Thanks to a new wave of modern day cave-people, eating healthy, high-protein snacks is all the rage, and while you can find many artisan brands out there, making your own is fun, easy, and using this method, relatively quick.
You can use any lean cut of beef you want, but I think top
round is a great choice, as I explain in the video. Whatever you decide to use,
please do yourself a favor, and have the butcher cut it for you. Nice thin, even
slices are key, so the meat dries evenly. Just tell the butcher you are making
jerky, and they’ll know what to do. I hope you give this beef jerky recipe a
try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 6 (2-oz) portions Beef Jerky:
2 pounds thinly sliced beef top round
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 rounded tablespoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 generous tablespoon honey
- Marinate for 3 hours or more.
- Bake at 175 F. for 3-4 hours or until dry and leathery
75 comments:
Hi Chef Jon! I'm currently trying to cut down my sugar intake, and I was wondering if it was necessary for a sweet element to be added (like the honey), or if I can just skip it. Thanks!
Thank you for this, Chef John.
One question as a by the by, in the air tight container, on the pantry shelf, how long would you say it would last?
Hey CJ! This is great.
How about in a convection oven? Would that save the need to open the oven? If we use one, is it at the same temp?
Can i use beef stock with msg added instead of soy sauce?
Can we get a thickness on the beef to tell our butcher? I go to a place that is not a grocery store, a real butcher, so I would love to tell him what to put his slicer machine on. Thanks!
Is there a precise thickness for the beef? My butcher is great, not in a grocery store, so I would love to tell him what to set the machine at. Thanks!
This looks amazing! Just wondering if you've ever heard of/tried bak kwa. It's similar to jerky, but with a caramelized exterior, and it's done over a charcoal fire to impart more smokiness.
If you haven't you really should!
http://ieatishootipost.sg/kim-joo-guan-bak-kua-bak-kwa-101/
Any recommendation if my oven doesn't go as low as 175? I think mine bottoms out at 200. I can crack the door slightly, but it seems unlikely I'd manage a consistent 175 with that approach.
Stefano Bart, no.
Sure if you have an oven even better! Nothing matters except that the beef eventually dries out, and that it stays at a temperature over 140 long enough to kill anything bad.
The exact thickness doesn't matter as much as uniformity does, since anything sliced between a 1/8th and 1/4 inch will work. If you have some slices that are thicker or not uniform, you can always pound it a little bit so that it's more even.
200 should work, and just turn it off once a while, and leave the door closed, and then turn it back on for a while until it's dry.
Of course you can leave out the honey, but I think it's important to help keep the final product soft and chewy enough to eat, plus it balances the flavor. Besides there's no way that small amount of honey would do any harm to anyone, in my opinion.
What a great idea for the snacking carnivore!
Since I buy my bees at Cosco, do you think I can partially freeze it and then slice it with a mandolin or a disk in the food processor?
Also, Should I use the turbo option in my oven or just regular bake?
Thanks!
I checked my butcher's online list of meats and it doesn't have the top round cut your recommended listed. If when I get there in person they don't carry that cut, what other cut should I be prepared to ask for? (I know nothing about meat).
Thanks for doing this Chef John! Another Food Wish come true.
Awesome job, as always, Chef John. Thank you.
I've had great success with using pork loin and having the butcher run it through the meat slicer at just under 1/4" in thickness. I usually use an Asian style marinade. If I do this, I use hickory liquid smoke as well. If I do a traditional style marinade, then I use mesquite liquid smoke. Both come out good, but the Asian style sings with hickory and the traditional sings with mesquite.
Literally every butcher will have top round!
John first off I'm a huge huge huge fan! My girlfriend and I love your vids and we've recently started a routine of making one of your dishes once or twice a week. Please never stop makin vids man!
To my question: can you venture a guess as to how long this will keep in an airtight jar like the one you used? I watched the same Good Eats episode you alluded to, and I recall Alton saying this can be eaten almost indefinitely if properly stored.
Should I leave the door cracked on a convection oven? Thanks! M Pitman
Not sure about leaving it cracked, but I would occasionally open the door no matter what oven I was using.
Azi, neither of those things will cut the meat effectively. Go to a real butcher! Also, I don't know what Turbo means, but since you're trying to go very low and slow, it doesn't sound like a great option.
Do you have a method for beef jerky that has an almost crunchy aspect to it? Don't get me wrong, chewy beef jerky is great too; but for those like my grandmother who have sensitive teeth, I'd like her to be able to enjoy a crunchy beef jerky so that her teeth can handle it. I would appreciate your help on this.
Sorry, no crunchy jerky recipes that I know of.
For those asking, I can't give exact shelf life, other than to say it lasts "a long time." It will be long gone before you have to worry about it.
Is there anything possible that could replace the soy sauce? A combo of additional Worcestershire sauce/water/beef stock/salt? Trying to make a gluten free option for the misses.
I know they make GF soy sauce. Think it's sold as tamari.
by turbo I meant the oven mode that adds a fan to the regular bake mode and reduces the temp by 25 degrees. (For some reason the term escapes me right now... Ahh the fun of older age ...)
Azi,
Sounds like a form of convection. You should just use regular bake oven mode
I remember Alton Brown dehydrating beef jerky with a big box fan, a stack of HVAC air filters, and some shock cords. He said one of the filters accidentally ended up in his AC unit, and the whole house smelled like beef jerky for weeks.
Yeah. Think I'll try the oven method instead.
I have never really been a fan of beef jerky, but I am 100% positive that I am going to make this! Thanks, Chef John
Chef John
The butcher cut my meat into thing little strips. Is this ok?
Could you try making a dutch crunch bread?I'm going to try out this jerky recipe this weekend, I'm very excited!
If you have a convention oven the best method is to set it at convection bake at 140-155 degrees and prop your even door open with a wooden spoon so its just cracked. some convection ovens have a setting called dehydrate and my ovens owner manual suggest this method with the spoon. a low heat while drying out helps with a better product
I asked my butcher for thin top round, really thin and he made two pounds that looked exactly like the video. So, don't worry so much about it, just ask the butcher, he knows.
It's in the oven now, so only time will tell how good it will be.
Hi Chef John, made your Beef Jerky recipe and my family went nuts over it! Even my butcher was psyched when I asked for the thin cut beef. Thanks so much for this recipe (my kids already asked me to make it again) and all your great vids! Mark
Chef John, awesome recipe!
As I was catching the great aroma of the marinade, I thought if I could thicken the consistency of the marinade, this could be a great steak or burger sauce.
Any suggestions on how to thickening the marinade to make a sauce?
I'm not talking crunchy like a cracker of sorts. I'm just saying not chewy (or at least not tough to chew). I think firm might be a better term than crunchy in this case?
I made this as soon as it was posted. Mine cooked 4+ hours at 175F. As the BBQ Boys would say its guuuddddd.. 5 star....
I'm going to open the oven door, and count "One basmati, two basmati.."
Hi Chef John
Firstly, im a huge fan all the way from South Africa. love your videos. thanks.
Please do yourself a favour and check our Biltong, it kicks beef jerky's ass everytime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltong
EEEnjoy
Chef John, I made your recent beef jerky recipe using both beef and fish and it was delicious!
I used both thinly cut strips of top round from the butcher and I also tried individually vacuum sealed boneless skinless tilapia fillets sold in four pound bags. I marinated the fish for 3 hours, cooked it at 200 for four, and it came out really tasty. The first batch of beef that was with the fish for four hours was too long and a little crunchy, but it's already gone so apparently it wasn't too untasty ;) The second batch of beef (which sat in the marinade for 7 hours, while the first one cooked), I cooked for 3 hours at 200 degrees and it was such a nice texture! Thank you for sharing that recipe, it was very delicious. And I really liked that it made fish taste good (not an easy accomplishment).
For those wanting Gluten Free for this recipe, I used Gluten Free Tamari ( Soy Sauce), Gluten Free Worchestershire Sauce and I was short just a tad so I through in some Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce. I find these at the health food grocery stores like, Sprouts, Whole Foods and sometimes you can find them in the grocery stores.
Chef John - one question - using a regular bake for this is better then convection bake in an stove? I know convection has to do with a fan helping the heat to distribute evenly, but still not sure when to use and when not to. Thanks
I am making mine with Gluten Free Tamari (soy sauce), Gluten Free Worcestershire sauce and a little Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce (as I was short of the other two). These can be purchased in stores such as Sprouts, Whole Foods and sometimes in your local grocery stores. Ask!
Chef John,
One question, Can this be done in a stove on convection bake or will it take longer? I am still a little confused as to when to use Convection bake on my stove (I have a choice, bake or convection bake). Thanks
Sorry, I've never had a convection oven, so not sure! Just use reg setting.
How long can it be in jar?
A question on the pan you put it on. I don't have a grated like insert for my cookie sheet, but I do have a pyramid pan which is suppose to allow the air to circulate under the foods to help crisp them. Thinking this might work, but if someone had nothing could this be done just on a cookie sheet?
Maybe if you keep turning them, but they really need air to circulate underneath.
Bed bath and beyond has non stick cooling racks. These work great because you are using such a low temp in the oven. There is no worry of damaging them. Also, I made this beef jerky and everyone loved it. I added a few things this time so hopefully the additions make it more interesting.
Hi chef John, thanks for the recie, but one question. If I marinade just for 3-4 hours, can I use same marinade for few batches one after another?
Don't have a butcher nearby that I know about, but good ol' wal-mart had steak Milanese which is by their info top round and its super thin.
Works great! I do so love this recipe.
Hey Chef John. What would happen if I marinated this for two days..? (i did this by accodent.). Also, what happens if the meat is sliced thicker (but consistently) at double the thickness you describe here? Thanks and as usual, we are enjoying!! :-)
Got my answer: if marinated for longer than overnight it doesn't taste like meat anymore. Just marinade.
Thanks Cheff John, is there anything that I can replace the Worcestershire sauce with something else, since this can't be made kosher. Thanks
There are non-fish W-Sauces out there, and I have found that Kosher meat is so salty this recipe works best for kosher meat without the sauce.
To SS4Koro: For a less chewy texture slice the beef across the grain. Beyond that, a Google search for "beef jerky kits" should provide you with many products which form jerky strips using ground beef. I hope this helps.
To Richard Carey: I would suggest that when you tell the butcher how thick you would like to have your beef sliced, have him/her make a test slice and adjust the slicer to your specifications. Make a written record of the slicer setting. This might save some time and tedium the next time at the counter. Just make make sure that you always ask for a test slice.
Can I substitute some of the soy sauce for teriyaki?
To answer everyone's question about how long they last, my first batch lasted about 2 days before it was all gone:-)
What brand of worcestershire sauce and soy sauce you use in the recipe? Thanks.
Chef John,
I've got a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey my friend gave me as a birthday gift, and I was thinking about using that whiskey flavor in this marinade.
Do you think it'd be best to evenly divide the marinade liquids evenly (that is, 1/2 cup Worcestershire/Soy Sauce/Whiskey), or do you think I should favor one liquid more?
Thanks,
Will Clark
Hi chef .. i have one problem in my country i dont have the worcestershire sauce ..
what shuold i do ?? is there any sauce can do the same test .. or i should find the worcestershire sauce
URGENT PLEASE REPLY NOW
My oven only goes 275f what do Ido
Dear Chef John, Your beef jerky recipe sounds so delicious.
My problem with it is that I have chronic kidney disease and must drastically limit my salt intake. Do you have a recipe for a very low sodium marinade? That would allow me to have some jerky, which I miss terribly.
Thank you,
Erika
Hello CJ!
First time posting, long time fan of Food Wishes. I have done this recipe before(successfully)with a slight adjustment. Rather than "fanning" the meat every couple of hours, I instead used a ball of foil to prop the oven door slightly ajar (oven set to 180 Farenheit). It takes about 6-7 hours, but I like the set-it-&-forget-it appeal. Shout out to Ron Popeil, maybe, meh? Anyway, cool lesson on a great recipe. Peace.
Post Script- to those who are limiting their sugar intake, I also do the same. I had no sweetener whatsoever and still thoroughly enjoy the product. Also, I'd like to say that I'm surprised that Chef John did not include Cayenne in this recipe! I Like It Hot. So I actually use a few drops of a capsaicin extract for that super kick. Long live the Bern!
Hi John,
I have a question, I don't have anything like that wire rack & pan set up that you have in your video for making homemade beef jerky. Would using a large casserole dish work, too?
Thanks,
Sandi
Wow, taught my only child (son) to cook from an early age. He's now 26 and a practicing attorney. He brought me some of your jerky he'd prepared. Unbelievably good! He loves your vids...says they're stress relief. Keep up the great work, John. I love that he now cooks for his mama!
Hi chef John,
I am looking forward to trying this recipe.
I have a few questions though:
1: Maybe my conversions from cups to litres are off. But do you really mean to use 2 dl worcestershire sauce + 2 dl soy sauce? It does seem like a lot of liquid.
2: Why onion and garlic powder and not freshly minced garlic and onion? I mean, isn't the powder just dried garlic/onion? So if I use fresh won't I just dry it just as well?
3: What is your opinion on replacing honey with brown sugar?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Would this work for turkey? Or do you have a recipe for turke jerky? The beef jerky recipe is delicious!
— Enric
I just made this... fantastic. I've many batches of Beef Jerky over the years and this is the best. I followed your recipe but changed the amounts slightly since I am the Richard Sterky of my Beef Jerky.
I made this yesterday and it was fantastic! Not too salty, not too dry, not too chewy, just right. My local store calls Top Round “London Broil” and the butcher knew just what to do. I set my oven to Convection, so I didn’t have to open the oven like Chef John did. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect. I’ll be making this again. Thanks for this recipe!
Sherri, The term "London broil" can confuse, because technically it is a method of grilling and slicing the meat rather than a specific cut of beef. However, supermarket cuts labeled "London broil" are most often cut from the flank. Both flank and top round offer good flavor, but they differ in texture. :)
Hi Chef John, awesome recipe. I know this blog started years ago but there are a few new comments. I use pork loin and your recipe and you can't tell it's not beef, amazing. I had friends try it and didn't tell them, they all thought it was beef, and now they ask when is the next batch coming. I have to keep it on the down low or I'll never have enough!! I like the pork loin as I'm cutting down on red meat and there is little fat. Thanks again!
PS. I have an older dehydrator, do you still think the Nesco FD-75 is the better option, especially for the money? Thanks.
My oven starts 260f lowest anything I can do ?
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