I love it and not just beef jerky but all jerky. There is an exotic jerky stand at the Silver Dollar City amusement park in Branson, MO and it isn’t even that expensive. My daughters and I hung out there handing over $1 bills to get pieces of kangaroo, bison, elk, lion, deer and tons more. It was all very good.
I used to make jerky at home. It is a little time consuming but fun and simple. The problem I had was that no matter how much I made, it was always gone within a day.
Most beef jerky I encounter is either drowning in sugar or salt or is too chewy for me (I have TMJD).
I love it but rarely buy it. The prices are just too outrageous. Close to $3 an ounce is pretty typical. Freaking $42/pound? For beef?
You will see why if you make it yourself. Homemade jerky is still fairly expensive if you have to buy the meat. The water in raw meat makes up a good portion of the weight and that is exactly what you are getting rid of when you make jerky.
I love it! It’s probably my favorite snak food.
And definitely one of the healthiest. Pure protein almost. No sugar. Moderate sodium.
As an athlete and long distance runner, it’s like a perfect fuel for me. And I love the taste. The peppered flavor is my favorite. And the Sriracha too.
I can think of only one solitary negative thing about it…
Too damn expensive!
Next time you buy some retail, do the math on what you’re paying per pound.
LOL
It might be enough to put you off it. As I recall, last time I crunched the numbers it was like $30 a pound.
Ouch. And I’ve never seen a deal where even s bulk buy will cut you much of a price break.
Wish I knew how to make it myself!
Cheers.
I like it, but I don’t go out of my way for it.
I like, do not love, beef jerky. And Slim Jims are an occasional impulse buy of mine at the cash register.
Anyone can make it. You have to buy really thinly cut flank steak (or some other, thin, very lean cut). Pick the type of marinade you want. There are tons of recipes online for that. You marinate it overnight, put it on a baking pan or foil sheets and set the oven to about 160F. Some ovens won’t go that low but that isn’t a problem because you have to prop the door open a small amount anyway to let moisture escape. Crack it more if the oven is too hot.
Put the marinated meat in the oven and let it dehydrate (about 8 - 10 hours) but check it towards the end of the process so that you don’t over-dry it.
It isn’t difficult at all but making it yourself will help you understand why it is so expensive at the store.
I love it. Haven’t made it in a few years, but my favorites were teriyaki made with Indonesian sweet soy sauce, and a lime-cilantro-tequila version.
Basically: slice leanest thick round steak as thinly as possible (easiest while partially frozen) , marinate, then cook on drying racks over sheet pans (to catch the drips) in oven at 160F until done (takes a long time). Lots of recipes online. Smoking would be even better.
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Love love love it
This is what deters me also. It tastes great, but not that great.
It’s ok. Gotta be at least 20 years ago that I ate some.
Yes! Love it! Yum! I miss my dad’s old home-made jerky.
(It’s a family joke. “Paw used to jerk his own meat…and hang it over the clothesline to dry.”)
Yep, I grew up on the heavily processed stuff that’s indistinguishable from salted shoe leather, so I’ll even eat the low-end stuff happily. Gimme high-quality spicy jerky, and I’m pretty much in heaven.
Thanks for the info!
I shall be trying this soon.
And j already know what I’ll use for a Marinade…
Starts with an S.
Ends with…racha!
LOL
Same here. I prefer smoked salmon.
I love jerky and have made it myself. I need to make some. I usually use eye of round roasts to make it. I have a meat slicer to slice it thin and use a dehydrator. I’ve never used the oven method but should try it some time. My oven gets down to 170 so it’s pretty close to the ideal temperature.
Beef jerky is okay, but moose is better.
Also, as a kid, I remember eating turkey jerky in the states. It was yummy.
Nope. Overly salty, overly sweet (pick 'em) and overly costly. Too many other good things to eat to waste my time of jerky.
Love it. And I simultaneously have very high and very low standards.
I grew up with that cheap pressed jerky that had the flavor and consistency of shoe leather. I tried to find some of that stuff recently but I could not find any. I’m sure someone still makes it, but they sure don’t sell it at any supermarket or 7-11 around me. As an alternative I have a box of 120 Slim Jims that I have been working through for at least a year now (and I’m pretty sure I have another box stashed away… somewhere).
Pretty much the only kind available these days is the “premium” whole muscle jerky that is super overpriced and pretty much never worth it. Some companies stress the “tenderness” of their jerky, and it is, but they achieve this by slicing against the grain and running it through a bunch of rollers so it does come out tender, but it’s also smashed. This is not good jerky. Others have good flavor and are sliced with the grain but are overly tough and way too dry.
Only way to get it right is to make it myself.