Get Jerkin’
Learn to make homemade jerky with any lean meat.
Jerky makes an excellent snack for outdoor activities or even during the 3 p.m. slump at work, when a candy bar won’t cut the post-lunch munchies. And, according to Austin Pollard, a social work professional in Reno, it is easy to make, which saves money compared to buying bags of jerky at the store, connects you to the origin of your food, and provides opportunities for customization.
“I’ve always loved jerky,” Pollard says. “Whenever we went on road trips [when I was young], I loved getting jerky at the gas station. I’m weird, though. I like the little containers with dry, crispy, flaky jerky at the front; those have always been my favorite,” he says. “As I started making jerky, I liked making the brittle, dry kind, not the soft, chewy kind. My goal was to make it like that.”
Pollard started his jerky journey a few years ago after his wife received a Ninja-brand countertop oven as a gift from his father. The oven also can air fry and dehydrate, along with the standard toast and bake features.
“I instantly went into the freezer and pulled out some deer meat and jumped right into it,” he says.
Pollard hunted and tagged a deer that year and processed it at the butcher. That tag netted hundreds of cuts of meat with which he could experiment.
Meat Your Maker
Pollard says leaner cuts, whether beef, bison, or venison, make for better jerky. For people getting the meat from the grocery store, he recommends round steaks, which include eye of round, top, or bottom cuts.
Next is slicing the meat into thin pieces. Pollard recommends using partially frozen meat to make cutting easier and prevent it from smooshing or collapsing under the weight of a knife. He uses a sharp filet knife, but even a serrated blade will do.
Step two is marinating the slices in a bag. Pollard likes experimenting with different marinades, ranging from premade teriyaki and pepper to more complex custom marinades, such as one that includes Dr. Pepper (see recipe below) and another that tastes like Chipotle’s barbacoa. He says most marinades should be easy to make from common spices.
The final step is letting the meat sit in a dehydrator, smoker, or both at the lowest heat setting for up to six hours. Pollard uses the dehydrator at 165 degrees F; it is the lowest setting. He used to use a Traeger smoker, but he says what is the most important part is keeping the pieces separated on a wire rack to increase airflow.
“It can be intimidating to do new things, but if you like jerky, try it,” he says. “You can do it in your oven, a smoker, the little plastic dehydrator things you can buy. Give it a shot. It’s always fun to try new things. Jerky can be hard to mess up as long as you give it the time to dry out. Have fun with it.”
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean meat such as beef, bison, or venison
- ½ cup Dr. Pepper
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut meat into thin pieces while still partially frozen. Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined. Put meat and marinade in a gallon-size Ziploc bag, mix to ensure meat has been fully covered, and put in refrigerator for at least 12 to 24 hours. Every so often, jostle the meat around in the bag to ensure it is absorbing the marinade.
- When ready to cook, remove the meat from the fridge and dry each piece. Place marinated, dried pieces on a wire rack, spaced apart so they do not touch and air can flow around them. Sprinkle with black pepper. Dehydrate or smoke at 165 degrees F for 5 to 6 hours, flipping halfway through.
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