gadgets. I used my pop-pops deli meat slicer for the first time. He gave it to me many, many years ago. I have never even taken it out of his box. (It scares me!). It is commercial grade, but still intimidates me. It was sweet, because I was able to see some of his handwritten scribble on the box. It put a smile on my face, knowing that he would be happy I was using it!) I say that I used it, but in reality, I asked my dad to come over and help me (Or I can help him!) We sliced up frozen flank steak and used Altons recipe.
The second gadget that I used was my Mom's dehydrator. She has only used it for herbs, so had no experience in jerky. (That was really easy!) Anyway, I marinated for 24 hours then dehydrated! My learnings: I should have made the slices thicker, use less pepper and use partially frozen meat (vs. completely frozen). It is a fun, interesting jerky. You can literally taste the different flavors changing as you chew. It starts out sweet, then tastes a lil beefy, then a lil hot, and lastly tasting a bit peppery. I have asked my tea friends to describe, and they all say the same order. Boy is it good! And I am happy to try something new!!
Beef Jerky
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords
Directions
Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.
Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.
Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html
The second gadget that I used was my Mom's dehydrator. She has only used it for herbs, so had no experience in jerky. (That was really easy!) Anyway, I marinated for 24 hours then dehydrated! My learnings: I should have made the slices thicker, use less pepper and use partially frozen meat (vs. completely frozen). It is a fun, interesting jerky. You can literally taste the different flavors changing as you chew. It starts out sweet, then tastes a lil beefy, then a lil hot, and lastly tasting a bit peppery. I have asked my tea friends to describe, and they all say the same order. Boy is it good! And I am happy to try something new!!
Beef Jerky
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords
Directions
Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.
Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.
Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/beef-jerky-recipe/index.html