Jerky is one of those foods that is always expensive to buy, despite being relatively easy to make, as in the case of this Homemade Pepper Beef Jerky. With just a few spices and some beef, you can make a protein-packed snack that is peppery and super satisfying.
We’d recommend going to the butcher to get your beef, only because you’re likely to have a better selection and you can request that the butcher himself thinly slices the meat, which saves a lot of time. Beef round is the best part of the animal for making affordable jerky, but you can also use flank steak or even sirloin tip. Remember, you want a cut that has the least amount of fat possible, as fat will ruin the jerky.
Method
-
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
-
Add the beef strips into the bowl, and mix until the meat is well coated in the spices.
-
Cover the bowl, and marinate in your fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
-
Once marinated, preheat your oven to 80 degrees.
-
Remove the meat from the bowl and place between two pieces of plastic before pounding with a meat hammer. You want the beef to be thinner, but not too thin. About 5mm is good. Dry the beef on paper towels.
-
Arrange the beef on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet laid with aluminium foil, ensuring that the pieces do not overlap.
-
Bake until dry and leathery, generally 3-6 hours, turning in the middle.
-
Cut with scissors into more manageable pieces.
