This recipe offers two distinct marinade options for making delicious homemade beef jerky: a sweet and savory Honey Whiskey Garlic flavor or a classic Savory Beef Jerky. The process involves thinly slicing beef, marinating for 24-48 hours, and then smoking on a grill until dried to your preferred texture.
1. Always use a non-reactive container for marinating the meat.
2. **Prepare your marinade:** Choose one of the two options below.
* **Honey Whiskey Garlic Jerky:** In a non-reactive container, whisk together 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey, 1/4 cup garlic purée, and 1 tbsp Morton’s Tender Quick.
* **Savory Beef Jerky:** In a non-reactive container, whisk together 1 cup Worcestershire, 1/4 cup Maggi Seasoning, 1/4 cup Cholula Chipotle hot sauce, 2 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp finely ground black pepper, 1 tbsp onion powder, and 1 tbsp Morton’s Tender Quick.
3. Thinly slice 2 lbs of beef (recommend Flank steak, bottom/top round, sirloin, or Venison). It's recommended to partially freeze the meat prior to slicing to make it easier to achieve consistently thin slices. Try to get all pieces about the same size and thickness for even dehydration.
4. Submerge the sliced meat into your chosen jerky marinade for 24 to 48 hours.
5. Preheat your grill (e.g., Traeger grills) to 225°F. If available, use a super smoke setting.
6. Lay slices of beef onto mesh baker's racks. Make sure to leave room between slices so that airflow can provide the best wood-fired flavor. If you need to maximize grill space, place mesh baking racks one on top of another using balls of foil in the corners to lift them up between meat layers, ensuring airflow between each rack.
7. Smoke for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, depending on the thickness of your jerky and your preference for tender or dryer jerky.
8. Remove from grill and blot off any excess moisture with paper towels.
9. For storage, it's recommended to make snack packs of the jerky and freeze or refrigerate it to keep bacteria count down. It should not be left out at room temperature in a non-commercial setting.
