Question:
beef jerky recipe?

Anyone got a beef jerky recipe? Although I do like the ones you buy in the store, they are just sooo loaded with sodium. I figured that maybe I could make my own without the sodium. Anyone got a easy recipe without soo many ingredients?    — Peggy D. (posted on June 9, 2003)

June 9, 2003
I'll be curious to see other posts...but, I think the sodium used in packaged mixes/products is part of the 'curing' process that is needed to make jerky safe.
   — eaamc

June 9, 2003
I have a food dehydrator so I make my own Beef Jerky all the time now. I am still pre-op but will be making more when I am post op. I found some good receipes on Foodnetwork.com, but they too use a lot of salt. I just take London Broil and cut it against the grain into strips about 1/4 an inch thick, after removing all or most of the visible fat. Then I let it marinate overnight in babeque sauce, Tariakey (sp) seasoning, or what every I feel like. Once and awhile I get brave and do creaole seasoning but that is spicy. I am going to try Old Bay seasoning in my next batch. In the morning before I leave for work I put it on the racks in the dehydrator and let it go all day. After about 8 hours it is usually pretty good, some pieces are more crunchy than others depending on how thick they were sliced. I keep it in a ziplock bag in the frig till I am ready to take some to work. Experiment with spices you like, Food network tells you how to do it in the oven, I think it is the same but you do it on a low heat (like 200) overnight 10-12 hours. Making it yourself is a big savings. I can get 2lbs of London Broil at a local butcher shop that is pretty well trimed of fat for the price of most 8oz bags of store bought and yeild about a pound or more from it. Now if I can just keep my daughter out of it I would be good.
   — Beth E.

June 9, 2003
I too use a dehydrator to make my own jerky, but I use ground turkey and lean hamburger. The previous poster was rith, the salts atre VERY important to the proper preservation of the jerky, including keeping bacteria from growing DURING the drying process. Nesco/American Harvest makes a great, not too exzpensive dehydrator, available at WalMart, and also sells "Jerky Cure & Spice" in a variety of flavors. Using ground meat I get a more tender product, and I can make 2 lbs. of finished jerky for $4 -$6, depending on the price of the ground meat. You can use the dehydrator for a lot of other things as well, so the initial investment of $35 - $40 is quickly regained in grocery savings. email me provately if you have any questions. Sue
   — Sue C.

June 9, 2003
I LOVE jerky and make it all the time. In the oven 5-7 hrs on WARM. Soak thinly sliced London Broil for 1-2 hrs in equal amts of lite soy and wosceshire(sp) with garlic and onion powder and pepper to taste. "Skewer" it on those wooden kabob sticks and hang it in the oven YUM.
   — Debby M.

June 9, 2003
We make ours using a dehydrator from Wal-mart - cheap - we merinate it overnight using Alegro merinade - hot and spicy - you can use the regular merinades no need for special recipes - they work great. For an extra kick before putting them on the dehydrator we dip them in bbq sauce - maybe not the best low-fat method but it tastes great and I only eat it occasionally so it doesn't bother my weight loss... LAP RNY April 17, 2003 down approx. 135 lbs. Beginning weight 276, current weight 141 - personal goal 126, doctor's goal 135... Beginning size 24 / 26... current size 6 - 8. LOVE THIS SURGERY and my new life!
   — lindajenkins