Recently I went on a four day rafting trip. Before I went, I made some beef jerky. Here’s how I did it.
My method is based on my father’s method, as I was taught as a boy.
We start with a few pounds of flank steak.
Flank steak is a long cut. I cut with the grain as thin as I can, a little less than 1/4 inch thick. I cut about 3 pounds of beef.
I gathered up all the ingredients.
1 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
I actually smoke the jerky, but if you aren’t going to smoke it, you can add 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke.
Once the marinade is mixed up and the beef is cut, you’ll need a container to soak it in.
I soak the beef at least overnight. The salt in the sauces will cure the meat to help preserve it as well as let the flavor get deep into the meat.
The next day, I set up my smoker and laid out the strips.
After about 6 hours, the jerky was ready. It depends how dry you like your jerky. I tend to like is a little dryer.
When you fully dry out the meat, you have basically preserved for a good long time. It’s interesting to think that preserving meat like this was an essential task our ancestors used before the invention of refrigeration.
The rafting trip looks like a lot of fun. We did something similar on the Hudson River last year albeit on a smaller scale. How many days did you camp along the river?
One time we went rafting and my dad touched me and my brother on our beef jerky.
Good stuff. Now I’m hungry.
How do you cook it if you don’t have a smoker?
Good stuff. My father uses almost the same recipe. He occasionally uses a smoker but more often than not he just breaks out the ol’ electric food dehydrator (As Seen on TV!) and lays all the strips of beef out on the multiple trays on that. It takes a bit longer than in the smoker (12-14 hours, if I recall?) but turns out about the same consistency-wise. The smoker tastes a little better, but sometimes the convenience factor of the dehydrator is nice.
Alternately, I believe you can cook in the oven – you need a wire screen or something to lay the jerky on, and cook it at low heat (~140 F) for 6-8 hours. Make sure to leave the door of the oven cracked so the excess moisture can escape. Of course, this method also lets a lot of excess heat out into the kitchen, so I’d go with a smoker or dehydrator if you have the option.