Chipotle Beef Jerky

I’m an avid reader of writer Michael Ruhlman’s books and blog. He recently posted a great recipe for chipotle beef jerkey that is adapted from his cookbook Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing. Every recipe I’ve tried of Ruhlman’s has been great and I can’t wait to give this a shot.

Among the most easy and satisfying preservation techniques is beef jerky: cut strips of lean beef (the less expensive the cut the better), salt and season them, let them cure for a day in the fridge, then spread them out on a rack to dry. – Charcuterie at Home: Beef Jerky – Ruhlman.com

I love that he actually calls for “ground chipotles” as opposed to chipotle powder. Using the powder would work fine but the added flavor and smokiness you’ll get from freshly ground chipotles will be worth the minimal effort. You can easily grind a dried chipotle pepper with a pestle and mortar or use a coffee grinder.