Once a much mocked snack, jerky is undergoing something of a renaissance. Nutrient-dense, protein packed, and super portable, jerky is in many ways the quintessential healthy snack. Better meats and artisanal processes have led to a jerky boon, with the market achieving double digit growth over the past few years. But it's also easy to make your own in either a home or restaurant kitchen.
The word Jerky is derived from a South American word "Charki" which means dry, salted meat. All that is needed to produce Jerky is a low-temperature drying method —
like our Weston Brands dehydrators — and a seasoning that includes salt to inhibit bacterial growth.
4.5 lbs Flank steak
Use 3 pieces of flank steak, each one weighing approximately 1.5 pounds. Place each piece of meat into a plastic bag and partially freeze. This will firm the meat making it easier to handle while slicing.
Once the meat is partially frozen, slice meat into 1/4 inch strips using the knife tip, traveling in the same direction as the grain. If smaller pieces are desired, cut the flank in half.
2/3 cup Soy sauce
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Agave Syrup
6 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 tbsp Chili powder
1/2 tbsp ground Coriander
1/2 tbsp ground Cumin
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Take the bags that were used to freeze the meat and reuse, filling each one with the sliced meat. Add the marinade mixture to the meat and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours, turning several times to evenly distribute the marinade. Remove meat from bag, drain and pat dry. Place strips onto your dehydrator and dehydrate for 6-8 hours at 140 °F until dry but not brittle. Store in a dry cool place.
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