Mike van de Elzen: Hot beef jerky

Author: Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2026, 12:00pm

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Hot beef jerky

Cook time: 6 hours

Prep time: 20 minutes

1kg beef silverside or blade steak

Marinade

1 cup sweet apple cider (or unsweetened apple juice)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp fish sauce

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup honey

2 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

2 tbsp smoked paprika

3 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp sea salt

2 tbsp crushed chili pepper

Remove all traces of visible fat from your piece of meat. Place the meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes, which will make it easier to slice thinly.

Slice the meat in long thin strips, going with the grain. Place your meat in a re-sealable plastic bag along with the marinate ingredients. Place into the fridge to marinate overnight.

Before you go any further, cover the bottom of your oven with aluminium foil. Things are going to get messy!

Remove the strips of meat from the marinade and place them directly on your oven racks. No need to pat them dry just let the strips drip a little bit as you remove them. Place your racks back in the oven and set the temperature to 140*c. Keep the oven door slightly open by sticking a wooden spoon. This will allow moisture to escape so the meat has a chance to dry without cooking.

Let the meat cook for about 3 hours, then flip it over and give it another 3 hours or so. Total cooking time depends on the size and thickness of your strips. Your jerky will be done when it’s dry enough that you can rip off a piece easily but not so dry that it’ll snap if you bend it.

Leave the jerky out to cool for a couple of hours then pop it into an airtight container or sealed plastic bag where it will keep unrefrigerated for up to 2 months.

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