Why Is Some Beef Jerky Soft and Some Tough?

 Four things change how jerky eats: the cut of beef, how it is sliced, what it is marinated in, and how far it is dried. Harry Grundmann, our founder, describes Primal 500's Tender Brisket Beef Jerky as softer than a hard jerky and somewhere in the middle range, and credits the marinade for the softness.

Which cut of beef makes jerky tender or tough?

Top round comes from the inside of the rear leg. The Beef Checkoff describes top round as very lean and says steaks cut from it benefit from tenderization or marination. FSIS's model plan for shelf-stable beef jerky uses boneless top rounds and top sirloins as the beef in its example.

Brisket comes from the animal's breast, which is used for movement, and the Beef Checkoff says that can make it tougher. That is why the cut does not settle the chew by itself. How the meat is sliced and marinated, covered next, changes it too.

Tender Brisket is made in Northern Nevada, and each bag carries the USDA mark of inspection. Harry says using brisket instead of top round is one of the big differences at Primal, and that Primal prefers a softer jerky.

Does slicing change how jerky chews?

Yes. Penn State Extension's guide to making jerky at home says jerky cut with the grain of the meat is chewy, and cutting across the grain makes it more tender. The same guide has home makers cut strips a quarter to three-eighths of an inch thick and says thinner strips dry faster.

What do the marinade and the drying do?

Marinades are used to tenderize and flavor jerky before it is dried, according to Penn State Extension. Harry points to our marinade as the reason Tender Brisket is soft. The ingredient lists for both flavors, with sugar and sodium per serving, are in How to Read a Beef Jerky Label. The lists do not separate the marinade from the rest of the recipe.

Drying removes water, which changes the chew. FSIS's model plan for shelf-stable beef jerky treats drying as the step that makes the product shelf stable.

How do you choose a softer jerky when you buy?

• Check which cut the maker uses. Top round and brisket come from different parts of the animal, and the cut should be named on the bag or product page.
• Read the ingredient list on the bag. It lists what the recipe adds, such as sweetener and salt, and says nothing about how the strips were sliced.
• Treat "soft" and "tender" as the maker's description, ours included, and look for the specifics behind them.
• Reseal the bag after opening, because jerky absorbs moisture from the air easily.

Primal 500's Tender Brisket Beef Jerky comes as a pack of two 2.5 oz bags, one Black Pepper & Sea Salt and one Sweet & Spicy. See the pack. This page covers Tender Brisket only. Other products in our shop have their own labels.