Making Beef Jerky

Ingredients for Jerky

When I think about camp cooking, one of my basics is beef jerky. I like to make my own. It's easy, and the results are delicious. I start with a big, lean steak, such as sirloin or top round. Slice the meat into 1/4 inch slices, salt and pepper, and then dry the meat on a rack until it is dark and leathery, about half the bulk you started with. For the drying, I use a food dehydrator I picked up at a yard sale. It has an electric heating element and fan to circulate the hot air over the drying racks. You can get the same results using an oven, set to warm, placing the meat directly on the oven racks. The trouble with this method is that clean-up can be a bigger chore than using the dehydrator racks.

For a great variation, dip the slices of meat into soy sauce first, then salt and pepper them and go through the same drying process. You can also use Teriyaki sauce. The meat can be used in soups or other dishes, or eaten as is, the same as with the basic jerky using salt and pepper alone. I have had problems keeping the flavored forms of jerky from molding, however, so I'd advise taking extra care to be sure the meat is well dried. For on the road cooking, I kind of prefer the basic jerky, and I use the flavored jerky for tasty snacks on a day ride or hike.

One time I was visiting an uncle of mine, and broke out some jerky I had brought along on the bike. He loved it so much, we ate my whole supply.  (Goes great with beer or a glass of whiskey, or black coffee.) He said it reminded him of jerky my father had made when they were both young. I never knew my father made jerky. He never did when I was growing up.

I hope you give this a try, if you don't already make your own jerky. It's one of those things, like using sourdough, that lets you get in touch with basics that have been around about as long as people have been here. Love to have you share your jerky experiences as well. Thanks for visiting, and enjoy.

Finished Jerky Ready tor the Pot