Best Beef Jerky Recipes

The term 'jerky' is a generic meat preparation that involves trimming meat fat, marinating it and drying it over a low flame. This is a food preservation technique. Once jerkyed, the meat need not be refrigerated and can be stored (or eaten!) anytime.

How to Make Beef Jerky

Beef jerky itself is pretty easy to make. You have to buy beef from the butcher and cut it into small strips. The small strips are easier to cook and eat too. Make sure that you've removed all the fat from the raw beef. The fat will only ruin the taste of the jerky. Marinate the beef. The marinade will depend upon whether you like your jerky sweet, sour, spicy or in good ol' BBQ style. Make the marinade in the combination of your favorite sauces. The commonly used sauces are soy, vinegar, cinnamon, Worcestershire sauce, etc. Don't forget the most essential elements of the marinade! Lemon, onion and garlic powder. Once the marinating is done, then dehydrate it in a dehydrator or oven. Make sure that you don't overcook the jerky, otherwise it will become rubbery and really tedious to eat. Preserve the jerky in plastic bags, or if you want to preserve them for a longer time, use air-tight jars. Preservation is not really an issue for the jerky. The preparation itself ensures that the jerky remains naturally preserved. And your beef jerky is ready!

Alternatively, you could also buy ready-made beef jerky from your nearest grocer, but I prefer the homemade jerky to packaged ones any day.

Beef Jerky Recipes

Usually we eat the beef jerky by itself. But why not use it as a part of a recipe! Beef jerky is high protein, low fat and low carb food. Pretty strong stuff I must say.

Beef Jerky and Eggs

To make this you will need:

• eggs
• chopped jerky
• finely chopped onion
• shredded cheese
• butter
• salt and pepper

Well, it is the omelette-du-fromage with beef jerky! First, beat the eggs. Heat the skillet and fry the chopped onion in the butter. Add the beaten eggs, beef jerky and salt and pepper. Add the cheddar cheese over the egg-and-jerky and watch it as it melts. And your jerky-and-eggs is ready. Simple to cook. A real man's breakfast!

Jerky and Nachos

To make this you will need:

• tortilla chips
• peppered beef jerky
• cheese
• Jamaican seasoning

A slightly unconventional combination, but great in taste. Firstly, oven-heat the tortilla chips at 300 degrees for 5 minutes. Cube the cheese along the jerky and microwave it till the cheese melts all over the chips. Optional! You can also use tomatoes, olives and sour cream to give it an even more tangier flavor!

Beef jerky by itself tastes so very awesome! So true lovers, try out these recipes to enhance your jerky experience!