How to Make Jerky – Step-by-Step Instructions
Before the invention of refrigeration and preservatives, the only way to meat that was preserved for a longer time to get it in dry jerky. Dried meat jerky is possibly the oldest method of preserving meat and jerked back to the earliest civilizations.
Traditionally, jerky was made long, thin strips of meat, salted and dried in the sun or over a small smoky fire. Although jerky still be made in this way, techniques have become more sophisticated in our day.Jerky is still a very popular food and millions of people still enjoy jerkily like a delicious, convenient and healthy source of protein. Jerky is not messy snack for hikers, campers, or just perfect.
Today is the most common of beef jerky, but jerky in poultry may also be made of fish, and wildlife such as deer (venison), elk, buffalo, bison, moose, caribou, antelope and other game. Many varieties of spices can make different varieties of jerky.The salt is traditionally used as the main preservative in jerky, but acids like vinegar and lemon juice in marinades can also help to kill bacteria. Jerky can be prepared without salt, but their shelf life will be drastically reduced.
Have store-bought, jerky comes in many variants with any number of chemicals, additives and preservatives and can be surprisingly expensive. However, you can make your own jerky at home very easily. Most people are surprised how easy it is tastyjerky that is much cheaper and healthier than mass-produced jerky commercially available. So by your own jerky, you do not only control the ingredients, save money.
Jerky Making: Step-by-Step Instructions
Select a piece of meat. The choice of a lean cut to save some time later. For jerky, like cuts such as sirloin, top round, round eyes, etc. are a good choice. You can also make wild or virtually any other kind of meatjerky.
Trim all fat from your cut significantly from meat, because no grease will cause the jerky to spoil much faster.
Slice your meat into thin strips 1 / 8 "to 1 / 4" thick. Cut the meat into thin slices dramatically reduces drying time. You can only cut with a knife and cutting board jerky, but there are some practical tools that you use for slicing meat products, Jerky slicing like a tray, a hand crank Manual Jerky Slicer or an electric meat slicer.Tip: Cut meat is easier if you freeze the meat for about 30 to 60 minutes before cutting. You can cut with or against the grain, but some find that stripes are cut against the grain easier to chew.
Marinate meat in a marinade or solution of your choice. You can follow a recipe to make your own marinade or buy any number of ready-made marinades. Marinating is optional because the extra moisture may take longer dehydration, and theresulting jerky could be sticky. Bathing in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce is a favorite. Overnight in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours to let the meat absorb the flavor.
Season the meat with the dry ingredients of your choice. You can follow a jerky recipe or choose from a variety of available dry jerky seasoning mix. A mixture of salt, pepper, oregano, marjoram, basil and thyme is delicious. You will notice that many spices work well and it's a personal preference. Ipersonally enjoy jerky with a lot of pepper. You will need to experiment to find your favorites. Just sprinkle and rub the dry seasonings onto both sides of the sliced meat.
Dehydrate the meat. Meat is dehydrated by applying heat and continuous air flow. The control of both the temperature and the airflow is very important. If the humidity is too high and the temperature is too low, the jerky will dry too slowly and it could spoil. If the temperature is too high, the jerky cook too fast, hard on the outside, but still too wet to spoil on the inside, and again it might.
There are two common methods for drying jerky, should be in a conventional oven or a dehydrator. Regardless of which method you use, leave enough space between the pieces so that the air flow around the meat. Avoid touching the meat, if possible.
Making Jerky in a conventional oven
Preheat your oven to 140 degrees. Remember, you are not cooking the meat;They are simply removing the moisture. Spray all the shelves you are using a non-stick cooking spray. Excluding these non-stick spray, you will be with jerky, which are not removed from the shelves and which essentially will be unpalatable to leave. Spread the meat evenly on racks in the oven. You can also use metal shelves other than the oven rack with drip tray under: cleanups make much faster.
Leave the oven door slightly open to allow moisture to escape. As temperatures and humidity Layers and layer thickness varies, it can not have a fixed time to complete the process. Usually jerky lasts 6 to 12 hours. Check the consistency of jerky regularly for 6 hours, until it meets your satisfaction. You may have to cut into the jerky, to ensure that it is not raw inside. They want the jerky a deep brown or burgundy color and still be flexible. As jerky cools, it becomes more stiff and brittle, so you do not want more than dry.
Making Jerky in a> Food Dehydrator
Food dryers are excellent for making jerky. Dehydrators are cheap to purchase and are safer and cheaper than the kitchen oven. Additionally Dehydrators less make a mess and are easier to clean.
Spray the dehydrator trays with non-stick cooking spray before starting on the strips of meat. In this way, the meat from sticking and helps in the rehabilitation of the tablet. Season the jerky strips as above and drain well beforethem on the dehydrator trays.
A complete process can dehydrator jerky, usually a large amount in 6 to 12 hours. Just as with the drying in a conventional oven, temperature, humidity and film thickness varies, so that the drying process will change over time. You want to check the jerky frequently to 6 hours if their done. They want the jerky a deep brown or burgundy color and still be flexible. As jerky cools, it becomes more stiff and brittle, so you do not want more than dry. The thicker Reductions will take more time, just as the thin pieces are done, simply remove them. Tip: One rule of thumb, make 4 pounds of raw meat over a pound of jerky.
Keep the finished jerky in plastic bags and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat them. To be sure, it is best to fresh, homemade jerky to enjoy within a week of preparation. If you do it right, it's delicious! To Tip: If you want your jerky store more, use a> Vacuum sealer to store jerky in the vacuum bag. Other storage methods allow for the absorption of oxygen and moisture, which promotes the growth of bacteria. In the vacuum seal bags jerky months may be kept. Jerkily vacuum sealed in the freezer to be stored may take even longer. Alternative: Jerky Snack Sticks & Strips
Instead of sliced meat jerky, a popular form of jerky, the jerky snack stick or snack strip, which is made by experiencedground meat formed into strips or round sticks. To make this jerky snack, you first need to purchase extra lean ground meat or grind lean cuts of meat with a meat grinder. The next step is to mix the seasonings into the ground meat by hand or with a meat mixer. The seasoned ground meat can then be extruded into the snack sticks or strips using a Jerky Gun or Jerky Cannon. Finally, these jerky snacks are dehydrated on trays in a conventional oven or food dehydrator as described above.
Who knew it was so easy to make his own jerky too? Enjoy!
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