For what might be viewed as little more than some dried pieces of beef with a few spices, beef jerky remains a reliably delicious snack. It’s perfect for snacking on the go, tiding you over between meals, or even simply giving you something yummy to munch on (and to flex your jaw muscles a bit).
While the “beef plus a few spices” sentiment is selling beef jerky quite short, the fact of the matter is that it is actually fairly simple to make. You can even make homemade beef jerky in your oven if you need to.
However, out of all the ingredients needed to yield some deeply flavorful jerky, there’s one that can be a real game changer. If flavor depth is your goal with beef jerky, vinegar can certainly help you reach it. Specifically, a non-neutral vinegar such as apple cider vinegar can really help to make the flavor profile of your jerky more robust by adding in acidic and somewhat fruity or floral notes. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, or just don’t want to use it, there are several worthy substitutions you can make in apple cider vinegar’s place. In the case of a beef dish, red wine vinegar is another possible addition.
Vinegar helps with beef jerky texture too
Much talk around beef jerky surrounds the right kinds of cuts you should use, and rightfully so, since the type of beef you select can be critical to making a delectable jerky. As well, some of the more egregious mistakes you can make while preparing beef jerky can revolve around this same issue. But the marinating stage is arguably just as crucial to making exquisite beef jerky since this is not only where the flavors will seep into your meat, but it’s also the stage where tenderization takes place. You know now that vinegar can help with the former, but it can also be a huge help for the latter.
Just like how you can use lemon juice in an effortless beef marinade, utilizing the acid in the citrus to make the meat more tender, so too can you implement vinegar to help tenderize your soon-to-be beef jerky. While vinegar won’t outright cook your beef, the denaturation of the beef’s proteins makes the meat strips more tender, which will pay dividends once the jerky is done. Just be careful not to leave the beef marinating for too long, lest the acid makes your beef too soft. But if over-tenderization is your biggest concern, it’s safe to say you’re on the right track to making some exceptional jerky.
