Homemade Beef Jerky

The other day our local grocer had whole beef tenderloin on sale to celebrate Father’s Day (it was a 2 day sale that saw the meat leave the shelves at $6.99/lb!) and I decided to nab a roast to make filet mignon steaks.  It turns out I had quite a bit of leftover, the topmost area of the roast is essentially 3 narrow chunks once you’ve removed the fat and connective tissue, so I thought it would work perfectly for homemade jerky.

Since we’ve now got our very own Big Green Egg smoker/grill, it’s high time to make some jerky that is low in sodium and high in flavor. The following images and discussion chronicle the process we went through, capping the article off with a few recipes for marinade that are sure to please all palates.

Our Research

I’m not going to lie, when Wes and I decided to take this project under our wing, we had no idea what laid ahead of us.  Frankly, we still have little idea what to expect, but we feel you’ll benefit from our story if you find yourself tasked with this delicious project. Let’s not forget that cooking is tasty science….geeks unite!

Beef Jerky is most popular in the United States and Canada, with it’s popularity rising in other countries thanks largely to poor grade jerky being sold in truck stops, corner stores and supermarkets. With the World Cup well under way and our daily World Cup Cuisine series of articles, I decided to tackle this often misunderstood and poorly seasoned meaty treat.

The Meat

In order to make beef jerky (or any jerky for that matter), you’ll need meat that has very little to no fat in it.  The fat doesn’t dry and smoke properly, leaving unwanted moisture in the jerky.  This moisture can lead to rancid jerky if it is not packaged properly, so it’s best to stay away from fatty cuts of meat.

Flank steak is typically used for beef jerky, but this time we’re doing it with beef tenderloin and sirloin, and we’re hoping it turns out. I imagine you could use just about any cut of beef so long as it is sliced thin enough, along the grain. A typical 30 g portion of jerky contains 10-15 g of protein, 1 g of fat, and 0-3 g of carbohydrates.

Since traditional jerky recipes use a basic salt cure, sodium can be a concern for some people. A 30 g serving of jerky could contain more than 600 mg of sodium, which would be about 30% of the recommended US Recommended Daily Intake.

The Spices

This section is just as varied as the one above, as you can use literally any spice you choose to and you’re the magician with all the power.  If you’re used to buying from the grocer or the corner store, you’re likely going to want something high in sodium, but be weary, too much salt and you’re in dangerville. Since we typically like low sodium food at our household, but we also understand the benefits and dangers of sodium, we’ll try and keep it within very reasonable limits.

Jerky typically gets its flavours from a few different processes, each is typically used independently but many people will combine some of these to create their final product.

The first involves a salt based brining/drying process in which the meat is cured with salt, imparting some flavor to the meat and preserving it by drawing out all moisture.  The second method involves smoking the meat imparting to the meat a rich texture and taste, while still providing the meat with the ability to resist spoiling by once again, drawing out all moisture.  A third method, which increases the salting or smoking time involves first marinating the meat in a solution of herbs, spices and liquid to impart flavor deep within the meat.  The meat is then salted or smoked to remove all moisture.

Typical flavors in beef jerky include, but are not limited to:

Smoke: Mesquite, Hickory
Spices: Basil, Cumin, Chile Powder, Peppercorns, Sugar
Roots: Garlic, Onion, Ginger
Sauces/Liquids: BBQ Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Soya Sauce, Lemon/Lime Juice, Red Wine, Vinegars, Molasses, Maple Syrup

The Big Picture

Seeing as this was Wes and I’s first foray into the world of homemade beef jerky we thought it was fitting to research and educate at the same time, but now it’s game time and we’re ready to rock.  In a nutshell, this is what we plan on doing:

Prepare our beef tenderloin by cutting it into 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick strips.  These strips must be cut with the grain (the opposite of this). Once cut, we’ll marinate the strips in a mixture of spices we have yet to nail down.
Smoke the meat, after a minimum of 16 hours of marinating, on the Big Green Egg at about 160F to 200F for 6-8 hours. You can vary this depending on how chewy you want your beef, and how long you plan on keeping it for.  I figure ours will be eaten in a week’s time, so I’m not too concerned.
Enjoy the meat with friends and relax!

To find out how our day long smoking challenge turned out, be sure to keep reading page 2.  We’ve also included our marinades of choice, you won’t want to miss them and our gallery of pictures!