Created by Adam Thompson of the Austin Primal Living Meetup Group, Fantastic Beef Sticks are perfect for day trips and overnight camping trips. I'm not sure how long they'll last for longer trips due to the fat content. But, because they contain fat, they taste better and are more satisfying than beef jerky. They're also super easy to make if you have a dehydrator. You don't need a fancy one. Basic dehydrators cost $40-$60 and you can find used ones for less.
Seasoning
Fantastic Beef Sticks don't need any salt or seasonings. However, salt makes them taste especially good. I've never tried putting salt directly in the meat. Adam says he's soaked the meat for several hours in very salty water (tons of salt) and then mixed the beef around a bit in the water at the end.
Type of Beef
Go with a lower-fat ground beef, of sirloin composition or leaner (10% fat or less). You really taste the beef flavor, so higher-quality beef makes a difference. The farmer's markets in Austin feature local free-range beef that is ideal for these.
Amount
Adam's basic four-tray dehydrator (shown in the in final picture) holds two pounds of beef well. Three pounds is a squeeze but it's doable. The pictures below show two pounds.
RECIPE
STEP 1: Press 2 pounds of ground beef -- lean or extra-lean (no more than 10% fat) -- onto a cutting board until it's about 1/4 inch thick.
STEP 2: Slice the beef into "bars" 1 1/2 inches wide by 3-4 inches long.
STEP 3: Peel the bars off the board using your fingers as shown above. As you do this...
STEP 4: ...place them on dehydrator trays, evenly spaced. Dehydrate for at least 12 hours on high. The beef sticks will be just a bit bendable and chewy. If you go longer, the sticks will turn into "beef crackers" which are also delicious and most likely have a longer shelf life.
STORAGE: Store in the refrigerator or freezer. We've found that they'll last fine for one-day trips in the Texas summer heat. They probably last longer in cool weather.
