Recipe: Homemade Jerky in the Oven

By sandycon

Ingredients

• 3pounds3 pounds flank steak (London Broil) or boneless, skinless turkey breast
• 1/2cup1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4cup1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1/4cup1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2tablespoons2 tablespoons chili-garlic paste, optional (See Recipe Note)
• 2tablespoons2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2teaspoons2 teaspoons ground pepper
• 1 1/2teaspoons1 1/2 teaspoons powdered ginger

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from thekitchn.com

Preparation

Step 1

Makes 1 to 2 pounds

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, chili-garlic paste, sesame seeds, ground pepper, and ginger in a large zippered plastic bag or glass baking dish. Add the sliced meat and coat with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, turning a few times to distribute the marinade.

Meanwhile, remove the racks from the oven, line the bottom of the oven completely with foil, and then turn on the oven to pre-heat to 175°F. Maintaining a steady 175°F is really important so so use an oven thermometer to confirm that the temperature reaches 175°F and remains there. You may have to prop open the door an inch or two with a wadded up dishtowel or hot pad in order to maintain the temperature.

Spray the oven racks with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, leave the oven racks in the oven, line as many baking sheets as will fit into your oven with foil, and place cooling racks inside each baking sheet.

Place the racks of meat in the oven and cook until completely dry. This can take as little as 2 hours and as long as 5 hours, depending on the thickness and moistness of the meat, and how chewy you want it to be. The jerky will firm up as it cools. Check the oven temperature regularly to ensure it does not get too low (some finicky oven pilot lights can go out at such a low temperature) and adjust as needed.

Store the jerky in an airtight container kept in a cool, dry place. Well-dried beef stored in this way will last 2 to 3 months.