Jerky is my favorite snack! Now with this post you will no longer have to pay the exorbitant price at the supermarket. Most of the jerky I make yields about one pound which will last me a week or two. I use the NESCO dehydrator and is another one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. If you are ok with investing some time to make it, and if you like to save money, then let’s make some jerky!

Beef Jerky

I get my cure and spice mix from Nesco (www.nesco.com). Notice how I am making spicy jerky as Jen loves this flavor the best.

This post is for sliced meat and I will do a post later this month with the ground meat. For me I prefer the sliced meat.

For each pound of meat to be dried, prepare marinade by mixing 1 spice and cure package with 1/4 cup of water. Slice lean muscle meat (I use flank steak) into thick strips. Place marinade sauce in a bowl and mix meat well to coat well. Cover and refrigerate the meat over night.

Time to dry the jerky. Place the strips of meat on the trays.

Put the lid on and set to the highest tempature.

It will take from 2 – 15 hours to dry. For this batch it took 12 hours. Here is the final results:

I let the jerky sit on paper towels to remove any leftover oils I missed. This batch I am making to take on our trip up to Blue Ridge with a group of friends to enjoy. I make garlic and pepper jerky as well as orginal spice jerky. For the hunters out there, if you want to use game meats, it is best to freeze the meat for 30 days before drying to kill any parasites that may be present.

I hope this post shows how easy making jerky can be.  I promise, once you taste your own jerky, you will not be tempted to buy the store bought, pre-packaged jerky again!

Happy Cooking!