Ground Beef Jerky Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much jerky does 1lb of ground beef make? ›

You can understand why, since processing jerky takes time, and a pound of meat only produces about 1/4-pound of finished jerky. However, it really is a manageable process that you can do at home.

Using curing salt when making jerky is not essential, however it does have a lot of great benefits. Using curing salt correctly helps to reduce the chance of harmful bacteria growing on meat and ensures a safer curing process. It also improves flavour, colour and extends the shelf life.

The leaner the better. 80/20 works well.

The jerky should bend and eventually break, but not snap off. If you're unable to break the jerky into two pieces, and it's still rubbery, that means it needs more time. If the jerky snaps into two pieces with bending, it's most likely over-dried. Pro Tip: Finished jerky should be like a green tree branch.

Generally, 3 lbs of raw jerky meat will produce 1 lb of dry jerky. Each PS Jerky Kit is measured for 5 lbs of meat, so expect around 2 lbs of dry jerky. As you might expect, beef jerky is the most popular meat for jerky making but other meats can be just as, if not more, delicious.

In general, it takes about 2 to 2.5 pounds of raw meat to make 1 pound of jerky. This is because the meat loses a significant amount of moisture during the drying process, which reduces its weight.

What is a substitute for curing salt? Celery juice powder and celery powder are natural substitutes for curing salt.

If you do not let the meat cure and then slow cook it the final product CAN make you sick. Can I smoke them, then boil, pan fry, grill them? Yes.

You do not HAVE to use curing salt. The jerky will last a week without going bad without curing salt. I like to use it as an extra step for safety, but if pre-heating the meat first killing off bacteria, the jerky will be safe.

Top round is considered to be one of the best cuts of meat to use for jerky. In fact, this is the cut that many commercial jerkies are made from. This is a good cut because it comes in large pieces, is a lean cut of meat, and is economical. Top round can also be referred to as London Broil or inside round steak.

Is ground beef jerky good? ›

Ground Beef Jerky Is a Tasty and Tender Treat

Tender and flavorful, they're a perfect departure from the everyday.

Consistent thickness is the name of the game when it comes to jerky slicing. Slicing your jerky evenly will ensure that each piece cooks and dries at the same rate. This prevents over-drying and under-drying. We recommend slicing meat for jerky at a thickness between 1/8" and 1/4" with the perfect thickness at 3/16”.

The curing process for ground beef jerky can take anywhere from 4 to 12 hours, depending on the thickness of the meat and the method of curing used. It's important to monitor the jerky closely to ensure it doesn't over-dry.

No, you do not need to flip jerky in a dehydrator. It's actually a pretty hands off process once the meat hits the dehydrator. The trays have holes in them which allows the air to circulate all the way throughout for even cooking with no flipping required.

You can use the "Bend Test" to make sure each piece is finished: try bending one piece of jerky in half; the piece shouldn't break or fray, but it shouldn't feel flimsy. If your jerky is somewhere in that sweet spot between brittle and flexible, it's ready.

The Food Item Details states that 1 lb. of raw, 80/20 ground beef will yield 0.74 lb. or 11.80 ounces of cooked meat.

When making jerky you will loose about 3/4 of the weight from water loss. So for about 2 pounds of meat you'll get about 1/2 pound of jerky when your done, so don't be surprised by the shrinkage.

A serving is 4 oz cooked, which means 1 lb of ground beef is good for around 3 servings after water loss and cooking.

Assuming you like moist jerky (which takes about 2 pounds of beef to make 1 pound of jerky), and you're eating our grass-fed Red Devon Cattle, one Red Devon cow can make around 550 lbs of beef jerky.