Oven Baked Beef Jerky

Camping season is upon us so my mind is going to camping food.  This is my first attempt at making beef jerky.  I had Fareway meat department slice a beef rump roast in thin slices for me and then I cut the slices into strips and marinated it in a homemade teriyaki marinade.  It is very tasty.  I’m going to do it again with a hot marinade. It will be great for camping and my boys love jerky.

3 to 4 pound rump roast (not too fatty)

Teriyaki Marinade

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup water

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tbs. onion powder

1 tbs. garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger

You can use this teriyaki marinade for other meat dishes such as chicken or pork.

Beef Teriyaki Jerky

If you do not have a butcher to slice your roast, partially freeze your roast for easier slicing, and slice your steak into thin strips.  Ask your butchers advice on what he recommends for a good cut.  Mine said a rump roast would be best even though arm roasts were on sale. Cut off any fat when you are cutting your slices.  The trimmings will make great beef broth for French onion soup I am making today (I'll share it tomorrow).

Mix you marinade by putting all of the ingredients in a large baggie, seal and shake until well mixed. I put the baggie in a large bowl for leakage protection.  Put the meat strips in the baggy with your marinade.  Marinade it 6 hours or over night.   The longer you marinade it, the more flavor it will have.  You need to have enough marinade that it covers all the meat.  Seal the bag and turn upside down to coat everything.  Put it in the refrigerator.

Baking

Take a cooling rack that's safe for oven and put it on top of a aluminum foil covered baking sheet (I didn’t do this and regret it now) or use your broiling pan. I needed 3 pans and did use my broiler also. Put your strips of meat on the rack.  Bake as low as your oven will go or you can speed things up a little and put on 200 degrees. Bake it for 4 to 5 hours.  Rotate and turn them over half way through the baking.   Bake until they start to look like jerky. Be careful not to overcook. To be safe keep in the fridge.  They should store for weeks.  

This made over 3 dozen pieces of jerky.  It will depend on how you cut your slices.

Variation – You can use any marinade you like for seasoning.  You can use a store bought marinade if you like.  Add heat by adding pepper flakes, or smoke flavor by adding liquid smoke, or add sweetness by adding brown sugar.  Make your own marinate with all of your favorite flavors. Marinate and follow the same instructions for slow baking above.  You can also use a dehydrator rather than a stove.  Follow the directions of the dehydrator. I don't have one.  I have always done my dehydrating in the oven.

Now that I know it is doable and I'm pleased with the product, I'm making some for Saylor that is gluten free.  Soy sauce has gluten in it, so I'm making a Mexican marinade for his.  A little vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin, onion and garlic powder and a little lime juice with water.  Not too hot and not too sweet. Taste tested and I liked the flavor.  It's marinating over night now to soak up as much of the flavors as possible and will bake it tomorrow.  

Try something new today.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.