Old School Beef Jerky

 My Father made the "best" beef jerky in town. I still have the copy of the original recipe from his mother he used for well the better part of my life. When we knew he was making a batch well all I can say is you better get there fast. With 5 siblings the desire was overwhelming. 

Needless to say this little girl was on the charm dad list! 

He had a dehydrator that was older then himself I did try to borrow it once but prior to it blowing up my home I returned it with a "Thank you dad it worked sell! (Not) So I get the dehydrator and the old tattered paper with Grama Lois's famous words. The dehydrator is in the garage on a chair it is BIG and I decide to be the good daughter and clean the screens and give his machine a face lift. So out come the trays and they smelt like old meat and were white in color. So I scrub them and scrub them and scrub them to no avail they still smell. My small mind is wandering knowing no one has ended up with food poisoning it has to be ok Right????


Now keep in kind it took me two days to get the dehydrator cleaned out and I actually had to freeze the marinated meat.  I decided to just put cheese cloth on the screens. So in I bring this hugh machine I hit a wall and dented it almost dropped it on my foot but finally found a counter big enough.  I called my dad to ask him how long it took to make the jerky he said very matter of fact
"3 days dear"  Holy Shit Moly . Alright I will just plug the machine in and see how it goes but I am not leaving this machine alone for three days it may burn down the house. I turn it on it sounded like a helicopter just landed in my hall. It was so loud.

I gave up called a tow truck and sent it back to Dad's. Took out my little dehydrator and continued with the Jerky so here is the recipe and good luck to you. It is delicious.

This is my Grammy Lois's recipe and so there were no dehydrators at that time so you note it says dry outside or in the oven... Ok I have put the original recipe direction to dry below. But I put mine in the dehydrator I have and let it dry until it was no longer damp. I then let it sit for an extra day to make sure it was dry. Once done I put it into quart mason jars.

Sun Dried Beef Jerky (But you can use a dehydrator) 

2 pounds of lean beef
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Cut beef in strips 1/2 inch wide by 1/4 inch thick
approximately 4 to 6 inches long.









Mix salt, onion and garlic powers, pepper, Worcestershire and soy sauce.

Marinate 24 hours, stirring once or twice gently. I put mine in a large container so I can flip it over and all sides get marinated.






Once soaked up really good. I take the strips and drain them in a colander then out and on to a clean towel (you can use paper towel it just seems like such a waste oh unless you compost) them I put the racks of my dehydrator.


Dry in the sun or gas oven until quite dry and brittle. Store in covered jar or sealed plastic bag.

To dry in the sun:

Place cheesecloth over oven or BBQ grids and arrange meat across grids, without overlapping. Place over open end of foil lined carton or BBQ Grill directly in the sun. (Foil reflects heat) Cover with a fine wire screen to keep out the insects. Secure screen in place with wire or card so it does not touch meat. Cover drier or place meat under shelter at night so meat does not absorb moisture from the air.

To dry in Oven:

Temperature from pilot flame will dry jerky in about 4 days.
Cover oven grids with cheese cloth and proceed as directed

Beef Jerky

Recipes for Beef Jerky are a dime a dozen.

Here is my Beef Jerky Story and if this will bore you just scroll down for the recipe. My daddy makes the Best Beef Jerky. In my opinion. Everyone from us kids to his Grand Babies love the stuff. I have made Beef Jerky in the past but nothing quite like Dad's. So I finally asked for the recipe and along with that came his 500 pound dehydrator!



I get "Famous" dehydrator. So I get the Dehydrator that is heavier than my first born and the old tattered paper with the original recipe. Home I go all excited and ready to be Billy Junior. Noticing I should clean the machine it is old and it is dirty. I take out the 7 pound tray's and scrub and scrub. They still smell like a multitude of foods. Then my little mind realizes no one has ever died from any of daddy's beef jerky so we are safe. I move on

I call my daddy and ask him with using Grama Lois's recipe how many hours does it take to hydrate the beef. Oh honey 3 day's. No shit. Ok this is just getting better and better. The beef is marinated the Empire state building of dehydrators and is ready on the biggest counter we have. I get all the strips of meat on the racks all is good. I close the door plug in and the Dehydrator starts. Within 3 minutes the machine sounds like Untied States Marines Helicopter is landing. It was so loud one dog barked and one dog ran outside!



Well the tow truck came and delivered the dehydrator back to dear daddy and I used the little dehydrator I got at a garage sale for 5 bucks. All is well


Here is the original recipe. Thank you Grama Lois                      xoxo

2 pounds of lean thinly sliced beef
2/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup of Soy Sauce ( I use Bragg Liquid Amino better for ya)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic power
1 teaspoon onion power







Cut beef strips 1/2 inch wide by 1/4 inch thick
Keeping them 4 to 6 inches long.




 Mix liquids and spices together mix well.

 There is my option for Soy Sauce it is natural and taste just the same. Try it.

Pour the liquid over your beef .
Marinate for 24 hours.  Stirring once or twice.
I use this container because I can just flip it over to coat a large zip lock bag will work.

 I let mine sit for two day's. I know that seems like a long time but you want them to soak up that juice. You can let it sit for as little as 24 hours no less than 12 please.







 Drain your beef and pat dry on a paper towel

 Prior to putting them in the dehydrator I put some fresh crushed black pepper. Personal thing. You can dry your jerky in the sun or oven or dehydrator. I will give you instructions for the sun and the oven. A dehydrator comes with it's own instructions.




To dry your jerky in the Sun I think you need to go to a better source then myself. I have never done the sun. BUT here is what I have read.

My $5.00 Bargain

                     Would love to hear from anyone
                   who has tried sun drying there jerky


sp;        Sun Dried Jerky

Place beef over open end of a foil lined carton in the sun. The foil reflects the heat of the sun. Cover your beef with a fine wire screen to keep out the insects. Secure the screen in place the wire or card so it does not touch the beef. This process takes about 4 day's. Check your beef each day and turn it. Also take the beef in or cover at night so the moisture does not rehydrate it.



Now in the oven your pilot light will do the job. If you do not have a pilot light go buy a dehydrator or use the good ole Sunshine.  Ok oven people you need to cover your beef with cheese cloth place it directly on to the oven rack. Let it sit in the oven until it is dry.