One lb. of beef steak makes only 4 oz. of beef jerky.
Jerky, or dried meat, is an age-old method of preserving meat. It's used for fish, poultry and game as well as beef. Use a cut of meat that doesn't have much fat, such as round steak. Keep the meat in a cold refrigerator, at no higher of a temperature than 40 degrees Fahrenheit until you're ready to dry the beef. The beef will shrink to one-quarter of its original weight when the moisture is removed. Making homemade beef jerky in the oven isn't difficult, but it does take time.
Instructions
1. Freeze the beef for 30 minutes so it's firm to touch but not frozen through. This makes it easier to cut very thin slices. Take the beef out of the freezer. Remove all visible fat from the meat. Cut it in half and return one half to the freezer. Slice the other half in 1/8-inch slices and no more than 1/4 inch. Remove the other half from the freezer and slice thinly.
2. Put the soy sauce, sliced garlic, rice wine vinegar, pepper, garlic and onions in a glass baking dish. Mix well. Add the beef slices to the marinade. Spread them out in a single layer. The marinade should cover the slices. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
3. Heat the oven to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the beef from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Blot the slices dry. Put them on a cookie rack that's placed on a cookie sheet. The rack lets the warm air circulate under the slices. The cookie sheet catches any drips.
4. Put the beef in the oven. Let it dry from four to 12 hours. Exactly how long depends on how thick the slices are and how warm the oven gets. You don't want to cook or bake the beef. The oven is drying the slices, not cooking them. After four hours, turn the slices over on the rack and replace in the oven.
5. Test the slices after four hours. The beef should be dry and stiff without traces of moisture. Cut a slice in half. There should be no traces of raw meat. The slice shouldn't feel spongy or have any give. Return to the oven for additional drying if necessary.
Tags: four hours, beef jerky, beef oven, cookie sheet, degrees Fahrenheit