Homemade jerkyJerky can be made from just about any type of lean meat that you can think of. It’s a great food for a survival situation because it’s lightweight, nutritious and energy-dense. It’s also easy to make; the Native Americans and many other civilizations were making it long before food dehydrators and commercial packaging were in existence.
I make this all the time, or at least I did when I still had kids in the house. The only problem that I ever had was that even if I made 3 or 4 pounds of it (which is a LOT of jerky) there still wouldn’t be any left by the time I got home from work every day. I got pretty good at taking out my own stash before I even let the herd of teenaged boys in the house know that it was done!
Back to the topic though. There are basically two ways to flavor your jerky. You can use a wet marinade or a dry rub. If you’re using a marinade, you need to let the meat soak in it for at least 24 hours if you want it to absorb enough flavor.
A good recipe for teriyaki-style jerky is to use equal parts of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, then add in some garlic powder, salt, black pepper and, if you’re like me and like it a bit spicy, a bit of cayenne powder and some crushed red pepper flakes. Make enough marinade to cover the meat and stir it several times so that the meat in the middle gets marinated too.
If you’re using a dry rub, just add it to the meat an hour or so before you start the dehydration process. The recipe for this one is all on you. There are a kazillion Cajun, Mediterranean, Italian and American rub recipes out there that you can pick and choose from.
Cutting the Meat
The first step to making your own jerky is (continue reading)