Cooking With Ry’s oven recipe uses equal measures of cider vinegar, soy and Worcestershire. Red pepper flakes and a little liquid smoke make it tangy and savory without a sweetener in the listed formula.

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Video by Cooking With Ry · Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Starting batch: 4 lb raw lean beef; finished yield varies.

• 4 lb lean beef top round, trimmed (BULK rounded source batch)
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• ⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• Water as needed to cover the beef for the heating step

Equipment: {esc(r.get("equipment", "sharp knife, cutting board, kitchen scale, covered nonreactive container, saucepan, thin-tip food thermometer, clean tongs, wire racks, and an adjustable-temperature dehydrator."))}

Allergens: Soy, commonly wheat and often fish in Worcestershire. Check labels.

How to make this jerky

Step 1: Trim and chill the beef

Trim visible fat and silver skin from the cold beef. Firm it briefly in the freezer if this makes slicing easier; keep the meat cold as you work.

Step 2: Slice evenly

Slice the trimmed beef into even ⅛–¼ inch strips. Cut across the grain for a more tender bite; keep the thickness consistent so the pieces dry together.

Step 3: Mix the marinade

Combine the measured marinade ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Stir until sugar or honey disperses and the seasonings are distributed. Reserve any finishing seeds or crust seasoning for the racks.

Step 4: Coat and refrigerate

Separate any folded strips, toss thoroughly in the marinade, then cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight at 40°F or below. Turn the beef occasionally to redistribute the marinade. Do not leave raw marinated beef on the counter.

Step 5: Heat to 160°F, then dry

Before drying, put the marinated strips and marinade in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until the thickest strips reach 160°F internally, verified with a thin-tip food thermometer. Work in batches if needed. Remove with clean tongs and discard all used liquid. Arrange heated strips on clean oven-safe wire racks over sheet pans with space between strips. Dry in a 170°F oven, using its convection setting if available and following the manufacturer’s ventilation guidance. Check pieces periodically and rotate racks if drying is uneven. Continue until centers are dry; do not use the oven air setting as proof of the meat’s internal temperature.

Step 6: Check, cool and store

Cool a test strip before assessing texture. It should bend with visible cracking and have no wet pockets in its center; return thicker or damp pieces to the dryer. Cool the whole batch completely, then refrigerate in clean closed containers. Freeze portions you will not eat promptly. A bend test checks texture, not pathogen destruction.

Why this flavor works

Apple cider vinegar keeps the coating bright. Equal soy and Worcestershire add salt and depth while the pepper flakes give an aromatic heat.

Serving and storage

Serve a small portion straight from the refrigerator, or cut into bite-size pieces for a snack plate. Keep the remaining batch cold.

Keep the finished jerky refrigerated. Pack only fully cooled strips, keep hands and containers clean, and freeze portions you will not eat promptly. Moisture, thickness, and handling affect keeping quality; this home method does not establish commercial shelf stability.

A ready-to-eat option between batches

For a convenient jerky snack when you are not making a batch, explore BULK Texas Style Original Beef Jerky. Its seasoning and production process differ from this homemade adaptation.

Browse every published BULK jerky recipe.

Sources and further reading

• Easy Beef Jerky Made In The Oven — Cooking With Ry
• USDA: how to make meat or poultry jerky at home
• National Center for Home Food Preservation: jerky

Original BULK adaptation after reviewing the source video evidence and ingredient discussion. Source footage and creator credit belong to Cooking With Ry. Photographs are timestamped source-video stills. Use the full written method for details.

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