Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation How long and at what temp do we need for drying jerky??

My wife decided to make jerky in the oven.. It is ground meat about 1/4 " thick.. She set the temp. for 200 degrees, it has been in 8 hours and still not done.. Maybe this is the way it is suppose to be, but the book suggested 4 hours would be enough.. Just leave it at 200 for more time or up the temp. ??? First time we tried this.. Any help will be appreciated..

I haven't made jerky in the oven in a long time but I would have thought 8 hrs would be plenty. I know in a dehydrator you take it out before you really think its done . In other words before it cracks instead of bending.

Thanks..

Take it out now.

Let us know how it turned out

leave the oven door cracked open to allow moister to excape ( the dehydration part of the process)

Thanks for all the help guys.. It turned out ok.. I like it a bit more spicy, but it is excellent.. We are doing another batch soon.. My other jerky has been made in an old smoker using charcoal.. My wife is worried about the effects of charcoal on our systems.. So we are trying this..
The only meat I ever smoked was antelope, but we have an abundance of ground meat and another elk due in the freezer so she wanted to try this oven method.. Works super, she will have to refine her seasonings.. If we want more spicy jerky.. I will mention the oven door to her.. Again thanks..

If you are interested in making spicier jerky I have an excellent recipe, PM me if you would like to have a copy.

THIS!

I used the oven at first, but a cheap dehydrator works great! I have 2 batches of deer jerky marinating right now, one is hickory and the other is Cajun seasoning. I use Hi Mountain jerky kits.

What's a proper cut of beef to use when making jerky?

That HM stuff is pretty good. Like their Buckboard Bacon cure. Makes a great snack @ 0300hrs. Slice off a chunk and throw it in the pan. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

If you buy a dehydrator, make sure it has a fan not just a heating coil. Both work, buy the fan version is much faster. (I've used both at the same time)
I do not use an oven, but make anlot of jerky using a sunbeam dehydrator. (Cheap) and I believe temp is between 130°-160°. Set it up, let it run on low all night, usually done by morning, reload and run all day.

I am not sure what cut of BEEF is good for jerky. I always use deer meat. I use last years back strap if I have any left first, then I will use muscles off the hind quarter. I cut mine real thin.

Correct on the FAN version, that's what I have and just like you say, put it on about 6pm and at 5am it's ready. Makes the house smell good too!

I've been using one of these for 40+ years - The same one...

It does a great job. Bet that it's smoked well over 2,000 lbs of jerky

Thought I would ask again.

Thanks.

any lean cut that doesn't have much or any fat. Beef fat can taste raunchy after dried.

When I have made beef jerky in the past when out of venison, I looked for the leanest roast I could find on the shelf. Cut/slice against the grain and it makes some great jerky.

I'll try some sirloin soon.

Well if the Beef just needs to be fat free, then Rump Roast, trimmed Round steak and Flank steak should be good.

I use London broil when I make beef jerky, I too have a Litle Chief smoker that I have been using for more than 40 yrs.. Alder wood is my choice 3-4 pan fulls then start checking for your preferred doneness. In the oven I set the oven for 160 degrees and prop the door open to allow moisture to escape. I have drying racks that I purchased at Cabela's, these are much less labor intensive than skewering each piece on a toothpick.

London Broil is not actually a cut of meat... it is a cooking method.

Meat labeled London Broil is almost always just a round roast, like most already suggested.