Zia Hatch Green Chile Beef Jerky 

Ingredients:

- 3lb of LEAN beef (we prefer to use bottom round roast, other acceptable cuts are top round roast, eye of round, london broil, and flank steak)

- 1/2 Jar of Zia Hatch Green Chile or Zia Hatch Chile Salsa

- Salt and Pepper

- Garlic and Onion powder

- Hatch Chile Flakes

- Liquid Smoke (optional)

Directions:

1. Place beef into freezer for one hour to allow meat to firm up. 

2. Take beef out and with a sharp knife, do your best to slice as thin as possible. The goal is to achieve 1/4 or 1/8 inch thickness strips, though in the end, you’ll have strips of all shapes and sizes.

3. Once all beef is cut, place into ziplock baggie with mixture of Zia Hatch Green Chile or Zia Hatch Chile Salsa and liquid smoke. 

4. Let meat marinate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Remove, pat dry and lay out on sheet pan with space between all pieces. 

5. Once meat is sitting on your sheet pans, sprinkle with desired seasonings. We used salt, fresh cracked black pepper, Hatch Chile flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. 

6. Place beef cuts in oven at 125 degrees and leave the oven door slightly ajar. Some ovens will naturally hold a few inches open, If not, feel free to put a wine cork between the oven handle and the frame, or a piece of silverware / crushed can. The goal here is to allow for some air flow in and out of the oven so that the meat doesn't “cook” and is instead dehydrating itself. 

7. The meat will be in the oven for roughly 6 hours. We recommend checking on them halfway through, giving them a flip and draining any liquid on the pan. Leave in longer for desired dryness. 

8. Once beef is out of the oven and the strips have achieved desired texture, place in fridge and enjoy within 5 days. Remember, this is fresh meat! Not the beef jerky you buy in a store, when it comes to freshness, treat it as you would any other steak leftover.

Want more delicious Hatch Chile Recipes? View more here!