To make jerky, take any lean meat — wild or tame — and cut it into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-wide strips, cutting against the grain if possible. Cutting with the grain will result in a little chewier product, but is not a big problem if the structure of the chunk of meat you’re cutting makes it expedient to cut it that way.

Wait – Expect your jerky to take 4-8 hours to fully dry. We can’t give you an exact time because it will depend on the temperature of your fire and the size or your strips. You’ll need to keep checking on them to see their progress. When the meat is dry but not crispy, and bends but isn’t flaccid, it’s done.

Be sure it is a sunny day so the sun helps dry your meat! If it starts to rain, place sticks upright around your fire and put a tarp over it to create a tarp teepee! This keeps the rain from putting out your fire, keeps the meat dry, and creates a smoke chamber!

10 tips for making homemade beef jerky, even if you don’t have a dehydrator. Jerky, the stuff cartoon cowboys used to pull out of their saddlebag, rip up, and chew lazily before riding into town, is actually incredibly easy to make at home.

Remember, keeping the meat in the marinade for too long won’t be that worrisome. Not letting the beef soak up the flavors, spices, and sauces for long enough is what you should be concerned about. A good range for marinating your beef strips should be anywhere from six hours to an entire day.

Bathe That Jerky Place the whole bag into the fridge to thoroughly marinate for up to 24 hours, but no fewer than 4 hours. The longer you marinate, the deeper your flavor and tenderizing action.

In any jerky, regardless of the meat choice, the ideal marination time is 12 hours to one day. In this way, the marinade would seep through the flesh of the meat. It is not good if you just marinate the meat for four to six hours as it will not take in the full flavor of your seasonings.