Is there a way to make Beef Jerky at home?

Question

I would like to make beef jerky at home, is there a way to do this?

Answer 1

This is Alton Brown's recipe for homemade beef jerky, including a way to kludge yourself a dehydrator. You place the meat between AC filters and bungee them to a box fan to blow air through them for 8-12 hours.

Answer 2

Yes, you can make beef jerky with a dehydrator, or at a very low temp in the oven. It's really more curing than cooking.

If you're asking this because of the high price of beef jerky, remember that most of beef is water. It takes about 5 pounds of beef to make 1 pound of jerky.

Unlike steaks, you want really lean meat for beef jerky (at least if you don't intend to eat it within a day).

Answer 3

I have had great success with Lex Rooker's $10 cardboard box dehydrator, powered by a light bulb. Temperature stays around 120 degrees, which seems to really make a better flavor than higher temperatures. I agree with the comments on fat content. Eye of round has been the best non-sinewy lean cut for me.

http://www.willowglyn.com/heather/jerkydrierinstructions.pdf

Answer 4

I've tried making jerky at home and at the end of the day you have to spend 4 hours doing it, it usually costs twice as much what you have to pay for it online or in the store.

I've used this recipe before and it was pretty tasty "depending on your favorite flavor"- http://www.bowhunting.net/susieq/jerky.htm

I prefer to buy the jerky, I've tried bulk beef jerky before and they have a pretty good selection. http://www.bulkbeefjerky.com/beef-jerky-4.html The most interesting part is if you find a recipe you like, they will make it in mass quantities for you! *$400 to get started though - I called and asked.