You know what I heartily dislike (I’d say hate, but that seems a little strong)?
I heartily dislike it when I’m jonesin’ for some of the salty, beefy goodness that only beef jerky can provide, only to find that all the jerky in the store is mostly sugar. To be fair and more accurate, it’s mostly beef but the second ingredient is sugar.
Who likes sweet jerky? I mean, really.
Considering the fact that sugar is the second ingredient in most brands and varieties of jerky these days, I’m gunna go out on a limb and say lots of folks like it sweet and that I’m in the minority of those who prefer salty over sugary jerky.
It’s because of this (unfortunate) fact that I developed my own jerky recipe – one that is easy, uses common ingredients, makes the perfect grab-n-go snack, and isn’t sweet. And I call it Easy Ground Beef Jerky because I’m creative like that.
Don’t forget the rules of food safety! Here is the short list:
- Always wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
- Never thaw meat on the counter. Thaw in the refrigerator, microwave, or cool water bath.
- Always wash cutting boards and plates after having been in contact with raw meat.
- Always cook to appropriate internal temperatures. Safe internal temperatures vary based on cut. Hamburger must reach a safe and savory 160 degrees, while steak is safe at 145 degrees.
Ground Beef Jerky
Description
The perfect grab-n-go snack for those who prefer their jerky more salty than sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef, 85/15 or leaner
- 1 tablespoon Tom’s Steak Rub, or your favorite season salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix the ground beef and the steak rub in a bowl until completely combined. Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll the ground beef out super thin (1/4 inch or less). Cut the ground beef mixture into 2 1/2 inch rounds or squares.
- Place a wire rack over a baking sheet that has shallow sides. Evenly space the ground beef pieces on the wire rack and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours. Rotate the baking sheet, flip the jerky pieces, and continue to bake for 2 hours more.
- Remove the jerky from the oven, pat to soak up excess fat if necessary, let cool, try a few pieces (or the entire batch), and store the rest in an air-tight container in the fridge. Enjoy!
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.