Why is my beef jerky too rough and chewy?!
Answers:
It's supposed to be that way, so it takes you longer to eat it.
It looks like you are leaving out the Worcestershire but that should not make any difference. Are you slicing it the same? Cross the grain.? I always use London Broil sliced as thin as my sharpest knife will slice it. I cook mine in my oven on the lowest setting, rotating often. Labor intensive but well worth it. I would also leave out the olives and maybe the lemon grass. I use brown sugar and any thing that is the refridge. like the ends of jars of Hosine sauce or even oyster sauce. . Good luck, making good beef jerky is an art and worth the time. It is very costly to buy.
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It has to do with the 2nd marinade. It is a chemistry thing. The marinade is to flavor and tenderize. Beef jerky
1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters(NO FIBERGLASS!!), and 2 bungee cords
Directions
Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.
Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.
Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.
Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!