Homemade Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is my absolute fave. Spicy, Mesquite, BBQ, Peppered, any flavor, any brand. Each piece is a little slice of heaven. It's great for when I'm out all day on the bike as it doesn't spoil. It's also a great substitute for meal and health wise is really not bad for you. The only down turn? It gets a little pricey. Like $7 a bag pricey. So I decided to make my own. There are plenty of recipes on the net but I chose this one and added some of my own creativity to the mix (my notes are in parenthesis), it came out great.

Ingredients:

- 5 pounds of beef (any cut, preferably brisket as it is the leanest)

- 5 ounces of liquid smoke (find it in the spices aisle with the BBQ sauces, it's there I promise, just keep looking)

- 15 ounces of Lea & Perrins OR Worcestershire 15 - 20 ounces of teriyaki sauce

- 15 - 20 ounces of soy sauce (didn't have any so I just doubled the Worcestershire)

- 2 - 4 Tb. of garlic powder (used real garlic, minced)

- 2 - 4 Tb. of dark brown sugar

- 2 - 4 Tb. of onion powder (didn't have any, didn't use)

- 2 - 4 ounces of molasses OR dark corn syrup

- 2 - 4 tsp. of cayenne pepper (don't over do it, I like things spicy too but too much will just kill the meats precious natural flavor)

Directions:

- Cut meat and mix ingredients for marinade. (slice as thin as possible, freeze the meat for a 1/2 or so to help slice. Make sure to trim as much fat off as you can first as it wont dry like the beef and spoil)

- Cover and put meat in the refrigerator and let marinate for 24 hours.

- Cover oven rack with foil and place the meat across racks. (cover the bottom rack with foil to catch the drippings. Lay the meat on the top rack without foil so it dries from both sides. Use some Pam on the rack so you can clean it off easier when your done)

- Set oven to lowest temp 130 - 150 degrees. After the meat has stopped dripping, turn each piece over. (I didn't turn it over, doesn't matter really. But just make sure the meat is drying, not cooking)

- Cook for about 8 - 12 hours depend on what you like and remember to leave the oven door slightly open for ventilation. (Definitely leave the door open the whole time. Good jerky is made with slight heat and air flow so the meat is dried out, not cooked. I started at around 8 pm so I could have fresh jerky for breakfast)

- Enjoy (store in a Ziplock in the fridge as homemade jerky doesn't have the preservatives store bought jerky has, yet it still last a long time)

Remember ladies, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Fill that stomach with homemade jerky and that love will last a long time, just like the jerky.

Posted By: Daniel

Perforating My Motorcycle Jacket

Nichole and Melissa have all these great posts so I thought I would contribute with my macho craft that I did last night, yes that's right, I said macho craft. Summer is here and I can finally get some good Sunday rides in without freezing my hands and face off. I bought this jacket last summer and only wore it a couple times at night as it was too hot for our humid New York summers. So I decided to perforate the leather to get some good airflow through the jacket when out on the road.

{My Alpinestar RC-1 Jacket}

I figured I wanted about an inch between each perforation so I found a website that lets you size and download graph paper for free. I punched holes through the paper so I could use it as a template on the jacket.

{Template and Screw Punch}

{Martha Stewart Screw Punch}

Nichole thankfully had some of her fashion chalk handy so I used it to mark where the holes will be punched on the jacket through the template. It created a nice grid for me to then use the handy, but not so manly, Martha Stewart Screw Punch. The tool twists as you push down so it cuts a perfect whole in the leather. I used a healing board behind where I was cutting so I didn't cut through the back as well.

{finished}

I was thoroughly impressed with my crafting skills as was Nichole when she saw the finished product. It looks great and doesn't compromise the jacket fit at all. I can't wait to test it out on Sunday as it looks like the weather is going to be great.

Posted By: Daniel