Homemade Beef Jerky

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Trim away all visible fat from the beef. Chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes until firm but not frozen, then slice across the grain into strips about 3 mm thick.

   Timer: 30 min (fixed)

   Ingredients used: 900.0 gr Beef Eye of Round

   Cookware: Chef Knife, cutting board

2. Step 2

   Whisk the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves.

   Ingredients used: 4.0 gr Black Pepper, 25.0 gr Brown Sugar, 3.0 gr Garlic Powder, 3.0 gr Onion Powder, 2.0 gr Smoked Paprika, 120.0 ml Soy Sauce, 1.0 gr Turkish Red Pepper Flakes (Pul Biber), 60.0 ml Worcestershire Sauce

   Cookware: mixing bowl, whisk

3. Step 3

   Add the beef strips to the marinade and turn until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate at 4°C or below for 8 hours.

   Timer: 480 min (fixed)

   Cookware: mixing bowl, tongs

4. Step 4

   Preheat the oven to 135°C. Set wire racks over rimmed baking sheets, lift the strips from the marinade, blot them dry, and arrange them in a single layer without overlap; discard the marinade.

   Cookware: oven, rimmed baking sheet, tongs, wire rack

5. Step 5

   Bake at 135°C until the thickest strips reach an internal temperature of at least 71°C, about 10–15 minutes.

   Timer: 15 min (fixed)

   Cookware: instant-read thermometer, oven

6. Step 6

   Reduce the oven to 80°C and dry the strips for 3–4 hours, turning them once halfway through. They are ready when a cooled test piece bends and cracks, shows no wet spots when torn, and does not snap cleanly.

   Timer: 210 min (fixed)

   Cookware: oven, rimmed baking sheet, tongs, wire rack

7. Step 7

   Transfer the jerky to clean racks and let it cool completely for 30 minutes.

   Timer: 30 min (fixed)

   Cookware: tongs, wire rack

8. Step 8

   Place the cooled jerky in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for longer storage.

   Cookware: airtight container