Mike's Peppered Beef Jerky

Slowly-marinated beef strips dry into savory pieces of peppery beef jerky in a food dehydrator. For safety, it's best to cook the strips first before drying.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 hr
• Total Time: 10 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 169 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, or more to taste
• 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 0.75 cup soy sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 0.75 cup water, or as needed
• 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
• 0.75 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 0.25 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 4 pounds very lean beef, visible fat trimmed and cut against the grain into 1/4

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Step 2

Place beef strips on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound beef with the tenderizing side of a meat mallet until the meat fibers are slightly broken but the strips still hold their shape.

Step 3

Mix Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, and coriander seeds in a large bowl until brown sugar has dissolved.

Step 4

Place beef strips into the bowl; add enough water to allow marinade to cover the meat. Stir to incorporate water and submerge the beef in marinade, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Step 5

Remove beef strips from marinade, shake off excess, and lay the strips onto oven-proof racks. Do not overlap the strips.

Step 6

Bake the beef strips in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest strip reads at least 150 degrees F (65 degrees C).

Step 7

If desired, sprinkle strips with more coriander seeds and black pepper.

Step 8

Remove strips from oven and place onto racks of a food dehydrator so the strips don't overlap.

Step 9

Turn on the dehydrator, set machine's temperature for 155 degrees F (70 degrees C), and dry the jerky until leathery, about 9 hours. Rotate the racks from top to bottom every 1 1/2 hours for even drying. A piece of jerky should crack but not break in half when folded.