How to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven

Beef Jerky is a fun treat you can enjoy just about anywhere. You can eat it at home. You can eat it while camping. You can eat it on a picnic or for a snack at work. You can purchase beef jerky in almost any convenience or grocery store. The homemade kind, however, is cheaper and much more delicious. No, you don't have to have a dehydrator to enjoy homemade beef jerky. It can actually be cooked right in your oven. While the preparation takes a bit of time, the reward is yummy. Here are the steps you can take to make beef jerky in your own home oven.

Things You'll Need

• Beef flank steak
• Store bought, packaged beef jerky cure and seasoning
• Food scale
• Large zipper sealed plastic bags
• Large toothpicks

Instructions

1. Purchase a beef flank steak. It is all lean, red meat, with straight grains. This will make it much easier to cut and there will be no waste.

2. Lay meat and a 6-inch knife flat on a cutting board. You will be cutting the meat in half to make it thinner. With the knife on the side closest to your body, and the blade facing away from your body, begin cutting the meat in half. The knife handle should remain flat on the cutting board the entire time. When it is cut, separate the two pieces and cut the top again until it is 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick.

3. Cut the meat lengthwise into 1-inch strips. Make sure to cut with the grain.

4. Check the store bought seasoning and cure mix directions to determine how much seasoning you will need for each pound of meat. Then, weigh your meat and add the correct amount of seasoning and cure mix.

5. Place your seasoned beef into a large plastic zip-sealed bag. Let it sit over night in the refrigerator while it cures.

6. Hang meat strips from toothpicks on your oven rack and cook at 200 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

7. Enhance your beef jerky's flavor by putting it into a fresh zipper-sealed bag when it is still hot. Let it sit there for an hour before eating.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your beef strips are equal in size so they cook uniformly.

• Do not cut your hand when cutting the beef to make it thinner. If you are worried, hold the top of the beef with a coffee cup.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish