Where’s the beef?

Rich in protein and low in fat, beef jerky is a delectable savory snack that you may create in your own kitchen. People have been making jerky since the prehistoric era to preserve meat and to maintain a supply of nutritious ready-to-eat food when on the go.

Ingedients
2 pounds lean beef

1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

To make the jerky
The cut of beef you select for this project is important. It must be very lean because having too much fat in the meat will cause your batch of jerky to go rancid when stored at room temperature. Recommended cuts
of beef are bottom round, top round
(London broil), or flank steak.

Trim off any fat pieces and place the meat in the freezer for two hours. Partially freezing it like this makes it easier to slice. With an extra sharp knife, thinly cut the beef across the grain into 1/4 inch slices. Some people prefer jerky in long strips. I prefer to chop mine into bite-size squares. Do as you please!

In a large mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, smoked paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder. Fold slices of beef into the marinade a few

at a time to ensure that all surfaces are
coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2-12
hours. The longer the beef marinates, the more intense flavor it will have.

Set oven to 175 degrees Farenheit. Place a wire rack onto a cookie sheet and arrange the strips of beef on the rack as to not overlap. Bake the beef for four hours until it has a flexible leathery texture. Increase the temperature to 275 degrees Farenheit. Bake the jerky for another ten minutes.

Allow the jerky to cool completely and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.