What Is the Best Beef to Use for Jerky

Creating your own Texas beef jerky is a culinary experience. Not only do you get to enjoy the satisfaction of creating something from scratch, but sharing it with family and friends makes this an even more rewarding process!

The satisfaction from making homemade Texas beef jerky, let alone sharing it with family and friends, is a true culinary experience.

First, it begins with selecting the best cuts of beef jerky or selecting from other choices of meat to make jerky.

⬇️ Table of Contents

• Beef Jerky
• 🥩 Cuts of Beef To Make Jerky
• 🍽 How To Make Beef Jerky In A Dehydrator
• ⏳ How Long To Dehydrate Beef Jerky
• 🙋 Can You Make Jerky In The Oven?
• 🔥 How to Smoke Jerky
• 🥫 Types of Jerky Marinades
• 📖 Recipe Card

Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is a dried and cured meat that has been around for centuries. The process of making beef jerky begins by selecting the best cuts of meat, trimming the fat, and then slicing the meat into thin strips.

The strips are then placed in a marinade made up of spices, vinegar, and salt. After being soaked in the marinade, the meat is dried and cured.

🥩 Cuts of Beef To Make Jerky

There are a variety of cuts of beef you can use to make Texas beef jerky. The usual best beef for jerky is low in fat. Now, fat is flavor and helps keep things moist and tender. We have meat options to explore.

Beef jerky was designed to have a longer shelf life and stand up to long times away from the house. Over the years, beef jerky has become so popular that you can find it almost anywhere.

Today, I'm going to share a fantastic cut of meat with you that has become easier to find andbreaks the rules of beef jerky making, and it turns out so very good.

Eye of Round

Eye of Round

One of the more popular cuts of beef to use for making jerky.

Slice eye of round into strips ¼ inch thick or less (about ⅛ inch is ideal) with the grain for maximum toughness before marinating overnight for intense flavor.

The eye of round is a beef muscle found in the bottom sirloin subprimal cut. This lean, well-worked muscle provides rich flavor but can be very tough if not appropriately sliced.

• Low in fat
• Lower in cost
• The fat cap needs to be trimmed (remove the white fat)
• The meat grains run the length of the beef and make for easy slicing against the grain for maximum tenderness

Bottom Round

Bottom Round - photo courtesy Mike

Another top pick among enthusiasts

The bottom round is an oblong-shaped cut that comes from the outer muscle of the cow's upper leg. The bottom round has less fat than most other options, with less fat and the location of the muscle; this makes it more flavorful and leaner.

Bottom round beef is one of the most economical cuts available from the cow. It's often chosen by people trying out this hobby because it is one of the most economical cuts available.

• Overall a tougher cut of beef, but still makes delicious beef jerky
• Another cut of beef that's very affordable
• Lean with low marbling; some can be marbled more than others. Look for grass-fed
• Very flavorful

Flank Steak

Flank Steak

A great choice is a higher-quality cut of beef with all the flavor

Flank steak cut has more fat content than bottom round.
Though Flank steak is comparable in cost of a bottom round at $11 a pound on average.

When broken down into thin slices and made into jerky; the flavor is comparable to the bottom round.

• The key to working with flank steak is making sure you cut "against" the grain, or the meat will be very tough
• One of the more tender choices for beef jerky
• Tons of flavor

Top Round

Top Round Steak

Top round beef is a large, lean cut that comes from the rump and hind legs.

The muscles in this area are used for movement, so it's cheaper than other types of meat with less tenderness but still delicious!

• Similar to the bottom round cut, but is more tender and sits right on top of the bottom round
• Another cut of beef that's very affordable for jerky making.
• Lean with low marbling; some can be marbled more than others. Look for grass-fed
• Very flavorful

Meat Packers Brisket (Point & Flat)

Brisket

Brisket comes from the midsection of the steer, below the first five ribs.

Tip: If you choose brisket for your jerky meat, you should cut away any excess fat.

The brisket may also need to be sliced thinly (less than ¼ inch) because it is a tough cut of beef yet with a big flavor.

• Brisket has more intermuscular fat
• Brisket is made up of two sections #1 "The Point" and #2 "The Flat". Opt for the flat as it has less fat
• Brisket is higher in cost, but a highly flavorful choice of beef
• The end product offers a more tender piece of jerky…Win Win….

One of our readers,@Smokehouse Jerky Co, left a comment suggesting we not forget about Brisket because they LOVE making beef jerky out of Brisket.

Top Sirloin

Top Sirloin

Not as mainstream as the other cuts of beef mentioned above, but still a very excellent choice for making quality jerky

• Top Sirloin has intermuscular fat. When shopping, opt for a piece with less marbling (offers longer shelf life)
• Higher in cost than the "rounds" listed above
• One of the more tender choices for beef jerky
• Very Flavorful (When you read the world Sirloin, just assume the cut of beef will have more flavor

Deer Jerky | Venison Jerky

Incredible flavor and belongs in the tender category. Makes amazing jerky.

• Marinading works very well, plus is a way to reduce some of the gaminess
• Very lean, making it perfect for jerky
• Deer/Venison meat can be found online, local butcher shop, or your hunting buddy

Specialty cuts of meat for jerky

1. Elk
2. Pork – Use the pork tenderloin due to the low amount of fat
3. Beef Tenderloin

🍽 How To Make Beef Jerky In A Dehydrator

1. The first thing to do is inspect the dehydrator. Open it up and look around for anything that wasn't cleaned well from before. It never hurts to be safe and wipe everything down again.
2. Check to make sure the dehydrator is still working. Plug it in and turn it on. It might sound obvious but is overlooked. The dehydrator just sits in your closet most of the time, and things just happen to equipment that sits around. It would be very disappointing to be ready with your marinaded meat only to find out the machine doesn't work.
3. If you want to maximize the shelf life of your lean piece meat, it should be dried at a temperature of between 160°F and 170°F to an internal temperature between 145°F and 155°F which yields the meat up to 30% longer than other forms of jerky.
4. I would suggest testing the temperature range that your machine offers using a temperature probe. You never know; a slightly lower or higher temperature could be where your dehydrator produces the best beef jerky.

⏳ How Long To Dehydrate Beef Jerky

The main thing that will affect the dehydration process timeline is the thickness of the slices of meat. The timing for dehydration can swing between 4 to 15 hours. That's a huge time window and can be confusing. Testing with your machine is the key.

Dehydration Time

4 hours

🙋 Can You Make Jerky In The Oven?

You can make jerky in the oven. Set your oven to 160 degrees and keep an eye on it. Cook time will vary this way greatly.

Tip: Cook on a roasting rack for even cooking.

🔥 How to Smoke Jerky

You can use a Grill or best use a Smoker to make jerky. The key is using indirect heat to smoke the meat.

Building the Fire

1. Build a fire at least 30 to 40 minutes before placing any meat on the smoker. You will need to get the fire down to around 160 degrees to smoke the meat safely. Do not exceed 170 degrees, or you will no longer be dehydrating the meat yet cooking it. Allowing the fire to burn down for a while is the key.
2. Build a large enough fire that once the temperature is down to 160 - 170 degrees, that the temp will hold. Have small pieces of wood to add to the fire to keep it going. Do not add large pieces of wood or risk a fire flaring up and increasing the temperature past the desired temperature.

Smoking the Meat

1. Place the jerky on a wire rack. This will make it easy to move the jerky around while smoking. Make sure the wire rack is square, so you optimize the space in the smoker.
2. Give the square wire rack a 180-degree turn after 30 minutes. The idea is to keep flipping the square wire rack, where the side closest to the fire flips to the opposite side from the fire. Rotate every 30 minutes. I like to add some 90-degree flips after the first few 180 flips.
3. Average smoke time: 3 hours to 6 hours. You must pay attention to the cooking process. Or risk over dehydrated meat. How well you manage the fire, and size of meat will determine the duration to completation.
4. If you think the meat is cooking too quickly, move the meat further away from the heat source and spray with water to cool down.

🥫 Types of Jerky Marinades

The fun part of beef jerky making is that there are no absolute rules regarding the flavoring used in marinades. Using what you like is the key. The balance of sweet and spicy is how to create a classic beef jerky flavor profile.

Other Types of Marinades to Try:

• Teriyaki sauce (+ add soy sauce)
• Hoison sauce
• Sweet garlic sauce
• Southwestern (garlic, lime, cilantro, tomato paste, or Rotel, Worcestershire sauce, meat tenderizer(has salt), fresh peppers like jalapeno or serranos).

Texas Beef Jerky Marinade Recipe

Soy Sauce	1 Cup
Teriyaki Sauce (Kikkoman)	10 oz (1 bottle)
Worcestershire Sauce	3 Tablespoons
Brown Sugar	1 Tablespoon
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper	1 Tablespoon
Coarse Ground Mustard (spicy jalapeno flavor: optional)	2 Tablespoons
Liquid Smoke	1 Tablespoon
Wasabi (Kikkoman Brand) Chef Pennington's addition	1 Tablespoon

Video: How To Make Texas Beef Jerky

How to Use a Fatty Piece of Beef For Jerky

Fat is flavor that adds to the finished jerky tenderness

Using a fatty cut of beef for jerky is against the code in most enthusiast circles. That does not mean you cannot create top-quality jerky using a fattier cut. The main difference is the shelf life and fatty needing to be refrigerated.

So Good!

• Trim off most of the excess fat. Just remove what you see around the edges and on the top and bottom. If you see a significant piece of fat in the middle, you can remove it.
• Be sure to slice the beef ¼ inches thick, not any thinner.
• Longer marinades times are not suggested because the fat can over hydrate with the marinade. Two to three hours.
• You must store this type of jerky in an airtight container and/or in the refrigerator. Zip-Lock bags in the refrigerator work well.
• The downfall of fatty jerky is it will have a shorter shelf life.

The cut of beef I used to make fatty beef jerky, the amazing Sirloin Flap!

I wrote an article covering the special cut of beef. What Is Sirloin Flap Beef and Why Is It So Great? Prep & Marinade Recipe

Faqs

Beef Jerky Storage

Low-fat traditionalcut of beef that is properly dehydrated, you can store the jerky at room temperature. I would still suggest keeping it in an airtight container or zip-lock bag.

Fatty Cut of Beef Storage: You must store this type of jerky in an airtight container and/or in the refrigerator. Zip-Lock bags in the refrigerator work well.

Can I Freeze Beef Jerky

Yes. If properly dehydrated, the moisture will have been mostly removed from the jerky and can then stand up to being frozen.

Jerky Marinade Tips

1) You can reuse the marinade one time on a second batch. Make sure the marinade does not sit out at room temperature. Store the marinate in the refrigerator asap.
2) Stop yourself from adding too much sugar as it creates an odd, almost slimy exterior.
3) Extra fresh cracked black pepper for the win. You can sprinkle extra on the jerky after the marinade to create a nice layer.
4) Fatty cuts of beef should not be marinaded for long periods, like overnight.
5) Experimenting is encouraged. Make the recipe you like, then add some to small side bowls and add ingredients and do a taste test.

📖 Recipe Card

Texas Pepper Beef Jerky

Classic Texas Beef Jerky Recipe you'll love and want to make again and again 🙂

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 4 hrs

Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins

Course Snack

Cuisine Classic Texas

Meat Suggestions: Top Round, Bottom Round, Flank Steak, Top Sirloin

• 1 ½ pound Eye of Round Options: Top Round, Bottom Round, Flank Steak, Top Sirloin

Marinade

• 1 cup Soy Sauce
• 10 cup Teriyaki Sauce
• 3 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
• 1 Tablespoon Wasabi Sauce
• 2 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Mustard (Jalapeno Flavor) Substitution: mince up a jalapeno and add to the mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Before Dehydration Begins

• 3 Tablespoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper Directly on the meat

• Slicing the meat: Placing the meat in the freezer before slicing will make it easier. The cold will firm up the meat.

  Use a large knife and make long smooth slices.

  The single most important bit of information is to slice against the grain of the meat. This will help make your beef jerky more tender.

  Look at the cut of meat, search for the long intramuscular grains, and which way they run. The cuts you make need to be cut against/across the long grains.

  Tip: Cut 90 degrees to the direction of the long grains.

  You do not want to slice the meat too thick. Shoot for around a ¼ inch or less. This will help with even dehydrating times and a more tender result.

• Beef jerky marinade: Combine ingredients in a large bowl

  1 cup Soy Sauce

  10 oz Kikkoman Teriyaki

  3 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

  1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke

  1 Tablespoon Kikkoman Wasabi Sauce

  1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

  2 Tablespoon Jalapeno Mustard

  2 teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

  TSA: Taste, season, adjust. Take a taste and make any seasoning adjustments.

  After slicing the meat, add the slices to a zip lock bag and add the marinade. Then straight into the refrigerator overnight.

  2-4 hours for a fatty cut of beef like sirloin flap.

• Dehydration of the meat: Layout the meat on each dehydrator tray and add a healthy amount of fresh cracked black pepper to each piece.

  Be careful the pieces of meat are not overlaying one another. You do not want to have an overloaded dehydrator due to varying cook times.

  Tip: Add a piece of aluminum foil to the bottom of your machine for easy clean-up.

  

• Dehydrating beef jerky: The timing for dehydration can swing between 4 to 15 hours. That's a huge time window and can be confusing.

  The average is 4 hours at 160/170 degrees. 160 being the optimal temperature

  That is the temperature and timing I used.

Meat Selection Info

Eye of round beef: One of the more popular beef cuts to make jerky.

Bottom round beef: Another top pick for Beef Jerky. This muscle can be found as part of the outer muscle of the upper leg.

Flank steak beef: Great choice for Beef Jerky, higher-quality cut of beef with all the flavor.

Top round beef: Similar to the Bottom Round cut, but is more tender and sits right on top of the bottom round.

Brisket beef: One of our readers left a comment suggesting we not forget about Brisket because they LOVE making Beef Jerky out of brisket.

Top sirloin beef: Not as mainstream as the others mentioned above, but still a very nice choice for making quality Beef Jerky.

Deer/venison: Incredible flavor and belongs in the tender category. Makes Amazing Jerky.

Nutrition Facts

Texas Pepper Beef Jerky

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Best Beef Cuts For Jerky, Texas Pepper Beef Jerky

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Source: https://www.butter-n-thyme.com/texas-pepper-beef-jerky/

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