Pineapple Jerky

Sounds a bit weird, right, but my daughter loves it and asks me to make a batch whenever she sees me slicing up meat for jerky. I have to admit it’s not bad for a semisweet jerky if that’s where your taste buds take you, but I still prefer the spicy type. Like my other jerky recipes, this does not call for nitrates or other harsh chemicals, but I still sometimes add a pinch of Prague salt if I know I need it to keep in storage longer than a few weeks.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs Elk, Venison, or beef – round steak is a good option
  • 0.75 cup Pineapple puree – fresh
  • 4 oz Pineapple juice – fresh
  • 0.5 cup Brown sugar
  • Marinade
    • 1 TBL Garlic powder
    • 4 oz Worcester sauce
    • 3 oz Balsamic vinegar
    • 2 oz Teriyaki sauce
    • 2 oz Soy sauce
    • 2 TBL Liquid smoke – optional if you don’t smoke the meat

Process

  1. Slice meat into 1/8th” thick slices against the grain. If you have a slicer, freeze meat for one hour before slicing, it should be firm but not frozen solid.
  2. Tenderize the meat by lightly pounding. Best to put meat between two pieces of film.
  3. Make the Marinade
    1. Mix the marinade ingredients together.
    2. Slowly bring to a boil and remove from heat.
    3. Stir in brown sugar and let cool to room temp.
    4. Pour in pineapple juice and puree.
  4. Cover meat with marinade and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
  5. Dry Jerky
    1. In oven
      1. Preheat oven to 150 F.
      2. Line a baking pan with foil and place meat so strips are not touching each other
      3. Bake for 3 hrs. Then, turn the oven off but leave trays inside for 3 more hours.
    2. In Dehydrator*
      1. Set temp to medium heat (~145 F).
      2. Dehydrate until all the moisture is gone (~5 hrs).
    3. Smoker
      1. Keep smoker temp around 150 F
      2. Smoke until dry, ~3 hrs

Note 1: You have to adjust for your own taste. For me, I use less Worcester sauce, more salt, and a pinch of Prague salt (has nitrates for persevering the meat so it last longer).

Note 2: If you don’t use Prague salt, you should store this jerky in the fridge or freezer. Best if you vacuum seal the storage bags.

* This recipe is a bit messy in a dehydrator because of the sugar an puree, would recommend you use the oven or a smoker.

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