The best beef cut for jerky is lean: Eye of Round, topside or silverside. Learn why fat causes spoilage, why trimming matters, and why BEEF'D uses Eye of Round.
If you’ve ever bitten into a piece of jerky and hit a chewy, waxy pocket of fat, you already know why cut selection matters. The best beef cut for jerky is lean, close-grained and easy to slice evenly — and that’s precisely why cuts like Eye of Round, topside and silverside dominate serious jerky-making, both at home and commercially. Fat is the enemy of good jerky: it doesn’t dehydrate the way muscle protein does, it can turn rancid at room temperature, and it’s the main reason shelf-stable jerky needs to start from lean beef in the first place.
Jerky-making is really a controlled dehydration process. You’re pulling moisture out of the meat until bacteria can’t grow in it, which is what makes it safe to store without refrigeration. Lean muscle protein dries out predictably in a dehydrator or low oven. Fat behaves completely differently — it doesn’t dry out, it just sits there. Because fat has a much lower spoilage threshold than dried lean protein, any marbling or fat cap left on the meat becomes the weak point in an otherwise shelf-stable product. That’s the whole reason traditional jerky recipes insist on trimming every visible seam of fat before slicing: it’s not a flavour preference, it’s a food-safety requirement.
There’s also a texture argument. Fat doesn’t take on a chew the way dried muscle fibre does — it goes greasy or waxy instead of firm, which is not what most people want from a snack that’s meant to be portable and shelf-stable. Learning how beef jerky is made from raw cut through to finished product makes it obvious why the industry keeps circling back to the same handful of cuts.
Three cuts come up again and again when people ask what makes the best beef cut for jerky:
What these three have in common is low fat, a clear grain direction (important for deciding whether you want a tender bite or a more traditional tough chew), and enough structural integrity to survive thin slicing without falling apart. Cuts from the rib, chuck or brisket, by contrast, carry far more marbling and connective tissue — great for slow-roasting or braising, poor for dehydrating.
Even a lean cut like eye of round carries some surface fat and silverskin. Careful trimming before slicing removes:
Commercial producers who take this seriously typically run a trim pass by hand rather than relying on a mechanical cut alone, because fat pockets aren’t always where you’d expect them. It’s a slower, more labour-intensive step, but it’s the difference between jerky that’s uniformly lean and jerky with the odd unpleasant bite.
Starting from a lean cut has a direct, honest flow-through to the finished product’s nutrition. Because there’s less fat to begin with, the dried result is concentrated lean protein rather than concentrated fat. General nutrition guidance favours lean protein sources as part of a balanced diet, and a well-made jerky from a lean cut like eye of round reflects that: high protein per 100g relative to a lot of snack foods, with fat and carbohydrate kept low. It’s worth being clear-eyed about the trade-off too — dehydrating meat concentrates sodium along with protein, so jerky in general (this brand included) is a high-sodium food, typically in the range of 1500-1900mg per 100g. That’s worth factoring in if you’re watching sodium intake, and it’s a good reason to treat jerky as a snack within a broader diet rather than an everyday staple. You can see exactly how the numbers stack up on the quality & nutrition page, including independent lab-testing results.
BEEF’D is made in Geelong from 100% premium Australian beef, and every flavour in the range — Original, Chilli, Teriyaki and Smokey — starts from Eye of Round for exactly the reasons above: low fat, a clean grain for consistent thick-cut slicing, and a texture that dries into a proper chew rather than a greasy one. Every batch is NATA-tested, so the protein and nutrition figures on pack aren’t estimates. If you’re after a straightforward high-protein option, Original sits at 62g protein per 100g with only 0.4g sugar, and it’s also the only flavour that’s Gluten Nil Detected — the flavoured varieties (Chilli, Teriyaki, Smokey) contain gluten and soy (Teriyaki also has sesame), so always check the current pack label if allergens matter to you. For a deeper look at how the whole range compares on protein, check out how much protein is in beef jerky.
If you want to taste the difference a genuinely lean cut makes, browse the full BEEF’D range or head straight to the shop to order online — free shipping on orders over $200, with new stockists being added regularly around Australia.
Eye of Round is generally considered the best cut because it's very lean, has a tight, even grain that slices cleanly, and holds together well through marinating and drying. Topside and silverside are solid lean alternatives.
Fat doesn't dehydrate the way lean muscle does, so it stays soft and is far more prone to turning rancid at room temperature. That makes fatty cuts unsuitable for shelf-stable jerky, which relies on low moisture and low fat to stay safe without refrigeration.
Yes. Even lean cuts carry some surface fat and silverskin, and both should be trimmed before slicing. Leftover fat shortens shelf life and leaves an unpleasant waxy texture; leftover silverskin dries into tough, gristly strands.
They're all part of the round primal (rear leg) and are all lean, but they're distinct cuts with slightly different grain and texture. Eye of round tends to have the tightest, most uniform grain, which is why it's favoured for consistent thick-cut jerky slicing.
Leaner cuts generally concentrate more protein relative to fat once dried, since there's less fat diluting the muscle tissue. That's part of why jerky made from a very lean cut like eye of round can land at the higher end of the protein range for the category.
Up to 62% protein, low sugar, NATA tested — proudly made in Geelong. Real meat, real thick.
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