Gochujang and Chinese five-spice take this batch in a fragrant, savory direction. Fish sauce adds depth, honey softens the chile heat, and sesame seeds finish the strips. This follows the “Bringin’ the Funk” variation from Brad Leone’s Bon Appétit tutorial.

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Ingredients

Starting batch: 1¼ lb raw lean beef; finished yield varies.

• 1¼ lb trimmed lean beef eye of round
• 10 dashes fish sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Fresno chile, crushed
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, crushed
• ¼ cup gochujang
• ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds for topping (BULK measured amount)
• Water as needed to cover the beef for the heating step

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, fish, sesame and commonly wheat. Check gochujang, soy sauce and fish sauce 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-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 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. Sprinkle the reserved sesame seeds over the drained strips before drying. Arrange the heated strips in one layer on clean dehydrator racks, leaving space for air circulation. Dry at 145–155°F until centers are dry; thickness and equipment determine the time. A dryer air setting does not verify internal meat 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

Five-spice gives the fermented chile paste a warm aromatic background. A small amount of fish sauce intensifies the savory base, while sesame seeds add a nutty finishing note.

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

• Brad Makes Beef Jerky | It's Alive | Bon Appétit — Bon Appétit
• 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’s automatic captions and ingredient discussion. Source footage and creator credit belong to Bon Appétit. Photographs are timestamped source-video stills. Use the full written method for details.

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