Jerky

What Is It? Jerky is raw meat or fish which has been salted, sometimes smoked, and the dried.

Equipment for Curing and Drying Sharp Knife or Electric Slicer- cuts meat into thin strips Containers- use appropriate size for curing or marinating. Should be made of: glass, stoneware, stainless steel, or plastic. DO NOT use containers made of wood or metals (other than stainless steel)

Equipment for Curing and Drying Cont. Vegetable Oil, Mineral Oil, Non- Stick Vegetable Spray- will prevent food from sticking to drying trays or racks Temperature Controlled Dryer or Oven- used to dry the meat Storage Containers- to refrigerate or freeze the finished product

What Meats To Use Use fresh or frozen lean meat The leaner the meat the better the quality of the finished product. Beef- Flank, round and sirloin tip cuts are more economical that cheaper cuts which contain more bone and fat. Lamb- use leg or shoulder cuts. Less desirable for jerky because it has a higher fat content.

What Meats To Use Cont. Pork- Fresh pork should not be used for jerky. Temperatures are not high enough to kill harmful bacteria or the trichinella parasite which causes trichinosis( a disease that can be fatal) Ham jerky may be made from fully cooked ham and should be used within one to two weeks

What Meats To Use Cont. Game Meats- Deer, elk, antelope, and other game meats all make good jerky Any cut can be used, the loin, round , and flank cuts are best. As a precaution against disease, freeze game meats for at least 60 days before drying Poultry- Raw poultry usually isn't made into jerky because the flavor and texture is much better cooked. The small size of most poultry makes it impractical for jerky. Smoked turkey breasts can be sliced and dried into an acceptable jerky

How to Begin About 4 pounds of lean, boneless meat will make 1 pound of jerky. Preparation: Slice meat into long strips 3/16 to ¼ inch thick. Uniform slices will shorten the drying time Cut across the grain for increased tenderness Remove excess fat

Salting and Seasoning Two ways to cure meat: Brine Curing- uses a salt and water mixture to soak meat until the salt has been absorbed. May also contain seasonings and other curing ingredients Dry Curing- uses a mixture of salt and seasonings which are applied directly to the meat without adding water Amount of salt used varies with the type of meat, taste preference, and how meat will be stored.

Salting and Seasoning Cont. Any type of fine quality sodium chloride salt intended for food use may be used. Pure pickling salt is a good choice Lay strips of meat in single layers on a clean flat surface, Sprinkle both sides with a salt and seasoning mixture. Put meat strips in a tightly covered glass, stoneware, plastic or stainless steel container and marinate in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours (stir occasionally)

Salting and Seasoning Cont. If you want meat with a smoked flavor without going through the smoking process. Two types of Smoke Flavored Seasonings available: Liquid Smoke- made by a wood distilling process and gives a very strong smoke flavor. Use sparingly Mixed with water and other seasonings Hickory Flavored Smoked Salt *** Neither have preservative qualities, use only as flavor enhancers.

How To Dry Meat For Jerky Place meat strips on drying racks Do not overlap the strips Two methods of Drying: Electric Dehydrator Oven

Dryness Test To test: first cool a piece, when cool it should crack when bent, but not break. There should be NO moist spots

Storing Cool and cut jerky into 2 to 4 inch pieces with kitchen scissors before storing. Jerky may be refrigerated or frozen in an airtight container to increase shelf life and maintain flavor.