Checking Jerky Doneness

Method

1. Trim off visible fat. Slice chilled beef across the grain into even 1/8–3/16-inch strips, never thicker than 1/4 inch. Wash hands and clean utensils after handling raw meat.
2. Mix the Worcestershire, soy sauce and all marinade seasonings. Add the beef, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below for 8–12 hours. This is an uncured recipe: add no Tender Quick, Cure #1, Cure #2 or unidentified pink salt.
3. Before drying, put the meat and its marinade in a saucepan. Add the measured water and, if needed, more water just to cover the strips; work in batches rather than crowding the pan. Bring to a full boil, then boil 5 minutes, stirring to separate the strips. Check several of the thickest strips with a thin-tip thermometer: they must reach 160°F. Continue heating if needed. Discard the cooking liquid after use.
4. For real smoke flavor, immediately transfer the hot cooked strips to clean racks in a smoker already holding 225°F. Leave gaps between strips and smoke with mild cooking wood for 15–30 minutes, watching thin pieces closely. This short hot-smoking stage is optional; the smoked paprika supplies flavor when it is skipped.
5. Move the strips directly to a preheated dehydrator at 140°F in a single layer. Use a separate thermometer to check drying temperature. Begin checking cooled samples after about 3 hours, then every 30–60 minutes; drying can take 3–8 hours or longer with thicker pieces or a full machine. Do not use the clock as the endpoint.
6. A cooled strip should be leathery, with fibers separating when bent and no soft wet center. Remove finished pieces individually. Let the finished batch cool briefly on clean racks, then package in small portions and refrigerate at 40°F or below within 2 hours of leaving the heat.
7. For this new recipe, use refrigerated jerky within 3–4 days or freeze portions promptly for longer keeping. This deliberately conservative plan makes no room-temperature storage or vacuum-sealed shelf-life claim.