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1
Preparing and marinating the meat: use a sharp knife to remove visible sinew and fat from the meat.
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2
Cut the meat into thin strips.
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3
To make the finished jerky easier to chew, cut across the grain of the muscle.
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4
It is easier to slice the meat when it has been partially frozen as it tends to hold its shape better.
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5
Partially frozen meat can usually be passed through a meat slicer to get really thin and even slices.
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6
But you may prefer (as I do) to cut the strips by hand as this saves on cleaning a machine.
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7
Mix all the ingredients of your chosen marinade recipe together in a bowl and add the strips of beef.
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8
Mix well to coat them completely.
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9
Cover with clingfilm and allow the meat to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
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10
To dry the meat: remove the meat from the marinade and arrange the strips of beef on a wire rack, keeping them separate from each other and as flat as possible.
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11
Set the oven at 50C and place the loaded wire racks in the oven.
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12
Keep the door of the oven slightly open to allow the moisture in the meat to evaporate.
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13
This should take about 4 to 5 hours to complete.
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14
The drying time will be quicker if you use a fan oven.
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15
Check the meat every half hour and rearrange the racks so the meat dries evenly.
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16
Youll notice as the meat dries, it darkens in colour and shrinks a little.
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17
Your jerky is done when it is dry to the point where the meat shows some resistance to bending but does not snap.
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18
If the meat snaps, this indicates that it has become over dry.
