meantime, however, I figured that if I could get proficient in making beef jerky, I could make elk jerky.  Can you turn an entire elk into jerky?

So far we have made several different kinds of beef jerky and while not all of the recipes have been winners, we have certainly learned a lot of lessons.  We just made a batch up this weekend and it's delicious.  Jerky is so easy to make.  Today's Jerky was referred to as "Jerky 3" up until today.  I think I will name it "Worchestershire Jerky" as that is the basic flavor that comes through almost immediately in the final product.  It turned out soooo good.  It's on the saltier side but not overpoweringly so.  And the best part was that my husband cut it nice and thin, less than 1/4 inch thick, so it took exactly 90 minutes in the dehydrator until it was done.  Awesome.

I found the recipe on the internet and didn't change it too much.  The original author of the recipe does it in the oven and uses more salt.  He calls it "Road Rage Jerky" and also has some issues with women from what I read.  Whatever - he makes a good marinade.  I adapted the recipe for my own use but original credit is located at the end of the recipe.

Here's a few tips that I've learned, and then the recipe from today's jerky.

Ten Jerky Tips:

1.  London Broil makes very tasty jerky.  Especially cut in strips of either 1/8 or 1/4 thick.  NO THICKER THAN THAT.  My husband is now a pro but I have been told that if you ask the butcher at the supermarket, they may cut it for you.  I don't know.  Butchers scare me.

2.  How you cut the meat determines the final result.  Evenly, thinly, and against the grain are key.

3.  Marinate, marinate, marinate.  What you put the meat in and how long you leave it there for really determine the final result.  Marinating under 12 hours is not going to get you the taste you want.  You have to let the meat take in the flavor.  You can't rush it.  you have to pay attention.  You need to move the meat around in there and flip the bag repeatedly while it marinates or it doesn't get through all of the meat.  A ziploc bag is a great thing to marinate in.

4.  Be careful with salt.  Salt seems to be the first thing that gets soaked up into the meat.  You can't take it out once it's in.  Too salty = bad.  Use garlic POWDER and onion POWDER, never the salt versions.

5.  Taste and smell your marinade.  If it is tasty before the meat, the meat will turn out great.

6.  Marinate in the refrigerator.  No one wants food poisoning.

7.  A food dehydrator is a good investment.  The oven just doesn't work the same.

8.  When a recipe says it'll take 5 hours, start checking it at an hour and a half.  Timing depends on temperature, thickness and moisture, not what a cookbook says.

9.  Don't be afraid to move the meat and the trays around.  Also, don't be afraid to remove the thinner pieces that are done before the thicker ones.  And it happens.  No one is perfect when cutting meat into strips.  But you need to know when they're done and take them out or they get all cardboard-y.  Yuck.

10.  And finally, don't ever put meat in the dehydrator and go to bed, thinking it will be done in the morning.  If you do this, you will get meat that is kind of like plywood.  Even if you set an alarm, you will be punished for your lack of attentiveness by over-dried jerky.  You'll regret it.

Worchestershire Beef Jerky

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds London broil, sliced into strips against the grain 1/8 to ¼ thick. 

(Slightly freezing the meat prior to cutting makes it easier to cut)

1 cup of Worcestershire Sauce

3/4 cup of Soy sauce

1 Tablespoon of garlic powder  (not garlic salt)

1 Tablespoon of onion powder  (not onion salt)

1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt* (optional - you could leave this out and it would be fine)

1 teaspoon of medium-coarse ground black pepper

2 teaspoons of Louisiana style hot sauce (NOT TABASCO – Cholula works well)

 Directions:

In a Ziploc bag, combine the marinade ingredients.  Add the meat and push around to coat.  Put into the refrigerator and marinate at least 12 hours, moving the meat around in the bag and flipping the bag often to ensure that all meat gets flavored. 

Remove meat from marinade and lay out onto paper towels.  Use other paper towels to blot off excess marinade from the tops of the strips.  Lay out on dehydrator trays, leaving space between for air flow. 

Set dehydrator to highest temperature (160 degrees).  Begin checking jerky after 60-90 minutes.  Once sufficiently dried, remove to an open Ziploc bag and allow to rest and cool off for at least 30 minutes before putting into the refrigerator. 

Store in refrigerator for up to 2 months (it won’t last that long!)

Adapted from a recipe at http://roadrage13.tripod.com/jerky/jerky.html