How to Make Beef Jerky

My family loves beef jerky and the kind you buy in the store just does not compare to the kind we make at home.  It is not hard, just time consuming.  It is definitely worth it.

To get started, we purchased about 5-6 lbs of boneless roast.

Next, slice off all the fat.

Get the marinade ready.  You will need 1 bottle Worcestershire Sauce, 1 bottle low salt Soy Sauce, and 1/4 bottle of Liquid Smoke.

Next, slice the roast in thin pieces - like thick bacon.

Put the pieces in the marinade to soak overnight.

Cover and place bowl in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours so it can soak up the marinade.

The next day, get the food dehydrator prepared to do some work.  We use the Magic Chef - this dehydrator is about 10 years old and does an excellent job.

Start with paper towels.

Strain the marinade from each piece.

Lay the meat slices on paper towels to drain further.

Continue to stack meat slices to drain.

Place meat slices on each level of the food dryer.

Plug in and dry for at least 24 hours.  On our dryer, the levels dry at different rates, so we have to swap the levels around to get even drying.  Dry until all moisture appears to be gone, but not so that the pieces are brittle. The finished jerky looks like this.

Bag up jerky in sealed plastic bags.  Ready to eat - Delicious!