The snack drawer's answer to "what's topside actually for?"

Long before fridges, drying was how you kept beef — and topside was always the jerky cut, because meat this lean dries clean and even, with no fat to spoil. Here's the good news: your steaks arrive already sliced thin, which removes the only fiddly step. A soy, brown sugar and cracked-pepper marinade, an afternoon in a barely-warm oven, and one pack becomes a week's worth of proper jerky — with nothing in it you didn't put there. The house smells incredible, and the jar never lasts as long as you planned.

7 hrs 50 mins 8 servings Prep 4 hrs 20 minsCook 3 hrs 30 minsSide DishAustralian

Ingredients

  • 460g Your Farmer grass-fed topside steaks, fat and silverskin trimmed, cut into 1cm-wide strips
  • 80ml soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Instructions

Trim every scrap of visible fat and silverskin from the steaks — fat is what shortens jerky's life — then cut them along their length into strips about 1cm wide.

460g topside steaks

Stir the soy sauce, Worcestershire, brown sugar, smoked paprika, pepper, garlic powder and chilli flakes together in a bowl or zip-lock bag.

80ml soy sauce1 tbsp brown sugar2 tsp smoked paprika1 tsp cracked pepper

Add the beef strips, coat every piece, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is better, but optional).

Heat the oven to 80°C fan-forced and line the oven floor with foil to catch drips. Pat the strips thoroughly dry with paper towel — the drier they go in, the better they dry out.

Lay the strips on a wire rack set over a tray, with space between each piece so the warm air can move right around them.

Dry for 3–4 hours, propping the oven door slightly ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon to let the moisture escape. The jerky is ready when it's dark, dry to the touch and bends with a crack without snapping clean through.

Cool completely on the rack — warm jerky sealed in a jar makes condensation, and condensation is the enemy — then stash in an airtight jar and raid at will: lunchboxes, long drives, half-time at the footy.

Appears in

Your Farmer CSA grass-fed beef share — vacuum-sealed steaks, roasts, mince and sausages, paddock-to-plate NSW & ACT delivery
CSA Grass Fed Beef Share
From $176.67

Why Topside Is the Traditional Jerky Cut

Every drying tradition on earth — jerky, biltong, the lot — reaches for the same kind of meat: the leanest, most even muscle on the animal. That's topside. Fat doesn't dry, it just sits there and slowly turns rancid, so the less of it in the cut, the longer the jerky keeps and the cleaner it tastes. Topside's fine, straight grain is the other half of the story: it dries evenly, with no thick pockets left soft in the middle. And here's the quiet advantage of the Your Farmer® pack — the hardest part of home jerky is slicing a roast thinly and evenly, and your topside from the grass-fed beef CSA share arrives as thin-cut steaks, so that job's already done. One decision remains: cut your strips along the grain for that classic long chew, or across it for a more tender, snappier bite. For the wider map of what every cut does best, our guide to every beef cut has you covered.

Swaps and Variations

The round steaks in the same share are every bit as traditional — same leanness, same even grain. For a biltong lean: swap the soy for 60ml of brown vinegar, and use crushed toasted coriander seeds, salt and pepper as the coating. Sweet-heat fans can add a tablespoon of honey and extra chilli to the marinade. And if you own a dehydrator, it does the same job at 70°C over a similar time — no door-propping required.

Storage and Leftovers

Let the jerky cool completely before it goes anywhere near a jar. Properly dried, it keeps about a week in an airtight container in a cool dark spot, 2–3 weeks in the fridge, and 2 months in the freezer — though in a house with children, none of those numbers has ever been tested. If any piece feels soft or you spot moisture inside the jar, move the lot to the fridge and eat it sooner. Beyond straight snacking, chop a few strips into a trail mix with nuts and dried fruit, and school lunchboxes sort themselves for the week.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to make jerky in a home oven?

Yes — an oven at 80°C actually runs warmer than most dehydrators, so the beef heats through properly while it dries. Keep the strips thin and even, dry them until they bend with a crack, and let them cool fully before sealing.

How do I know when the jerky is done?

The bend test: a finished strip is dark, dry to the touch, and cracks when you bend it without snapping clean in half. If it snaps like a twig it's over-dried (still perfectly edible); if it bends silently, give it another 30–45 minutes.

How long does homemade jerky keep?

About a week in an airtight jar in the pantry, 2–3 weeks in the fridge, and up to 2 months in the freezer. Home jerky has no preservatives, so when in doubt, keep it cold.

Why do I have to trim off all the fat?

Fat doesn't dry out the way muscle does — it stays soft and eventually turns rancid, which spoils the whole batch early. Topside barely has any, which is exactly why it's the traditional jerky cut.

Can I use a dehydrator instead of the oven?

Yes — set it to 70°C and expect a similar 3–4 hours, checking with the bend test from 3 hours. The oven method exists for everyone who doesn't own one.

0 commentson Oven-Dried Beef Jerky from Grass-Fed Topside

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