Party like you mean it this Super Bowl

Sure, you’ll have some guacamole and some chips and some chicken wings. And a plate of nachos isn’t a bad idea, either. But how about something to set your Super Bowl spread apart?
How about some homemade beef jerky? Because while it may sound daunting to season and dry your own meat, it actually is a simple process that requires little hands on time. It also can be done well ahead — as in several weeks — and the results are pretty spectacular. And let’s not forget how wonderfully a well-seasoned hunk of jerky goes with all that beer you’ll be drinking.
At its most basic, jerky is thinly sliced meat that is slowly dried until most of the moisture is removed. While some people use food dehydrators for this, an oven set at 200 F works just fine, too.
But nobody wants plain jerky, and that’s where the marinade comes in. Once the meat is sliced, you give it a bath in something really flavorful for 8 to 10 hours. And those flavors can go in pretty much any direction you like, though big and bold are pretty much the best way to go. Think ingredients like hot sauce, lime juice, soy sauce and coffee.
In terms of equipment, all you need are a rimmed baking sheet and a wire rack (the sort you cool cookies on). You set the rack over the pan, lay the marinated meat on the rack, then pop it in the oven for a few hours.
Once the jerky is dried, be sure to let it cool fully. It will seem tender at first, but it will be drier and firmer once cooled. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks. Or until you have time to make a beer run for the big game.
When making jerky, you want to get very lean beef. Top or bottom round is good if you want large, wide slices of jerky. For thin strips, flank steak (cut against the grain) is good. Whatever cut you get, be sure to trim away and discard as much fat as possible before slicing and marinating.
SWEET HEAT BEEF JERKY
Start to finish: 3½ to 4½ hours (30 minutes active), plus cooling
12-ounce can cola (not diet)
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. hot sauce (adjust to your tolerance)
½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2½ pounds lean beef
In a large bowl, gently whisk together cola, brown sugar, soy sauce, hot sauce and black pepper. Cut beef into slices about ¼-inch thick and add to marinade. Cover bowl and refrigerate 8 to 10 hours.
When ready to dry jerky, heat oven to 200 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then set a metal rack over it. Mist rack with cooking spray.
Remove slices of jerky from marinade, shaking them lightly to remove excess liquid. Arrange slices on the prepared rack, leaving just enough space between them so they don’t touch or overlap.
Place baking sheet on the oven’s middle shelf. Leave for 3 hours. Once an hour, rotate the pan front to back. After 3 hours, check jerky. It should be just barely tender. If not, return to oven for another 30 minutes to an hour, checking regularly. Remove pan from the oven and let dry completely on the rack. Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Servings: 12
Nutrition information per serving: 150 calories; 45 calories from fat (30 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 21 g protein; 135 mg sodium.
MAPLE COFFEE
PEPPER JERKY
Want sweet, bold flavor without the heat? Try this variation on the recipe above. Use the same method for preparing, marinating and drying the beef, but substitute the following marinade.
2 cups strong black coffee
1 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
3 tsp. kosher salt
In a large bowl, stir together coffee and maple syrup until the syrup dissolves. Stir in black pepper and salt. Use marinade as directed in the recipe above.
Nutrition information per serving: 150 calories; 45 calories from fat (30 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 21 g protein; 190 mg sodium.