Jerky Recipes

Oriental Jerky

3 Pounds Flank steak or london broil (easier to cut into strips if it's slightly frozen)

• 1/2 Cup Light Soy sauce
• 4.5 Tablespoons Honey
• 4.5 Tablespoons Dry sherry (if you have it)
• 6 Large Garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 Tablespoons Ginger, fresh, minced
• 1/2 Tablespoons Red pepper, crushed (the kind you'd put on pizza)
• 1.5 Tablespoons Sesame oil (adds wonderful flavor)
• 1 Dash Pepper, white or black

Cut meat in half, lengthwise and slice diagonally crosswise into thin strips 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. Place meat in deep dish baking pan and pour marinade over. Let meat remain in marinade for at least eight hours. Turn meat occasionally, if you can (it's fine if you can't, but gives you something to do).

Arrange meat on racks and let dry at cool room temperature overnight (do not refrigerate). (This step sounds pretty weird, but hey we are making dried meat).

If using a food dehydrator, follow directions, otherwise preheat oven to 250 F.

Line two large baking sheets with foil and set wire racks on top of each baking sheet. Arrange meat on racks in single layer. Bake 30 minutes.
Reduce heat to 175 F and continue drying meat another 40 minutes. Meat should be lightly brown but not burnt. Let meat continue to dry on racks at cool room temperature overnight before packing into jars.

Alternatively, you can actually drape the meat slices over your over racks, as long as you've placed something below to catch the drips. This method takes much more manual dexterity than I have, so I opt for the laying in the pan routine.

If you're not inclined to go to all this trouble, you may want to check some of the better sources for jerky such as Final Frontier Jerky, Wild Bill's Original Jerky, and World Kitchens.

You'll find those and other great food ideas in the Food & Recipes section of our links pages.