• Varyk@sh.itjust.works
    3·
    9 days ago

    jerky is one of them make your own foods at this point. none of the US jerky tastes like meat anymore for less than 50 bucks a pound.

    so for the mad jerky heads:

    1. 40$ countertop deli slicer.

    2. buy the largest cheapest bulk beef, the cut doesn’t matter.

    3. Slice up that beef

    4. soy sauce+brown sugar marinade for 1 hr+

    5. dry the meat on a tray over a box fan (3 hrs+ depending on how thin you slice the meat and how dry you like jerky).

    I have made a lot of this, tens of pounds.

    you’re going to cut out most of the cost and you get a much higher quality jerky that you get to flavor.

    for a long time I had one of those big glass old timey candy jars, but I had pounds of beef jerky inside instead of candy.

    • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
      1·
      9 days ago

      I’ve got a big old bowl of freshly cut eye of round from my local butcher marinading in the fridge right now. Tomorrow it’ll go in the dehydrator (I’m lucky enough to have one built into my oven. I’m also very lucky to have a local butcher. Sadly not something most people have access to).

      My current marinade is as follows:

      • ¼ cup dark soy
      • ¼ cup light soy
      • ¼ cup water
      • 2tbsp maple syrup
      • 2tbsp worcestershire sauce
      • 1tsp liquid smoke
      • LOTS of cracked black pepper

      Optionally, add red pepper flake for a little spice. You can also up the amount of worcestershire if you like.

      For my next batch I want to try adding a little fish sauce and MSG to really up the umami.

      Also, I really like how making your own jerky allows you to control the grain pattern. I don’t mind a little chew to mine, but my wife likes it to come apart nice and easy so for her I cut across the grain. I have a vacuum sealer that I got on clearance, so I’ll batch up little packets of jerky for her to take into the field. It’s so much better than the jerky she gets in her issued rations.

      Sadly, finding the time and energy to do stuff like this can be a challenge. I’m fortunate in that I work from home, so I can throw this stuff in the oven before my day starts and then just pull it when it’s done.