Sweet and Spicy Thai Beef Jerky
Source of Recipe
From "Cravings: All Together" by Chrissy Teigen
Recipe Introduction
"I don't wanna brag, but I'm a *bit* of a jerky expert. The origins of my knowledge come from hours and hours spent on road trips, in and out of Flying J truck stops, snapping away on Slim Jims or gnawing on the same piece of Oh Boy! Oberto till it was like a wet piece of meat fabric in my mouth. I know how delicious that sounds, but if you know, you *know.* Eventually, thanks to a South African boyfriend, I graduated from jerky to biltong, which is thinly sliced, cured pieces of whateverostrich, beef, fish, anything. I would always ask the butcher for the juiciest little nuggets, pieces that were bright white with fat ready to melt in your mouth. But if I'm being honest, my heart has always belonged to warm, sweet Thai jerky made from soy- and brown sugar-marinated skirt steak. I would form a ball of hot sticky rice between my fingers and stick a chunk to every single dried, flavorful morsel of beauty until it became more of a meal than a snack. Here, we bring the street version right to your homesweet, spicy, simple to make: you just bake the marinated meat until it's dry, and then give it a quick fry. The thinner strips are crisp, while the thicker steak pieces have more chew and a meatier texture. Both are delicious, with crispy, caramelized edges that are just on the edge of burnt. Feel free to taste-test alongside any jerky you previously thought was delicious. We win, or your money back!!"
List of Ingredients
◦ ⅓ cup (lightly packed) dark brown sugar
◦ 2 tablespoons soy sauce
◦ 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
◦ 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
◦ teaspoon red pepper flakes
◦ teaspoon MSG (see Note)
◦ 2 pounds boneless beef skirt steak
◦ Vegetable oil, for frying
Recipe
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and MSG.
Cut the steak against the grain into 1-inch-wide strips. If you need to, cut longer whole pieces of steak into 4-inch squares or rectangles, and then cut them so you can keep cutting against the grain. Add the steak pieces to the marinade, toss to evenly coat, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 F. Arrange a rack on a rimmed baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the beef in a single layer on the rack, separated if possible (it will shrink so don't worry too much). Discard any excess marinade. Bake until the meat appears drier and has shrunk a bit, 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet or large plate with paper towels. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large (at least 4-quart) pot until it reaches 350 F on a deep-fry thermometer, or until a small piece of meat begins to sizzle and cook right away.
Working in batches, fry the meat, stirring as it cooks, until it darkens and crisps, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Drain on paper towels and let cool at least 10 minutes before eating. The longer it cools, the crispier and chewier the jerky becomes. (Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.)
Serves 6 to 8
❧ Note:
If you can't find MSG, pop into your local Chinese restaurant and make a deala buck for a few tablespoons that will go a long way at home! Or...you know what? I guarantee you can find MSG in your grocery store. It's just called "Accent." It comes in a little shaker, and people have been buying it for *decades,* but didn't realize it was just MSG all along.
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