Beer and meat make the ultimate pairing. Not only do well-crafted brews bring great flavor to the table (literally), they also make a wonderful, tenderizing marinade. Beer has enzymes that help break down the tough fibers found in most red meat, which makes beer even more tempting to cook with. Trust me, this is the most tender and flavorful beef jerky you will ever try. This recipe choice came to us in a very Roundabout way. It was my birthday, and I really, really wanted to visit Roundabout Brewery in Lawrenceville. Tim jumped at the idea and off we went, two kids under two in tow. When we arrived, we were greeted by the very awesome owners, Steve and Dyana. They told us about their current brews on tap and the remarkable story behind Roundabout Brewery. Dyana mentioned that they were originally looking to set up shop in the building where Cure restaurant now resides. Ironically, a few months ago we had the most breathtaking meal at Cure for Tim’s birthday. There were far too many connections to ignore; Lawrenceville, birthdays, awesome owners- Roundabout Brewery and Cure needed to be united for our next dish. Thus, our recipe had to be Beerf Jerky – a beautiful combination of beer and cured meat. It’s spicy, savory, and far fresher than store bought. A perfect party snack to pair with a few pints.
Beerf Jerky Ingredients
- 8 oz (1 cup) Rusted Route Amber Ale
- 1 lb very lean London broil (sliced against the grain, very thinly)
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp Sriracha sauce (can add more if you like it hot hot hot)
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried chile flakes
- 1 tsp salt
*Don’t have access to Rusted Route Amber Ale? Just use your favorite Amber Ale but make sure you make it out to the brewery in some roundabout way!
Beerf Jerky Directions
- Buy a growler of Rusted Route from Roundabout Brewery
- Go to your local butcher and ask him or her to slice against the grain 1 pound of lean London broil into thin strips ( If they won’t do it- freeze the meat for 30 minutes and then cut into thin strips). Trim off fat (it cannot be cured)
- Put strips between 2 clean kitchen towels and press out as much moisture as you can. Using a meat tenderizer, (or your favorite sturdy mug) pound it out a little to make it thinner
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour mixture into large ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 150 (the lowest ours would go is 170 so we kept the door ajar with a wooden spoon)
- Pat dry strips of meat and place them on a cooking rack (make sure they do not touch)
- Dry the meat strips in the oven for 3-5 hours (ours took 4) or until the meat is dried, but not brittle (should be able to tear into strings)
- Let the jerky cool and then share it with friends! Make sure to wash it all down with the remaining Rusted Route
- Can be stored in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks but you probably won’t need that much time
*This recipe is a tribute to Steve and Dyana from Roundabout Brewery and Justin Severino from Cure Restaurant. Posts soon to come about their awesome places!
Cheers N’at
D&T
Pennies, Pints, Pittsburgh
We are a husband & wife blogging team who loves beer, food, and Pittsburgh. We were both born and raised in the City of Bridges and now are proudly raising our own family here. Pittsburgh is going through a tremendous craft beer boom and we are beyond thrilled to be a part of it. We enjoy blogging about the local craft beer scene and also enjoy the challenge of effectively incorporating those local beers into some of our favorite recipes.
